Hammer ID

[stormking]

Been getting into hammers lately. This is one of my new favorites its stamped Harper and 5, probably for lbs. I'am not familiar with this style of hammer and wondered if anyone knew what it is called? The points are very rounded on both ends. Thanks for any help.

Stormking


By stormking3 at 2012-06-06


By stormking3 at 2012-06-06

[anglesmith]

This a straight or cross face saw doctors' hammer used to take winds out of circular saws. The twist face (45 degrees) was also used to do the same job, both have identical peins at 90* to each other.
I need qualify what I have just said for it is not correct!! If you make a twist pein  at 90* to each other you will end with a double straight pein or a double cross pein depending whether you are left or right handed! I know this because I was helping a mate adjust a bricky's hammer head when we did exactly that. You'd think I would have learn't that lesson? I'll just have to blame it on "oldtimer's disease"!
Graeme

correcting a mistake

[Branson]

Might be a saw doctor's hammer, but it would be great for fullering too.  If I found one, I'd have it in a New York minute for fullering.

[keykeeper]

Ok, I'm lost on this explanation of "twist face" etc. I don't see anything at a 45 degree angle.

 Looks to me like one is (holding handle down like in use) oriented running from zero to 180 degrees and the other is oriented running from 90 degrees to 270 degrees. That is if you see a circle as 360 degrees total.

I just don't see the 45 degree angle. Seems that would be what most smiths would call a diagonal peen hammer.

[Mac53]

I agree with KeyKeeper.... Definitely not a Diagonal Peen (45 degree) hammer.... 

I know this as an "Opposite Peen hammer", as it has both Cross and Straight Peened faces.... I'm sure there are other, maybe more common names though...

[keykeeper]

That's the name I was looking for, Mac53....Opposite Peen. Thank you.

[anglesmith]

Sorry to confuse you. Saw doctors used both styles of hammers to do exactly the same thing. I mentioned the twist face because out here the twist face is more widely known and highly prised among collectors and marketers. As per usual, makers used different names and a 100yrs further on the confusion is worse. Opposite pein (peen) works for discribing Stormking's hammer. In sledge hammer sizes this style was also called a plate straightener's hammer.
Graeme

[stormking]

Thank you all for the info, it makes sense that it's a saw hammer. I live in an area that a 100 years ago was covered with huge trees and saw mills. There are still some better than 10' diameter trees on my own property, but now you have to get a permit to cut anything bigger than 6". I was born a hundred years too late!  By the way anglesmith, you live in a beautiful area. What seems forever ago a school friend and myself drove from Sydney to Cooktown on Hyw 1 and back. The area from Tweed Heads to Surfers Paradise was some of my favorite especially the view at Surfers. We even went canoeing on the Daintree river, that was an adventure and fond memory.

Stormking