Handle (adjustable) for interchangeable forging tools, ie swages

[Philip Davies]

I keep the swages I made recently in cutlery trays under my bench, since I haven’t room for racks of tools like you might see in smiths’ shops, besides, why go to all that trouble of making and fitting wooden handles, when a single one will do?

I forged the holder yesterday, and this morning searched through my collection of collars and tubes and luckily found one already tapered, and a collar that fitted it, which runs along the bar, spreading it to grip the eye of the swage. When I hammered it back, to put on another, it was obvies it needed a lug to strike, so I welded the two tubes and a cut down M12 bolt. That should last a while.

This handle fits through the eyes of 8 out of 10 swages I have got which are unhandled.