My Hammer Has A Handle
I got the Ipe wood handle for my big 5 pounder finished.
I got the handle completed on the big 5 pound hammer Kainon and Brian made for me earlier in the Fall. I was lucky to score a free piece of Ipe wood at one of the Balcones Forge Organization meetings and I used a strip I cut from that to make a really nice handle. The wood is dense and heavy, the perfect material for a hammer handle.
I made a wedge out of some Texas Ebony to complement the Epe handle.
The wedge is made of Texas Ebony, which in this case is very light colored. The scrap I have is mostly black, this thin slice is the only light bit in the piece. I had not heard of this particular type of wood until recently when I bought it at Woodcraft Supply here in Austin. The ebony is very dense and hard, has a tight grain, and doesn’t split easily, making it a good choice for the wedge. Kainon made a couple of metal wedges at the forge and I used one of those to complete the handle.
The finished hammer is a work of art in itself.
I finished the handle with some linseed oil and fine sanding to make it very smooth and splinter free. There is nothing like catching a splinter in the hand from a poorly finished handle. The shape turned out very well, I tapered it back to make gripping it easy, the size is perfect for spinning the hammer to access the faces as needed. Even though it weighs in at about 5 pounds, the handle makes using this guy a breeze. I have already forged a few pieces with this hammer and I am getting better every time I visit the forge.
I just love the way this hammer works, I could not be more pleased with the final product.
I will be heading to the forge tomorrow to play a bit more with my new hammer, wish me luck!
Thanks as always for dropping by and have fun making stuff with fire and metal!!
You set it ready to use! Great. Fine tool! When You’re goin’ to try him out?
I will be using it today, Jacek. A couple of friends and I will be doing a bit of forging later in the day. Thanks for the compliment!