Know anything about this hammer?

[sumner52000]

I was going to ask what this hammer was made for.  Then i thought i would get answer like hitting stuff.  So does anyone know anything about this? The handle gets kind of thin in one spot. It looks like the ends might screw off but havent put a lot of pressure on them.  I picked it up around Hillsville Va this weekend.  I think i paid 5 or 10 for it.  Then later in the day saw one vendor asking 50 for the same hammer.

[Papaw]

Interesting. Maybe the heads are removable to add weight?

[1930]

I would really like to swing that hammer, I bet it feels nice to hold?

[geneg]

Beautiful hammer.  You certainly got a buy.  As smooth as it looks, possibly used for light sheetmetal work.  Tinsmith or copper work?

[skipskip]

didnt we just do this? or maybe it was the wood tools guys.

the guys who futz with sawmill blades use some special tools, this may be one.

Skip

[Provincial]

I don't know anything about the hammer, but I love the S-shaped wedge!  I think the slender part of the handle is to reduce the effect of the blow on the hand.  Imagine hitting things all day if the handle transmitted the impact to your hand. 

Because of the thin handle, I think we can eliminate woodworking and leather work, including shoemaking.

[scottg]

This might be the most elegant ball pein I have ever seen!
 Its gorgeous!!
 
 And that S wedge? It must be mine!
 Yeah that's it. Where'd you get my hammer??
  yours Scott

[Fins/413]

Summer I was there on Friday it was hot and crowded. I found several wrenches

[sumner52000]

Yes Friday was hot.  Saturday morning was better until the sun came out after lunch.

[Branson]

This is the most elegant ball pein hammer I have ever seen.  But it is simply a ball pein hammer, used for all the usual ball pein hammer jobs.

About the thin handle.  A lot of hammers were given slender handles like this.  This one is no more slender than the handle on my 2 pound straight pein blacksmith's hammer.  The slendered handles give more whip in use, and make work easier. 

I don't have to imagine hitting things all day with hammers.  With a good hickory handle, I haven't found any great effect on my hand.  A few years back, I spent 12 hours at the anvil one day, and 8 hours the next making some fairly heavy wagon parts.  No problem. 

But the whippier handles turn a mere club into a fine tuned tool.

[sumner52000]

I also like the S on top.  Kind of like it was made for a Sumner.

[mikeswrenches]

This may have been used for riveting the copper nails used in building lapstrake type boats.

Either Pete Culler or John Gardner(I can't remember which) recommended that the handle be thinned down like this one.  They didn't say exactly why, only that it was easier to peen the rivets(nails) over the copper roves. with this type handle.

Mike

[Papa Tango]

That is a nice hammer.  I was wondering if perhaps it is some sort of jeweler's hammer that accepts different ends such as copper, brass, horn, plastic, etc.  Was also thinking it might have been used for tin or copper, or pewter smithing.