11lb Atha Cross Pein Hammer

[Twilight Fenrir]

Well, I had an exciting weekend... Took my new puppies to their first Fur Trade Rendezvous reenactment, sold a $200 worth of stuff there, bought a new car... but I am apparently completely insane, because the thing I am most excited about after this weekend is a big, sorely abused piece of steel.

Stopped off at a small garage sale, they had a bunch of antique farm equipment, I picked up a few horse hoof nippers, and various other bits of iron I could use... but in a pile on a workbench which wasn't part of the sale I saw what is definitely the largest cross pein hammer I've seen, and I just about jumped for joy when I saw the horseshoe stamped into it. I asked the owners if they'd sell it, and they quoted me $3 for it, which I gladly accepted.

It's not exactly in good shape... and it's also not exactly something I'm likely to get a lot of use out of... It's not likely I'll ever get strong enough to wield an 11lb hammer one handed for more than a couple blows... but it's still beautiful to me, and definitely going to find a place in the hammer loops on my anvil stand.

The only thing I'm not sure of... is how far to go with it... It badly needs dressing to be of any use at all. There's a few large chips missing out of the edges of the face, and cracks showing where another chip will soon come off. I can just smooth the face, and round off the sharper corners... or I can trim off a pound making it like new... Do I leave its weathered finish, or do I shine it up a bit? Or even heat it up and oil blacken it, and re-temper it?

What are your opinions? What would you do with it and why?

[Northwoods]

It were mine, I'd buy another old old handle and nothing more. Wouldn't butcher it for anything.

[leg17]

It were mine, I'd buy another old old handle and nothing more. Wouldn't butcher it for anything.

What he said.

[turnnut]

 #1  you should not ask for my 2 cent opinion, but here it is, for what it's worth.

 put in an old handle, cut down to 6 or 7 inches, make a small stand for it out of wood for display.
 then get ready for the questions of why you are saving it.

 remember, do not do anything to it other than putting in a handle.

 

[Twilight Fenrir]

#1  you should not ask for my 2 cent opinion, but here it is, for what it's worth.

 put in an old handle, cut down to 6 or 7 inches, make a small stand for it out of wood for display.
 then get ready for the questions of why you are saving it.

 remember, do not do anything to it other than putting in a handle.

Haha, I actually do like the sound of that.... I don't come across old sledge handles much... But I've got a couple pick-axes I'm sure I could make fit....

I dunno, I feel like it's some sort of  sacrilege not to use good tools. And this hammer could work for another 100 years with just a little bit of love. I haven't made up my mind yet though, I do like the little display idea. Anything that provokes a question is a good thing at my reenactments.

Just an off thought though.... I could also fill in the chips with my welder to make it good as new, too.... I restored my anvil that way to great success. If I do opt to restore it, that's gonna be the path I take...

[Yadda]

#1  you should not ask for my 2 cent opinion, but here it is, for what it's worth.

 put in an old handle, cut down to 6 or 7 inches, make a small stand for it out of wood for display.
 then get ready for the questions of why you are saving it.

 remember, do not do anything to it other than putting in a handle.

Haha, I actually do like the sound of that.... I don't come across old sledge handles much... But I've got a couple pick-axes I'm sure I could make fit....

I dunno, I feel like it's some sort of  sacrilege not to use good tools. And this hammer could work for another 100 years with just a little bit of love. I haven't made up my mind yet though, I do like the little display idea. Anything that provokes a question is a good thing at my reenactments.

Just an off thought though.... I could also fill in the chips with my welder to make it good as new, too.... I restored my anvil that way to great success. If I do opt to restore it, that's gonna be the path I take...

The stories this hammer could tell if it could talk!.

Restore it.  Record your restoration to Preserve the history.  I would watch that video. Give it another 100 years.

[Northwoods]

Going at the hammer with a welder does not preserve its history; it destroys its history.
But you will do what you will do.  It's your hammer.

[Twilight Fenrir]

Well, it seems I should have listened... I looked into welding it, but pretty much the universal answer was, not a good idea. So I wound up shaving a little bit off the nose. About 3/8". But it's cracked too deeply to be put back into service, at least on the face. The pein could still be quite useful. I'm going to rub the non-working surfaces with some stove black (as soon as I can figure out where I put it...) shove a handle on it, and bring it with me to rendezvous to educate people on what a REAL tool looks like. I hope I can have so few cracks when I am over 100 years old...

[turnnut]

 "and another lesson has been learned."

 you can still have fun with it.

[mrchuck]

I would use a wire wheel on it, then put in a useable handle, and then put it back to work!
Don't be surprised if you hear this old survivor tool talk to you and says "thanks".

[Twilight Fenrir]

I would use a wire wheel on it, then put in a useable handle, and then put it back to work!
Don't be surprised if you hear this old survivor tool talk to you and says "thanks".

Nothing would make me happier than to do just that... but, the cracks make actually using it a bad idea, don't they?

Anywho, found my stove-black, and put a handle on her... here she is all dressed up and nowhere to go...

[Guido Salvage]

I think I would rub some oil, grease and dirt on the handle to take away some of the "new" look.

[Twilight Fenrir]

I think I would rub some oil, grease and dirt on the handle to take away some of the "new" look.

I might fire paint it in the future... but I actually like the way it looks right now. The picture really doesn't do it justice.... Besides, it will turn oily and greasy soon enough, most of my handles have turned black on their own :P