Got tired of uneven hammer strikes so I tried a file handle trick

I've been forging bottle openers for a few months now and kept messing up the same spot on every piece because my hammer hits were landing crooked. Tried adjusting my stance, grip, even switched to a lighter hammer but nothing fixed it. Last Tuesday I watched a video where a guy filed a flat spot on his hammer face and it clicked for me. I grabbed a old bastard file and took maybe 1/16 inch off one side of my hammer face to flatten it out. Now my strikes land way more square and I'm not getting those weird divots anymore. Still gotta practice my aim but the surface finish looks way cleaner. Anyone else ever modify their hammer face for better contact?

2 comments

2 Comments

claire_wells8716d ago

Filled a flat on my rounding hammer years ago for the same damn reason. It was a game changer for controlling where the steel actually goes instead of just bouncing off weird. Just be careful you don't go too deep or you'll turn the face into a chisel edge on one side. I keep the flat pretty small, like just enough to feel it when I grip the handle. Have you found the sweet spot yet on how much to take off?

alice33615d ago

Yeah my buddy Bill took too much off and split a hammerhead in half.