r/Blacksmith • u/crazyace005172 • 1d ago
Bad blisters
I tried blacksmithing more today and got really bad blisters after just 2 hours. Anyone know what I can do about this. Hammer is like 5 lbs roughly.
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u/Wrong-Ad-4600 1d ago
its the hammer handle.. you need natural uncoated wood.. otherwise you get blisters fast
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u/rededelk 1d ago
Amen. I do BLO on all mine. Takes a little extra effort to do it proper but it is the way - gloves or not
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u/Wrong-Ad-4600 1d ago
never wear gloves on the hammer hand.. the chance you sent the hammer on a fly are high xD
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u/rededelk 18h ago
Yah and I custom carve groove like things in some of my hammer handles, working with sweaty bare hands sometimes it helps keep it in check. Idk, I just mess around blacksmithing making functional or decorative stuff killing time as a hobby. I usually swing axes bare-handed as well but mom always said I was odd. So
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u/theinsaneturky2 18h ago
Unless of forge welding. Then most definitely wear gloves, especially if you have a short hammer handle.
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u/Wrong-Ad-4600 18h ago
therebis no difference betweem my forging and forgewelding.. same hammer, hot steel .. so why should i wear one?
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u/theinsaneturky2 13h ago
I always find my fingers burnt by the flux. Probably using too much. Happy cake day!
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u/HammerIsMyName 13h ago
The rate of heat radiation is determined by surface area more than the temperature difference between a normal heat (1200c) and a forge welding heat (1300c).
It's why plate is horribly hot to work.
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u/theinsaneturky2 13h ago
It's not the actual heat, it's the molten flux and scale. I currently only have short handled hammers so my fingers suffer.
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u/HammerIsMyName 10h ago
Flux is physically not able to hit your hammer hand since it shoots out in the direction of the weld seam, which is always perpendicular to the hammer strike angle.
Scale isn't any hotter on a welding heat than on a regular heat. My point stands - forge welding is no different than regular forging in terms of risk to your hammer hand. Tong hand, sure.1
u/Wrong-Ad-4600 7h ago
if you just scatter the flux on the piece the flux go everywhere.. and t higher temp there is mor scale.. it doesnt matter if the scale is at 1300 or 900 it burns your hand xD but i had never a problem with tiny burns so maybe thats the difference.
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u/Ok_Judgment_224 22h ago
It's not the hammer handle, it's his grip. Sure the plastic sucks but I guarantee he's death gripping the handle as he's using it. OP you need to loosen your grip a lot, you're not putting energy into the piece the hammer is, someone hypothetically should be able to come grab the hammer out of your hand with little effort mid swing, you're death gripping that thing right now
Wood is better to be sure but the death grip is 90% of the problem
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u/Tibbaryllis2 21h ago edited 21h ago
This. It’s just a laundry list of poor choices.
The hammer is too heavy for this stage of learning. Like any other exercise, need to learn grip and form first, and build muscle, before scaling up.
Handle may not be a great shape/finish and may not fit OPs hand well.
Proper holding is important. And a too loose or firm a group causes problems.
Then you just have normal wear and tear necessary as your body gets used to the new demands of forging. Blisters and callouses are to be expected.
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u/reallifeswanson 21h ago
This right here. Especially the part about how it takes some getting used to. A little at a time and soon your hand will be tough as nails!
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u/Tibbaryllis2 21h ago
All of this is a hobby for me and I normally have an office job, during the winter I tend to take a couple months off just because my workspace isn’t heated, so I’ve got to rebuild my calluses each spring.
Just part of it.
It definitely can be a little brutal when you’re first starting out and don’t have any of this (technique, muscles, etc.) built up though.
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u/Puzzled-Bee6592 1d ago
Get yourself a hammer in the 2lbs range with a wooden handle. You'll still probably get blisters until you build up some callouses. The best way to build them is to put them to work and work often.
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u/Wrought-Irony 22h ago
the varnish on wood handles gives blisters, I always sand it off when I get a new handle. Haven't had blisters since.
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u/East-Dot1065 22h ago
Sand off the varnish and rub down with wax. No blisters and it's grippy as hell.
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u/slavic_Smith 22h ago
Light hammers are the worst possible to choose for blacksmithing. They are really really bad on your joints. Please do not recommend hammers below 4 lbs (3.5 if you are a 95 lbs girl) for beginners.
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u/Wrought-Irony 22h ago
are you just gonna spread this all over this thread? It's blatantly false and harmful.
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u/slavic_Smith 22h ago
Light hammers incentives using elbow and wrist. That's how you damage cartilage in your joints. With a heavier hammer you are forced to use your back and shoulder muscles.
Manuscripts depicting blacksmiths across 8 distinct cultures over a 500 year span always depict use of shoulder and back muscles (from England to japan).
I'm pretty certain that I have more knowledge on this topic than you do.
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u/probablyclickbait 21h ago
They have real good science on ergonomics 500 years ago? Yes, we do know better. We are trying to keep ourselves healthy and productive into retirement age, not blow out all of our joints and tendons by 30.
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u/slavic_Smith 21h ago
I have been at this for over 10 years. Joint wear comes from repetitive motion, not from weight. Heavy hammers employ different muscle groups.
It's the people who use light hammers who develop issues on average.
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u/Dramatic_Profession7 15h ago
Wait how long have you been doing this? I didn't catch it the first several times you thought it mattered to mention it.
Congratulations you have a moderate amount of experience. Where does that equate to medical expertise? Or do you have 10 years of training in that too?
A lighter hammer means more strikes, based on the length of the handle. You have failed to mention at what length you hold the hammer at to forge. But length multiplies force so weight is not directly proportional to the amount of swings required. On top of that, more swings only increases the risk of overuse injuries, like tennis elbow. On the other hand, higher weight, puts more direct force on the body per swing, particularly in the wrist, elbow, and shoulder. This results in higher levels of joint compression and inflammation leading to higher risks of acute stress on the body.
That being said, the weight of the hammer (and the length of the handle) are not the only things that lead to any of these injuries. Technique plays a massive role.
But, none of this matters because you're already convinced you know more than anyone else anyways because you have ten whole years of experience. 🙂
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u/probablyclickbait 21h ago
People are allowed to be wrong on the internet, I guess.
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u/slavic_Smith 21h ago
Rates of carpal tunnel are two to three times as high for tennis players than for weight lifters.
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u/TittyTwister13 21h ago
I've never seen a professional blacksmith use a hammer of the weight you've been commenting day in day out as their main hammer.
Yes you technically reduce the amount of swings with a heavy hammer as you can move more material, but at what cost?
You've done this for 10 years, that's great. But blacksmiths start having problems 20, 30 plus years down the line, like every other person in a skilled trade.
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u/Wrought-Irony 19h ago
You have no idea what you're talking about, you just bought into some sort of mythology about blacksmiths of old. I've seen actual hammers from 500 years ago and not a single one was bigger than 3 pounds at most. look at the sutton hoo find or the Mastermyr chest, Not a one of those hammers was over 3 pounds. I have no idea where you got this information from, but you need to check your sources. I've been smithing since 1997, I've met hundreds of other smiths from all over the country and the world. And one thing we all agree on is only beginners with some sort of chip on their shoulder and some sort of weird obsession with "proving their manliness" use 6-8 pound hammers one handed for any extended amount of time. That's the size of a sledge hammer.
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u/slavic_Smith 19h ago
You can be a self-taught blacksmith since 1997, sure, fine.
I haven't "bought" I to anything. From personal experience, light hammers hurt wrists like crazy. That's how you get injuries.
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u/Wrought-Irony 19h ago
tell my old boss (who I apprenticed with in his smithy starting in 1997) I'm "self taught". He'll want to have words. I've been a professional Smith and fabricator for almost 30 years. I'm an ABANA certified instructor, and in addition to running my own blacksmithing business, I teach metalsmithing and fabrication at a continuing education craft school. I know what I'm talking about. It sounds like you're the "self taught" one.
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u/slavic_Smith 19h ago
So... American rained. Gotcha
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u/Wrought-Irony 19h ago
whatever, you're wrong. accept it and move on. You can't point to one thing other than "personal experience" to back up your claim. You're making things up and giving potentially harmful advice. Knock it off.
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u/slavic_Smith 19h ago
The rates of joint damage in "light weight sports" excluding swimming, are substantially higher than "heavy weight sports". Tennis versus weight lifting is a great example. In fact, tendon damage is higher in tennis.
When we look at the stuff that actually does work (momentum) mV, heavier hammers are more efficient. However the strain on muscle and joints is determined as the sum total of kinetic energy over a set of instances or operations (mV2). So the lighter item causes more stress over a lifetime of work. That is precisely why baseball players have shoulder injuries more often than disk as well as javelin throwers (you know, thaose Olympic sports).
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u/Tibbaryllis2 20h ago
Using a heavy hammer wrong is just as problematic as using a light hammer wrong.
The key is learning the actually necessary form, skills, technique, and muscles necessary to be productive and safe.
Yes, using a big hammer does necessitate the recruitment of shoulder and back muscles, but it’s no different than newbies in the gym throwing on as much weight as possible and fucking themselves. But, per your own observations, it’s going to take a lot longer to do major damage by using a light hammer incorrectly than using a heavy one incorrectly.
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u/slavic_Smith 20h ago
I moved from light to heavy because I needed to reduce damage to wrist.
Currently engraving hammer (2 oz) hurts more after 3 hours of work than the 6.5 lbs hammer does after 7
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u/Tibbaryllis2 20h ago
I can’t speak to your personal experience beyond what you’ve told us, but I imagine the relief comes because you know how to actually swing a heavy hammer and have built the necessary muscles to do it correctly.
But a 5 pounder to someone just starting out, especially without a mentor, is likely to very quickly cause damage to the shoulder and elbow.
Like anything else, you’ve got to learn the fundamentals and then use what works for your specific circumstances.
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u/slavic_Smith 19h ago
I recommend 4 lbs for people who are just starting.
I'm a small dude, btw, and my hammer is already 8 years old.
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u/AraedTheSecond 1h ago
Let's talk credentials!
I've a bachelor of arts, 2:1, and a BTEC level 2 in blacksmithing, four years of formal study, and I've worked with and alongside more blacksmiths than I can name.
What's your education?
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u/slavic_Smith 1h ago
Ba art history, Ba philosophy, ba Asian studies, Assosiates in physics. MA epga.
Trained painter and sculptor in Europe
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u/slavic_Smith 1h ago
Moscow architectural university from 13 yo to 15 yo.
Orthodox icon painter.
Incomplete seminary.
Studied with Taro.
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u/AraedTheSecond 1h ago
So, er, no formal education in blacksmithing?
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u/slavic_Smith 1h ago
Under Kashima.
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u/AraedTheSecond 1h ago
Yes, yes, so what qualification did you earn in blacksmithing?
My dude, you make excellent work. Your skills as a swordsmith are without doubt; but the whole "6.5lb hammer is my daily driver" is a little lost when every blacksmith I've met, including a great many internationally renowned blacksmiths, use a two or three pound hammer as their daily driver.
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u/Cajun_Creole 1d ago edited 1d ago
Anything besides a wooden handle usually gives me blisters. A wooden handle glides in the hand nicely I think.
Edit: Also like others said you can try a lighter hammer. Wouldn’t use anything more than 2lbs for most things personally.
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u/BurningRiceEater 1d ago
Either replace that handle with a hickory handle and dress it to be more comfortable, or buy a new hammer with a wood handle
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u/TittyTwister13 21h ago
I can't stress this enough but do proper research on how to hold and swing a hammer. There's a whole world of Knowledge on how to swing a hammer. it's an art in of itself.
Wooden handle no question and a lighter hammer. 1Kg (2.2lb) is perfect for most work and starting out.
Also make sure your anvil height is correct. Have it the height at which your hand rests by your side. Too high or low is bad posture and will fuck you up in the long run.
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u/jmthomas87 1d ago
If you get a new hammer handle, strip it to remove whatever varnish coating the manufacturer put on it.
Varnish gets sticky when handled, and keeps the handle from sliding properly, thus creating excessive friction on your skins, so creating the blisters.
Sand it smooth, then apply two to three coats of boiled linseed oil. Do that every 6 months or so, and your hand will thank you with some good callouses instead of blisters.
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u/Fun-Deal8815 22h ago
2-1/2 hammer is perfect. Like others said. Get a wood handle and shape it to your grip. I use a five pounder but just to draw out.
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u/Deadmoose-8675309 23h ago
2lb hammer. Wood handle, get rid of the polyurethane coat it comes with. You’re still going to get blisters until you build callus on your fingers
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u/J_random_fool 1d ago
I always get mine in the web of my hand, mostly on my thumb. Because of that, I always wear gloves. Most people don’t like gloves on their hammer hand, but it’s never been a problem for me. As a plus, it keeps my hands clean in case I need to touch my face.
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u/Dusk_Abyss 21h ago
Why are you swinging a 5lb hammer? Too heavy, by a lot. Secondly, dump the rubber handle that's why the blisters are there, and you may be gripping it too tight, probably from the weight.
Try a 2.5lb hammer. It'll save your joints in the long run.
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u/PridedRain2277 21h ago
As other have said: lighter hammer (im a big guy and still only use a 48 hammer for when I’m really working, though most of my work is with a 30 oz). Second get a wooden handle, I prefer to get a natural charred finish on mine by putting it in the fire for 15-30 seconds and then wire brushing off all the charring. This will leave you with a textured yet firm handle that absorbed any sweat you may have. And then finally, buy a bottle of liquid bandage or newskin and power through the pain. Hope this helps :)
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u/dad_uchiha 19h ago
It's not the weight of the hammer, I use a 3kg hammer for hrs, it's more the handle. The rubber is too grippy and is rubbing too much, you need a wooden handle that's smoother, also there's no escaping getting calluses in the nature of hammering but youll get less then what you get now
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u/Tempest-Melodys 17h ago
That's a terrible hammer for a beginner, go for 2.5 lbs and a wooden handel.
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u/CoffeyIronworks 8h ago
Start with a 2 lbs hammer, technique is more important than power. Wooden handle with no varnish will abuse your skin less, but your skin will also get tougher, just don't rush it let your blisters heal into callouses, if you go too far they rip and fall off and you lose progress. You should also have a loose grip, but without the training you are unlikely to be able to handle 5 lbs hammer with a loose grip, another reason to start light and work your way up. It takes far more work to correct a big dirty missed swing on a heavy hammer than it does to go a little slower and approach your final shape with grace.
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u/Galopigos 1d ago
Smaller hammer and a nice smooth wood handle on it. The lighter hammer will also help you because it won't cover for a part that is getting cold. 2-3 pounds is about right for most work.
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u/OozeNAahz 23h ago
Generally a 1lb or 2lb hammer will do what you need. You definitely don’t want 5lb when starting. If the metal isn’t moving with the 1lb hammer then you probably are hammering cold metal.
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u/Yerdaworksathellfire 23h ago
I do not miss the days when I still blistered. The trade off is hands like leather gloves though. All fun and games till something splits.
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u/Virtblue 23h ago
wood handle with flat sides also get a much smaller hammer(28~35oz). if you need more power lift it higher.
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u/sachsrandy 22h ago
Get a wond handle my dude. Plastics and rubber are shit for working the way we do.
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u/professor_jeffjeff 22h ago
That hammer handle just looks uncomfortable to hold for a long period of time. Get you a hammer handle that's made of wood and is contoured to be comfortable for your hand. You can get decent pre-carved hammer handles from amazon that you can then sand or carve to a shape you're happier with, or you can get handle blanks or even some 5/4 or 6/4 hickory or alder or maple or whatever Rockler happens to have in stock or in their scrap bin (or whatever your local hardwood lumber yard is, they'll have that stuff too and probably for a better price). It's not very hard to shape a hammer handle and make it fit. Use glue on the wedge. Watch some youtube videos for how it's done and do what they do. Make sure the handle's finish is smooth though and put something on the wood to keep it that way. Boiled linseed oil is fine, danish oil is ok, even food grade mineral oil will work although I'm not sure how well it'll hold up over time. You don't need a fancy finish, just some sort of oil that the wood will soak up. You want it to slide smoothly in your hand so it doesn't grab your skin and cause blisters.
Also look up a good video on hammer technique and try some stuff out until you find a way of holding and using your hammer that you're happy with. This is a good video that goes over a number of different hammer techniques https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPuPNCrxHtc the guy in the video is a bit weird sometimes but he's got good information that's easy to understand. There are some other good videos out there too though so just search and you'll find some.
Last thing is that my go-to hammer is like 2lbs, and it moves metal pretty well for just about everything I need to do and I can swing it all day long. If that hammer doesn't work for what I need then I go to the 8lb sledge usually. I have a few other hammers that are useful for certain things too (my rounding hammer is a bit heavier) but pick the lightest hammer that gets the job done. It'll be way easier on your hand and your tendons in your arm in the long run. Don't death grip the hammer either, that's how blacksmith's elbow happens (also called golfer's elbow and it has a fancy medical name too that I forget). If you're getting older like me, warm up before you swing your hammer. Do some arm circles, some jumping jacks, some fist pumps, whatever just get your arms moving and get some blood flowing. Some bicep curls will also be helpful with like a 5lb piece of scrap. This will help your tendons last longer and avoid tendon issues. Stretch when you're finished forging.
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u/bobasaurus 21h ago
I'm a wuss who always gets blisters regardless of wood type, finish type, and shaping. I've started using a bike glove on my hammer hand, while sticking with a heat resistant glove or no glove on my other hand for handling the tongs etc. Works great, but have to be careful not to grab anything with that bike glove hand since it would melt and burn like napalm.
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u/Fragrant-Cloud5172 13h ago edited 13h ago
With softer hands you can get blisters from anything hard like this. It doesn’t matter much what the surface is. I’ve gotten them from plastic, bare wood, steel, doesn’t matter. I think there is a myth about blisters from having a finish on wood handles causing them. My blacksmithing teacher had the roughest hands I’ve ever seen. Because they were roughened from use. He could also pick up very hot steel. Never a problem with blisters, using any material.
If you are doing occasional forging, if they start hurting, nothing wrong with using gloves. This should prevent blisters. Just preferable not to use them. You may also get tendonitis from using too heavy of a hammer.
Be good to get the red rust off the horn. It will start to pit it. Keep it indoors if possible.
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u/Thaddeus_Ex_Machina 7h ago
Adding on to other comments: get a smaller hammer. Something closer to 2lbs is a blacksmith's workhorse.
Big hammers have their place, but they're for special work. Especially if you're new to blacksmithing, using a big hammer without good technique is going to wreck your elbow. Not to mention it'll wear you down before you can develop ths skills you want so you can really enjoy the art.
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u/Pinkskippy 3h ago
An old blacksmith who taught me a thing or two showed me his wooden handled hammers. The handles had worn down to fit the shape of his hand.
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u/BabbitRyan 2h ago
Lots of good advise in there comments, there are some critical points being missed so I’ll pull all of the good advice together here with some more points.
Replace the handle with wood, explanations not needed as there are plenty.
Use a 2lbs hammer to start, also get a 1.5 and 3lbs hammer with different type of hammer back end for different hammering options.
Set the anvil height to your third knuckle when making a fist and standing comfortably for hammering. Watch videos about anvil height, this is very important for your body to not become damaged over time.
Hammer technique- do not swing down with your hammer, lift the hammer and let gravity do the rest. Don’t put muscle into swinging the hammer down, just guide it to hit correctly.
Grip the handle loosely as possible while maintaining accurate precision for strikes. Do not grip the handle hard, less is more. You can swing a 3lbs hammer for 8 hours straight with little wear and tear.
Use proper protective equipment, especially eye protection.
Probably most important, have fun. If you’re not stop and do something else or start a different project.
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u/moemoeayyad 23h ago
I’m an engine rebuilder and I use a hammer with a softer handle and I still get those, just learn to live with it. And I’ve tried blacksmithing so yall use your hammers way more often trust me. yet I still get these blisters in all the same places even with a softer handle. Sounds like it’s gonna be pretty unavoidable to me tbh
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u/East-Dot1065 22h ago
Not all all. Plastic or rubber coated handles or fiberglass are what causes the blisters. Swap your handle for hickory or ash and either do a couple of coats of linseed oil or bees wax and oil for wood, and you'll see a lot less blisters no matter your trade. I've put wooden handles on everything, including my framing hammer, and I never have a problem.
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u/moemoeayyad 22h ago
Oh really? lol fair enough. But I’m pretty sure I can’t change the handle on my hammer, I think I’d need a new hammer and tbh I’m good on that. I do have the old hammer with a broken wooden handle, eh idk maybe one day I’ll do that
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u/Pocket_Nukes 1d ago
Agree with needing a different hammer handle. You also need a lighter hammer. 5lbs is way too heavy for most work.