Japanese style hammer

[Christophe Mineau]

Hi everybody,

Here is a little hammer series :
To start with, a Japanese style hammer. It is mainly intended to be used with my Japanese chisels, so I didn't plan any heat treatment for the head.


The handle is from nice straight grain ash. As an exception, it is not wood turned, I shaped it with my spokeshave in the Japanese style. Oil finish.


The head is round turned out of C35C steel stock. It is 35mm diameter, it weights 600g.


The mortise for the handle was milled on my lathe, using my milling square mount.
The head has one rounded face and the other is flat.
An ebony wedge for locking the head.

[jere]

Very attractive hammer, its making my arm hurt just looking at it.

How long did it take to shape the handle with the spoke shave? I really need to make some hammer handles pretty soon.

[Christophe Mineau]

Hi Jere,
It's really quick, you just need to think how you will be clamping the work on the bench.
answer is you need to cut a rather longer stock, so that the end part you keep it square and clamp it firmly on the bench, so that you can pull with the spokeshave.
This wasted part is on the bottom of handle, and then you cut it off.
Christophe

[kbalch]

Thanks Christophe! I've added your Japanese-Style Hammer to our Metalworking, Woodworking, and Hammers categories, as well as to your builder page: Christophe Mineau's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Japanese-Style Hammer by Christophe Mineau

tags: hammer, hand tools

[doveknives]

Well done sir. I made a Japanese style forging hammer with the traditional off set head that has become the main hammer that I use when forging blades . Lines up the blow and does not twist in the hand when used for forging. Happy Hammering !

Steve Rollert
doveknives.com