Why did I forge 10 years with a flat faced hammer before trying a convex one

I started out at a shop in Tulsa and my mentor always said flat faced was the way to go. So I stuck with it, even when I kept leaving divot marks in door hardware and had to file them down. Last spring I took a weekend class in Santa Fe and the instructor handed me a convex faced hammer for a leaf taper. The way the metal moved smoother, no more edge digs, it was like a lightbulb. I switched over for most work now and my finish filing time dropped from an hour to maybe 20 minutes. Anyone else made that switch late, or is there a reason flat faced is still worth keeping around for certain jobs?

2 comments

2 Comments

ruby_henderson3613d ago

That flat face kinda haunts me too, took ten years to switch over myself.

gracec1613d ago

I remember being the guy arguing flat face was the only way to go, swore up and down it gave you more control. Then I borrowed a convex one from a buddy at a demo and it felt like cheating, the metal just flowed where I wanted it. I still keep a flat face around for setting shoulders or when I need a crisp line on a tenon, but for 90% of my work now I grab the convex. It honestly took me seeing it with my own hands to get over the stubbornness, my mentor meant well but we were both stuck in our ways. The time I saved on cleanup alone made me feel pretty dumb for waiting that long.