What the hell has happened to this hammer

**GabrielR** · Apr 26, 2019, 12:28 PM

Barn find. Would it be good to know what has been done with her? I think he has been used as a wedge for cutting stones but did not go quite well ...

What the hell has happened to this hammer-img_1575.jpg

What the hell has happened to this hammer-img_1577.jpg

**mklotz** · Apr 26, 2019, 01:38 PM

My SWAG...

Is it possible that it's not a hammer but rather a handled wedge? The angled hole for the handle to make it more comfortable for a helper to hold the wedge in position while his buddy strikes the end opposite the wedge with a sledge. Perhaps used in metal forging work?

**greyhoundollie** · Apr 26, 2019, 05:47 PM

Maybe it is an OFFSET hammer for driving railroad spikes. In a 3 or 4 man "gandy dancer" crew, it depends where you are standing in the circle around the spike being driven as to which angle you have to strike the spike without your hammer hitting the rail.

**Jon** · Apr 26, 2019, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by greyhoundollie

Maybe it is an OFFSET hammer for driving railroad spikes. In a 3 or 4 man "gandy dancer" crew, it depends where you are standing in the circle around the spike being driven as to which angle you have to strike the spike without your hammer hitting the rail.

Gandy dancer, had no idea. Thanks. Lots more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandy_dancer

**metric_taper** · Apr 26, 2019, 07:47 PM

I'm thinking this hammer was damaged by some use as pin or wedge. There is a crack that developed from the stretching of the material in the inside hole where the handle would be.

**Frank S** · Apr 26, 2019, 09:58 PM

A badly abused cross peen hammer probably use just as was previously stated as a wedge, quite possibly as a splitting wedge until the handle finally gave up the ghost then used without a handle even after the slug in the eye crumbled out, Once the eye began deforming it would be very hard to get a straight hit on it. So very likely the hammer head was non tempered and only moderately hardened the eye may have failed in one final hard striking blow

**suther51** · Apr 27, 2019, 08:36 PM

I have seen similar destruction of axe heads used as wedges for splitting fire wood. There is simply not enough metal around the eye to take a beating. Heads like this that are used by striking with a sledge in blacksmithing usually have heavy walled eye's to prevent distortion like this.
Eric