The hammer-in demo that split my view on power hammers for good

Went to a shop demo in Ohio last spring, guy was flattening a 2 inch billet with a 50 lb pneumatic hammer while I stood there with my hand hammer and thought, man, this is either cheating or genius. He let me try it for 10 hits, and my arm didn't ache, but I lost the feel for the steel completely, you know, that tap-tap feedback you get by hand. Now I'm torn: power hammers save time on big stock, but they create a lazy eye for heat control, at least for me. Does anyone else find they forge better for a while after going back to pure hand hammering, or is that just nostalgia?

2 comments

2 Comments

val_williams1mo ago

Isn't the whole point of a power hammer that you get more hits in before the steel cools?

the_emery1mo ago

Heard a smith say it's more about consistent hits than just speed, honestly.