The sound of hammers ringing as they strike metal, recoiling from the spring in the anvil, caught on the upward flight and snapped back down again. A beautiful rhythmic sound of the workshop, of metal being forged and formed, it's elasticity stretched and compressed by the weight of steel. The mark of the hammer, a fingerprint of the shape and curve of its face. Such a simple tool, and one that can be traced back to stones bound with leather to wooden handles. Not even metal yet, but stone hammers on metal on stone anvils, making nuggets of gold into thin sheets for jewelry, watched closely by the eyes of our ancestor jewelers. 

Do you remember the first time you picked up a jewelry hammer? When you figured out how to hold it properly, how to strike without hurting your hands, in sync with its natural movement, finding the balance that felt like you could hammer forever? It was the sound of hammers making rings that ignited my own love of jewelry so many years ago. 

In this talk, we'll learn all about hammers, from goldsmithing and silversmithing to blacksmithing. 

• Types of hammers and the techniques they're made for
• Mallets 
• What is an essential set of hammers for beginners?
• How can you tell a good hammer from a bad hammer?
• Modifying hammer heads and their handles
• Polished vs unpolished hammers
• Texture hammers
• Listening to your hammer - hear the difference between a good strike and a bad hit
• Hammer care - repairing nicks and scratches
• Hammer ergonomics. Are you hammering in the best way or are you hurting yourself? 

Hammers are used all the time in our classes, and yet students often don't have a full understanding of how to use them. I hope that you can join me for this free online talk. 

Upcoming Schedule