Damascus chasing hammer

Hi,

For many years now I've been using these hammers for repoussé and chasing work.

Attachment 29535

The two on the right are relatively heavy (6.5 and 10oz.) with short and stiff handles; the smaller hammer on the left is 3oz. but has an equally short-stiff handle with the other two. Although these hammers are not made for this kind of work, they have served me well till now.

Making a chasing hammer was something I really wanted for quite some time now. I remember when I joined this forum Jon welcome me and asked what would be my next project and I said a chasing hammer.

I wanted to make something special, but not just one hammer; I wanted a set of 3 hammers, 2, 3 and 4ounces.

Attachment 29536 Attachment 29537

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jsyl...3VSEFEB4AaABAg

All the best
Dimitris

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Thanks Dimitris Polychronis! We've added your Damascus Chasing Hammer to our Hammers category,
as well as to your builder page: Dimitris Polychronis's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

<div id="blocks"> <div class="block b1 pngfix"> <div class="bimg"> <div> <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/homemade-damascus-chasing-hammer-2"> <img src="/uploads/223258/homemade-damascus-chasing-hammer-2.jpeg"/> </a> </div> </div> <div class="head pngfix"></div> <div class="left pngfix"></div> <div class="right pngfix"></div> <div class="blockover b1 pngfix"> <div class="title"> <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/homemade-damascus-chasing-hammer-2">Damascus Chasing Hammer</a> <span> by <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/builder/Dimitris+Polychronis">Dimitris Polychronis</a></span> </div> <div class="tags">tags: <a href='http://www.homemadetools.net/tag/hammer'>hammer</a> </div> </div> </div> </div>
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Those are truly beautiful tools; the only proper storage would seem a display case in a museum or at least on the wall of your shop. Those handles seem perilously thin; it's been a very, VERY long time since I did anything like repousse or chasing, though, and mine was done with an old, beat up small ball-peen hammer with a sawed-off handle.

Thank you Bruce!

A display case would be nice, not only for these but for some other tools as well; at the moment I’m trying to make a roll fabric case for storing these hammers, because the space on the wall infront of my bench is very small.

The handle must be thin and flexible; it may seem odd but the handle is the most important thing in a chasing hammer. Chasing hammers work differently than other hammers, instead of relying on slow powerful blows, chasing depends on fast light blows. With every blow the handle flexes forming a spring that stores energy, this energy accelerates the hammer head torwards the chasing punch. Here is a very nice article which explains the subject in more detail: Picking a Chasing Hammer

All the best
Dimitris

That is beautifull work Dimitris
The grain structure in the steel looks like wood, you better put those two beuaties in a cabinet and leave them there !

Great work and video

Doug

On the contrary, I'm looking forward to use them!!!
Thanks for the comment Doug, I really appreciate it.

All the best
Dimitris

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dimitris Polychronis

On the contrary, I'm looking forward to use them!!!
Dimitris

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I'm with you. Tools have no value unless used. The nicer the tools the more pleasure there is in using them.