Old timer in Ohio critiqued my hammer technique and it stung

He said I was swinging too square to the anvil face, wasting energy and ruining my steel. After 3 weeks of focusing on a 45 degree angle, my work has way less scale and faster. Anyone else get humbled like that by a seasoned smith?

2 comments

2 Comments

susan_wells29d ago

Has anyone tested if that 45 degree angle changes the ring pitch and tells you the steel is at forging temp?

margaret_bennett329d ago

Has anyone actually tried this with a modern electronic tuner to verify? I've seen folks swear by it but never seen anyone prove it with numbers. Seems like one of those old shop myths that just gets passed around.