Garage Gazette

TOOLS AND THE SHOP => MECHANIC HAND TOOLS WE USE => Topic started by: oldnslo on June 07, 2021, 12:38:26 PM

Title: Cross pein hammer style - and usage
Post by: oldnslo on June 07, 2021, 12:38:26 PM: I've dug this out of the junk (to be sorted drawer), and while this is merely an example captured from the web, it approximates my 12oz version with some unreadable name on the head.

I'm finding no real use (carpenter or blacksmith oriented) to really want to hang onto it. The cross portion was sharpened to a chisel profile (vs rounded) so it might have been for whacking away at block, tile, or something.

How say ye? Are you a user of this style of hammer, or has it become just another display piece or relinquished to the special tools drawer just to have hanging around "just in case".
Title: Re: Cross pein hammer style - and usage
Post by: jabberwoki on June 07, 2021, 06:33:46 PM: I have a similar hammer and it`s one of my favs to use . Just a perfect weight and size.
You`d have to pry it out of my cold dead fingers.
Title: Re: Cross pein hammer style - and usage
Post by: goodfellow on June 07, 2021, 07:08:13 PM: Europeans use cross-pein hammers more than we do. We usually prefer claw hammers for everyday household DIY jobs, but the Europeans seem to prefer the cross-pein style for those chores. I have a few older ones and decided to sharpen and shape the tips to make a variety of chipping hammers.
Title: Re: Cross pein hammer style - and usage
Post by: john k on June 07, 2021, 07:21:59 PM: Bigger or smaller than your 12 oz.hammer? 12 to 18 oz hammer is handy for smithing, on up to 32oz, more than that, the arm tires too soon.
Title: Re: Cross pein hammer style - and usage
Post by: slip knot on June 07, 2021, 08:15:36 PM: The old school tin knockers use a similiar hammer to close seams. But I recall it was a bit smaller.

I've got a bigger engineers hammer @2lber that I use for generalize beating on crap. either end seems to work ;)
Title: Re: Cross pein hammer style - and usage
Post by: muddy on June 07, 2021, 09:31:28 PM: What would be the use of the tapered end in carpentry?

Sent from the twisted mind of the mudman
Title: Re: Cross pein hammer style - and usage
Post by: oldnslo on June 07, 2021, 10:19:37 PM: The web says carpenters use the tapered end to start nails, where a claw hammer has only one surface and tends to mash the fingers purely due to the surface area involved.
Title: Re: Cross pein hammer style - and usage
Post by: muddy on June 08, 2021, 09:26:36 PM: Quote from: oldnslo on June 07, 2021, 10:19:37 PM
The web says carpenters use the tapered end to start nails, where a claw hammer has only one surface and tends to mash the fingers purely due to the surface area involved.
Makes sense.

Sent from the twisted mind of the mudman
Title: Re: Cross pein hammer style - and usage
Post by: oldnslo on June 21, 2021, 07:14:48 PM: Just cruising through a YT on a Vespa restore (a recent purchase by me) and I saw that very same hammer (the topic of this thread) in use. Who knew?

Fast forward to the 3:12 mark for said hammer, or better yet dust off your Babble language course in Italian and you can follow along with the local dialog.
Title: Re: Cross pein hammer style - and usage
Post by: hickory n Steel on June 22, 2021, 08:16:22 PM: Very effective at moving metal if you know how to use it.
When you need to really widen a piece out ( say in knife making) they are what you need.

I am not particularly versed in their use, but as a lover of hammers I am aware and familiar.