Saw a guy at the Ren Faire in Ohio hammering a red hot piece like it was a nail

He was hitting way too hard and fast, basically just beating the metal instead of moving it. I learned from an old smith in Kentucky that you want controlled, full-arm swings, not just wrist snaps, to actually shape the piece. It really clicked for me after I tried his method on a simple leaf project. Anyone else have a basic technique they see messed up all the time?

2 comments

2 Comments

finleybutler10d ago

Yeah, the anvil's placement gets ignored a lot too. If it's too low, you're fighting gravity and wrecking your back. My buddy had his set way too high and was all shoulder, no power. You want that hammer face to land flat with your arm nearly straight, not angled down.

veraramirez10d ago

My first anvil was on a stump that was a solid four inches too short. I spent a year with a constant ache right in my lower back before I figured it out. @finleybutler is totally right about the hammer landing flat. I built a new base so the anvil face hits right at my knuckle height when I stand straight with my arms relaxed. It changed everything. The power comes from your elbow and wrist, not your shoulder, when the height is correct. Getting that right saved me a lot of pain.