Picked up a trick from an old timer at a demo last Saturday

I was watching this guy forge a leaf pattern and he kept quenching his hammer between strikes. I asked him why and he said it stops the steel from sticking to the hammer face. Tried it myself on a seax blade I was working on and it made a huge difference in the finish. Anyone else use water on their hammer while forging?

3 comments

3 Comments

angela4321d ago

Old trick but works like a charm, especially if you're working with cleaner steels that want to stick. Keeps your hammer face from picking up scale and leaves a smoother surface without those little cold shuts.

jordanl8221d ago

Whoa wait, you're dipping the hammer head in water while forging? That sounds crazy. Wouldn't that crack the face or mess with the heat treat? @angela43 has gotta explain that one a bit more before I try it on my anvil.

oliviahenderson21d ago

Wait, you're actually dipping a hot hammer in water while forging without it cracking?