Hot take: You don't need a $2000 power hammer to make good Damascus

I keep seeing folks at the local guild meetings in Springfield act like they're stuck until they can afford a massive machine. I made my first decent billet with a 4lb cross peen and a striker, just like they did for centuries. It's more about consistent heat and clean folds than raw power. What's the simplest tool you've used to make something you're proud of?

2 comments

2 Comments

knight.xena10d ago

Just like they did for centuries" yeah and they also died at 40 with ruined shoulders. A 4lb hammer and a striker for a full billet? That's a weekend of pure pain for maybe one fold. Try doing a 300 layer billet by hand and tell me it's about clean folds. A power hammer isn't just raw power, it's about control and saving your body. You can focus on the craft when you're not exhausted after three heats.

jade_grant9511d ago

Used to think that too, until my first coal forge.