That guy at the flea market who told me my hammer was wrong for damascus

I was at a flea market in Nashville last spring just browsing and this older fella walks up while I'm holding a little rounding hammer I use for pattern welding. He says "that hammer's gonna give you grief with damascus" and walks off. Didn't even introduce himself lol. I shrugged it off but after about 3 more billets delaminating on me I started thinking maybe he had a point. Finally swapped to a heavier cross peen with a flat face and my last 2 billets welded up clean as can be. Wish I could find that guy again to buy him a coffee. Has anyone else had a random stranger drop a piece of knowledge that actually saved your work?

2 comments

2 Comments

noah_black19d ago

Flea market strangers are basically wizards in work boots. That guy knew exactly what he was talking about. I had a similar thing happen with a machinist at a swap meet who told me to stop using oil on my carbide end mills. Felt like a fool but he was right. The flat face on that cross peen is probably distributing the force even so you're not shocking the layers apart. Bet that old timer has a whole toolbox of lessons he'd drop if you bought him that coffee. Might be worth posting on local blacksmithing groups around Nashville to see if anyone knows him.

the_ben19d ago

Huh, anyone ever consider that maybe the old guy wasn't just talking about hammer shape but also about the way the heat transfers? A flat faced hammer makes more contact and might cool the billet faster in one spot, while a rounded one kind of floats. That could explain why your earlier billets were delaminating, if the heat was uneven and the layers weren't bonding right.