Mystery Hammer

[BruceS]

And a partridge in a pear tree.

[Chillylulu]

I'm not sure how scythe sharpeners dress their hammers. The lower picture looks as if it could be dressed for raising, whereas the top hammer face doesn't look dressed.

Chilly

[Billman49]

My silversmiths' raising hammers all have wider, and highly polished surfaces. The peins of this hammer are typical of scythe peening hammers - in sharpening the edge of the scythe is hit either parallel, or at a slight angle to the edge, working from about 1/2" back, or less if the blade is already thin enough... The process thins the blade, drawing the metal towards the cutting edge (making the blade slightly wider in the process). The thinner (and sharper) end of the hammer is used first, and then the slightly wider end to planish the surfcae smooth. Finally the blade is sharpened using a stone, or a strickle (a piece of wood covered in animal fat and coated with fine sand). The stone was carried in a wooden or zinc holster, or an old cow horn, hung from the belt... Often the wooden ones had a spike so it could be stuck in the ground when actullay mowing, as the holder was often also full of water..

Note the maker's mark on the hammer...



Today they also found in plastic...



Peening could be carried out in the field, the anvils are designed to be stuck in the ground, but often it was done before (or after) the day's work at home, and scythe sharpening benches are found with the anvil fastened to the bench surface.



   

[Chillylulu]

Billman,

Nobody has argued that this type of hammer isn't used for sharpening scythes.  It is a hammer that has multiple uses in different trades, which is not unusual. I have raising hammers with the same faces as this hammer, and this exact hammer is sold by jewelery suppliers here. (I have thousands of dollars of silversmithing hammers, by the way.  I am somewhat of an expert on the subject. Users and not just for collecting.) Almost all of mine have faces thinner than this hammer, not wider. My larger raising hammers are around the same size as this hammer appears to be.

By looking at the face I was trying to determine if this hammer was dressed for silversmithing.  One end could be, although I like a higher polish. So in my mind the use of this particular hammer is  not positive. It could be used for any cross peening operation.

Your last post didn't strengthen your argument, as the hammer has a much wider striking surface. The logo means only that the manufacturer had more than one model of hammer.

I have yet to deny the use of this type of hammer for sharpening scythes, but I assert that they serve more than one trade. In fact, the description you give of hammering the scythe edge is one of raising the metal. Any cross peen does the smithing job of raising in steel, silver, or any other workable metal.

Chilly

Pictures of raising hammers:

[Billman49]

Not arguing with that (much!!) - but in Europe these are often designated and sold as scythe peening hammers - this type not seen in the UK. the closest would be a tinsmith's creasing hammer:



In the UK a raising hammer is more like this....



 a search for dengel hammer finds many similar, e.g. http://www.esska-dk.com/esska_dk_s/Dengel-Hammer-med-handtag-2-Pin-943094019261-12610.html

Danish

But I do agree a hammer designed for, and used in, one trade has wider applications in other areas...

Note in Europe there were probably as many variations in hammers shapes and anvils as there were patterns of scythes - i.e. hundreds...

Austrian

German

[Chillylulu]

What do you use in England- or do you use scythesvas much there?

Chilly

[Billman49]

The English scythe developed differently to those in continental Europe, and thus those often taken to the USA by emigrés... Although the string used to make the blade starts out similar, as a sandwich of wrought iron and steel, theere are differences in construction, forging and hardening that make the hammer method unsuitable for English scythes. Thus we only hone them with a scythe stone, and never hammer them...

Most English scythe manufacurers have long gone (I think there may be one or two left making rivetted blades) - we now tend to import Austrian (also German and Italian) scythes - and the associated hammers and anvils used to peen the blades...

I still have about a dozen various English scythe blades of various shaoes and sizes, and a few continental ones as well (plus a few score anvils, and a couple of hammers - mainly French)...

Ther are a coup,e of videos of the Clay Wheel forge in Sheffield on Youtube, and also some of contintal forges (but maybe on Vimeo, not YT) - some links can be found at: http://www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?showtopic=23841