In the interest of working smarter, not harder, I'd just "cheat". <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> By that I mean I would anneal the piece, throw it in a milling machine and mill out a slot about 1/2 the size of the finish drift. That way you can "set" the angle you want, and the drift with "follow" the angle.

I have done a google search and can not find Cutler's hammer eye. Can someone post a picture of it?

I'm having a difficult time loading pictures for some reason today.

It's got a few other names though. Dog's head hammer, saw maker's hammer, probably a few more.

Some are square on, but from what I understand, the eye is supposed to be at a slight cant to better draw out the steel. From what little I know of them, it puts less deep dings in the blade and assists in faster drawing out of material.

I've never used one, but have heard some good things.

|quoted:

In the interest of working smarter, not harder, I'd just "cheat". <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> By that I mean I would anneal the piece, throw it in a milling machine and mill out a slot about 1/2 the size of the finish drift. That way you can "set" the angle you want, and the drift with "follow" the angle.

Cheater!

Genius idea though. I don't have a mill, but I think I can probably get it done. Thanks. I was trying to think of all of the disastrous things that could happen doing this by hand.

You can punch a square hole and bend the head a little.

Cheater!

Genius idea though. I don't have a mill, but I think I can probably get it done. Thanks. I was trying to think of all of the disastrous things that could happen doing this by hand.

I can remember a time when folks used to give me guff, calling me a "cheater" for having Little Giant power hammers in the shop..... then during a tour of duty in Germany, I visited a medieval castle, and lo and behold, the armory had a 1,500lb water powered drop hammer in it....that's when I realized that if those folks way back then had access to Little Giant power hammers....they would have been using them! <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> After that I realized those who were calling me "cheater", either didn't have access to certain things that I might, or were jealous that I had the idea of working smarter! <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

Typically a cutlers/dog leg/dog head/off set/Japanese blade smiths hammer can have eyes at an angle or straight.

The idea is two fold.

If you are sitting down your hammer blow lands at a diffferent arm-wrist angle than you would if you were standing.

Or if your personal strike is the way the Japanese strike which as I understand it is loose handed until the strike and instead of gripping with the pointer finger they grip with the pinky and ring fingers. This is similar to how you use a Katana.

Every off set hammer I have or made has had a straight eye and most of the guys I know who make them make them that way.

If you want the eye to be angled. Start a straight eye and slowly begin to lean it to the angle and drive it that way.

Of course once you are at the bottom you will need to turn the part over and drive the slug out, but by that time the punch will then draft with the hole.

Personally I would just do it straight.

I assume you smith standing and don't think you will need the angle of the eye that way.

Another tip I can give you is don''t make the head too long or you will get torque in your strike.

Good Day

Before I offer any opinion, I want to make sure I understand what you're asking. Is this offset what you're interested in forging?

Yes, similar to that.

I was unaware Japanese bladesmiths smithed sitting down. Very interesting. I stand, yeah. I was under the impression (wrongly) that the angle of the head helped assist in pulling the material more. I've seen them standard and canted, and always wondered what the difference was between them.

It can be done the same way as you would do a diagonal pass-through in architectural ironwork. The trick is to punch from both sides, but off-setting the hole slightly. In the case of the one I show, I off-set 1/8" And because the hole is not open evenly, instead of the drift starting the same length as the hole, you make the tip length shorter so it can freely pass through the off-set hole. I've got a drift for off-site holes somewhere, I find it and post a photo of it and a normal drift. There's a few more details then just that, like a bolster plate really helps to keep the hole clean. If you want a good tutorial on it, Mark Aspery's Mastering the Fundamentals of Blacksmith Volume three covers this in detail.

Thank you. I'll definitely keep that in mind. It's good to learn the traditional blacksmithing methods too. That's the way they do it in the guild, but most of them haven't heard of, or seen the style hammer I'm after. <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />