10 Best Blacksmith Hammers Reviewed in 2023

When you have a red hot metal stock pulled out of the forge, you need a good hammer to draw it out.  

Technically speaking, you can use any heavy carpenter's hammer for the job, and the stock doesn't mind a bit. But your hands and elbows do.

Blacksmithing is an art, and to excel at it, there is no other alternative than having the best blacksmith hammer.  With a good hammer, you can easily shape any steel to get the finest results.

Using a shock-absorbing, sturdy and durable hammer goes a long way. Your hands will thank you for keeping them safe as well.

But figuring out which is the best hammer for your particular needs could sometimes be confusing. In this article, we’ll help you out with that.

Top 5 Best Blacksmith Hammers Comparison:

Our 10 Best Hammers for Blacksmithing Reviews:

We’ve picked out some of the best blacksmithing hammers and explained in detail why they stand above the rest. Do have a read.

1. Picard 0000811-1500 Blacksmiths' Hammer

Starting with the review of a beautiful Swedish hammer that will make each of your crafts a piece of art. With a massive weight of 3.307 lb. hammerhead and 15” Ashwood handle, the Picard will prove to be a comfortable tool for extended work periods.

Entirely made of cast steel, the hammerhead can withstand heavy usage due to the differential hardening process. It has a flat surface on one side and a narrow cross peen on the other.

If you need to use focused blows, this flat striking face is the perfect match. And the peen will also help in making deep, smooth, and fullering cuts in a hot metal stock. When the peen is narrow like this, the process becomes much easier.

The hammer is well made for sure. But it is not as refined as we would have liked it to be. It's because the edges are sharp enough to leave marks on the metal surface. So, to avoid that, you can smoothen those edges by using a surface grinder.

Although a bit heavier than most hammers to pose some problems for a novice, it can facilitate in spreading out metal quickly. It’s not easy to control a 3.307 pounds hammerhead for a beginner since they are harder on the arms.

The hammer's center of gravity is tilted towards the hammerhead. This is obvious for any good hammer you buy. So, the tool is actually balanced very well, making swinging much more enjoyable.

This Swedish Picard Hammer is aesthetically very pleasing as well because of its robust build and Ashwood Handle. The handle works fine, absorbing the shock from the blows. Its satiny finish and length also make it comfortable to hold as well.

2. Anvil Brand 1-3/4 Lb. Rounding Hammer

If you are looking for something traditional, then this 1-3/4 lb. rounding hammer could be a great option. The Anvil Brand Rounding Hammer has a wooden handle of 14-inch that is of the perfect length for a good grip.

Its durable hammerhead is relatively faster than a flat-faced one when it comes to drawing steel. As a masterpiece creation of Anvil Brand, it can save a lot of time and improve the efficiency of your workplace.

This rounding hammer provides two flavored blows with its two faces; a rounded face and a flat face. The rounded face is for stretching out the metal while the flat face is used to smoothen the metal more.

Rockwell tested to provide perfectly focused blows, this hammer's billet is also heat-treated, making it more reliable and robust. No matter how hard and excessively you use this hammer, the billet won’t crack up. That’s because Anvil has done fracture inspection on each of their quality hammers to make them last longer.

As a blacksmith or any other worker who needs a hammer to get the work done, there is no alternative to having a trusted mallet with you all the time. After all the fracture and heat treatment tests done on it, this item will undoubtedly be one of the most favorite pounding tools to you.

With a 3 and a half-inch wide head attached to a reasonably long, sturdy, and balanced wooden handle, the Anvil Rounding Hammer has the perfect ergonomics to work with.

But the downside of a rounding hammer like this one is that they don’t have a cross peen or a straight peen. But you can easily get around this hiccup by using the edge of your anvil for a fullering edge.

3. Titan 63125 5-Piece Hammer Set

You need to consider a lot of things before buying a hammer. The most important of them is the purpose of usage and then the type of hammer to be used. There are many different types of hammers out there, and each performs different tasks.

It even becomes an icing on the cake when you get a set containing all the necessary hammer types.

This Titan 5-piece hammer set features five extremely useful types of hammers to help you out on intensive forging to smoothening. The five Titan tools are:

1. A Ball Pein Hammer (1 lb)
2. A Ball Pein Hammer (2 lb.)
3. A Rubber Mallet (2 lb.)
4. A Sledgehammer (3 lb.)
5. A Cross Pein Hammer (3 lb.)

Each of the hammers features a shock-absorbing fiberglass handle with textured cushion grips. The shock-absorbing feature protects you against harmful vibrations, and the comfortable rubber grip keeps the hammer from flying off your hands.

There are two ball peen hammers of two different sizes. You can use these hammers to strike the chisels and shape and bend the metals. The bigger 32 oz. ball peen one can be used for punching and shaping heavier unhardened metals while the 16 oz. one is for lighter unhardened metal.

A sledgehammer can draw mammoth-sized metals quite easily. Because of its size and huge weight, this one is used by professionals on heavy-duty metal works.

A mallet doesn’t make much sound when you pound with it. This item is mainly used on valuable surfaces you don’t want to get ruined. They also make very low thudding noises so that your neighbors aren’t disturbed much.

And the last of them is the 3 lb. cross peen hammer that you’d want for heavy-duty metal fabrications. A cross peen hammer becomes highly valuable when you want a heavy-duty metal fabrication and demolition job.

This awesome combination of fiberglass handles and varying hammerheads makes this set a perfect tool for pounding any object for any specific purposes.

However, one thing worth mentioning is that this fiberglass handle won’t hold out for long under very high temperatures for an extended period of time.

4. Goplus 5Piece Hammer Set

Isn't it awesome when you get multiple tools while paying for only one? And when those tools are of the best quality, it becomes an icing on the cake. If you are involved in delicate but heavy-duty jobs that involve striking, shaping, or bending metal and wooden objects, then this item is the perfect pick for you.

All the hammerheads are made with polished steel with perfect weight and balanced to be used without any muscle strains. Perfect for hammering or forging any kind of metal, the Goplus Hammer Set also has handles made out of fiberglass shaft and rubber.

One of the items in this set is a rubber mallet. It comes in handy when you are working with softer metals, timber, or tiles. It doesn’t make much noise and is great if you don’t want to scratch the surface of a project.

And for construction or demolition projects, there is nothing better than a sledgehammer. It pounds right through the heaviest metals and concrete surfaces. It has an incredible 3 lb. weight too.

Because of the rubber handle, you can now have a stronger grip on the hammer and hit harder than before. This also makes the hammer less slippery so that it doesn’t slip through your hands and hurt somebody.

Its shock-absorbing quality also dampens the shock made while striking it on a heavy object.

5. TEKTON 32 oz. Jacketed Fiberglass Brass Hammer

This multi-purpose brass hammer is actually a mallet that is characterized by its large head. It has a very large rectangular cross-section compared to regular hammers. You can never go wrong with a brass hammer because it yields more consistency.

With a brass hammerhead like this, you can deliver a sure strike on your projects without the fear of sparking or damaging its surface.

This solid brass head hammer is soft and malleable enough not to chip while striking and is also able to put more energy onto the workpiece by controlling any rebound.

TEKTON’s handle is made of high-strength fiberglass wrapped with a tough and impact-absorbing poly jacket. It also has a soft rubber grip that gives sure control and won’t slip away when you’re working. With these covering the handle, the hammer will prevent all damages caused by missed strikes.

You can also use this fiberglass brass hammer without the risk of cracking something. Even after months of working, you might only find some light indents, which is to be expected, of course.

6. Nordic Forge 2 Lb. Rounding Hammer

When you purchase a great rounding hammer, it must be ergonomically designed as well for a good pounding. This Nordic Forge Hammer is a perfect item for professional workmanship. It is also famed for quality shoeing as well.

Although it doesn't look like it, this rounding hammer is actually capable of doing a lot more than what meets the eye. Its long wooden handle and steelhead can put a solid punch on the metal surface.

The sleek traditional design has no rubber or plastic coating on the handle. Besides, the wooden handle doesn’t have any oil or polyurethane residue – making the chance of the hammer slipping out of hand pretty slim.

Besides, the hammerhead has a rounded and flat side that makes working with it very handy. When you need to switch the style of work, you don't need to change the hammer.

Another huge advantage of this hammer is that you can work both on extremely hot or cold metal. Temperature is not an issue with this solid steel made hammerhead.

A hammer always needs to be strong as well as durable for a professional blacksmith. The Nordic Forge ticks all those boxes plus some more! Its solid wooden handle is so perfectly fixed with the head that you won’t need to worry about it flying off anytime soon.

With a 3 and a half-inch head with 15 and a half-inch long handle, the Nordic is the perfect tool for reshaping any metal for intense as well as delicate hammering. Its nicely finished head with perfect rounding and solid gripping made Nordic a great traditional blacksmith hammer.

But you might need to make slight modifications to this item for getting a perfect service. The hammer’s head needs to be dressed out to round the sharp edges to reduce the possibility of marking on the workpieces.

7. Picard Hand and Rivetting Hammer

Made of solid high carbon steel head, this Picard Rivetting Hammer looks like a work of art. Extremely high quality, as well as beautiful construction, made this a must-have item on our list.

The Picard is the perfect sheet metal hammer. With a head weight of 0.661 lbs., it can shape steel greater than its size.

Its comfy handle is covered with a nice rubbery grip making it entirely anti-slippery. Besides, this rubber also does an amazing job of minimizing vibrations while in use.

The face of the head has already been rounded. So, you won’t need to dress it like the other hammers. This nifty feature saves you some extra bucks. Just take the forging hammer out of the package and start pounding away.

Picard’s head is also attached to the handle quite tightly. The average-sized handle length is easy to be used by all people, including inexperienced users.

8. Stanley 56-003 FatMax AntiVibe Blacksmith Hammer

Specially designed to be comfortable during long smithing sessions, the Stanley FatMax Blacksmith Hammer has a traditional New England designed pattern head. This small-sized hammer is ergonomically constructed to minimize harmful vibrations while pounding on a hard metal surface.

One unique feature of this hammer is the head construction. Most other hammers are constructed with a steel billet attached to a handle. This is a flaw in the design as the head could come off the handle and cause an accident.

The Stanley FatMax hammer features a one-piece rim temper construction. This means the handle and head are forged together, ensuring that the poundings are uninterrupted events if they go on for hours. Additionally, you can also get extra comfort due to its rubber covered handle.

This one-piece construction makes the item very strong and durable. Besides, its rim temper reduces any type of chipping or spalling that occurs with its competitors all the time.

Designed for maximum comfort and durability, the Stanley hammer features the Antivibe technology, which neutralizes harmful vibrations affecting the user’s hands, arms, elbows, and wrists.

When you are smithing for an extended period, the vibrations take a toll on your hands. With such a great ergonomic design and a bit of technique in use, the forging hammer can go a long way towards keeping your body safe.

With a perfect steel construction, this robust hammer is very durable and is a great tool perfect for any novice blacksmith.

If you want a blacksmith hammer to last for a lifetime, then this Estwing Sure Strike might just be the best option. Made with forged steel, it is the most durable blacksmith hammer there is.

This item will provide you the perfect balance as well as control when pounding hard on the metal surfaces. The striking tool has also been tempered with New England design.

Estwing features a fiberglass handle with rubber that makes sure you get a good grip during hard swings. Famous for being extremely shock absorbent, this item can neutralize the vibrations coming from pounding the metal.

Good for beginners, this hammer is quiet and simple. Even with a weight of 2.94 pounds, the item is quite balanced to keep easy control. You can put up intense hammering sessions with the help of Estwing Sure Strike.

Not only blacksmithing, but you can also use the Estwing for many other projects like jewelry making, construction work, and household works. As such, it can also be deemed as very versatile too.

10. Hampous 4-Piece Hammer Set With Fiberglass Handle

We’ve come to the end of our top forging hammer reviews with a 4-piece hammer set from Hampous. If you want to seriously take blacksmithing as a profession, then this item will suit you the most.

When someone starts new in the world of blacksmithing, he doesn’t always know which hammer to pick for his works. A multiple piece hammer set helps out a lot in this regard as it usually has all the necessary tools.

The Hampous hammer set is such a great item that you won’t probably need to buy any more pounding tool in the near future. Great for beginners, this set features two ball-peen hammers of 16 and 24 oz, a 3lb sledgehammer, and a 3lb cross peen hammer.

Constructed with forged iron, these hammers are very sturdy and durable. The fiberglass handles are covered with rubber for a comfortable grip and to minimize vibrations. But the best part of the handles is that you don’t get any pungent plasticky smell from it.

Built to last for decades, you’ll never see the head falling off the handles while working. Like any good quality hammer, the Hampous hammers are also able to move metals with minimal blows.

If you want to round off edges, reshape metals, strike chisels, then the ideal tool to use is the ball-peen hammer. A sledgehammer will break absolutely anything you strike it against. And the cross peen hammer works best with malleable metal.

All in all, this 4-piece Hampous hammer set will give you perfect satisfaction while moving metal or pounding due to their sturdiness and well-balanced construction.

Read our take on best beginner knife grinders

How to Choose the Best Blacksmith Hammer?

There are questions you should answer before buying a Blacksmith Hammer. This article will guide you through these metal forging questions, and the possible answers you can have that will ensure you buy the most suitable Blacksmith Hammer for your knife making and other metalworking needs.

Are you an experienced blacksmith?

It is considering that you are reading this article, probably not. For beginners, a Blacksmith Hammer's choice should be associated with price - you don't want to make a considerable investment for something you might not be interested in later - but especially safety.

It is essential that when manipulating heavy objects and learning new activities, one takes all the necessary safety measures, including not trying to tackle everything at once. A basic hammer is good to start with and will do for the learning path.

What does your grip need?

There are different types of blacksmith hammer handles. The difference is in the material they are made of, and each of them has other properties and functions aligned to that trait. The size of the hammer handle should adapt to the size of your hand’s grip,

The most common and recommended blacksmith hammer handles are:

1. Blacksmith hammer handle made of wood

This type of handle is softer and will adapt to your hand rapidly and seamlessly (more on how this might not happen later).

However, it is pretty poor when it comes to durability since wood handles - like wooden anything - can rot, break or chip easily. Relatively inexpensive, they are a good option if you’re just getting started and want to learn.

2. Blacksmith hammer handle made of fiberglass.

Ultimately the best material there is, fiberglass, is as good as it gets when precision and weight come to play. Ergonomically, this is also a great option since it dissipates vibrations better than any other material in the market, protecting your hand and your elbow during impact.

Highly resistant and impossible to rot or get corrupted by oxide. The main drawback to this alternative is its high price.

3. Blacksmith hammer handle made of Iron.

This material is, literally, quite painful. The movement and vibrations are passed through the hammer handle's Iron, causing some annoying knuckle rashes.

Although risky due to possible wounds to the hand, this kind of hammer is more resistant in time. It won't rot like a wooden one and is cheaper than a fiberglass one—a good mid-point for someone relatively new to the art of forging.

What are you planning to use your hammer on?

Blacksmith hammers, also known as forging hammers, have precisely that property: forging. Forging is knocking and banging until you get what you want.

Depending on what that is, you will need a specific type of blacksmith hammer. Unlike when we addressed handles, this decision is about the result more than personal comfort or preference. Hammer's heads are what vary in this case, and we've put together a list of the most popular ones here:

Cross Pein Blacksmith Hammers

Used for metal forging, stonework, woodworking, or, of course, blacksmith work, Cross Pein Hammers have the characteristic of having the wedge end of the head (that is what the pein is) perpendicular to the handle. They can be rounded, smooth, sharp, flat, or textured.

Ball Pein Blacksmith Hammers

One face of this type of hammer is always rounded. Additionally to what the Cross Pein blacksmith hammer can do, Ball Pein hammers are also great for forging jewelry since they can create neatly rounded shapes in any size.

Straight Pein Blacksmith Hammers

Mainly used for riveting, Straight Pein hammers' wedges run parallel to the handle, vertically. If you don't want to spend too much on several hammers, a Cross Pein hammer can be used as a Straight Peen hammer by rotating the piece being worked on to the correct angle while riveting.

Rounding Hammers

One of the head's sides is flat, and the other is - as its name says - rounded. It makes it easy to use since it has a nice balance and can be used both for smoothing and drawing.

Although not traditionally meant for blacksmith work, this type of hammer has recently become popular amongst blacksmiths for its nice weight balance and practical use.

Swedish Style Blacksmith Hammer

This type of hammer is practically the same as the Cross Pein blacksmith hammer but adapted to the Swedish blacksmith culture. The wedge is sharper, making cuts deeper, smoother, and heavier onto the metal being worked on

French Blacksmith Hammers

Again, similar to Cross Pein blacksmith hammers, French ones differ in their wedge position, kind of tilted towards the edge. Rumor has it that this shape was designed to work on the Eiffel Tower's metal, so the name of this hammer is hard to forget.

The only annoying characteristic of this hammer is that it makes the weight somewhat drift to one side while working.

Final Words

The importance of a good pounding tool for preparing precise and detailed metal tools cannot be put aside.

That’s why, in this article, we've reviewed our top picks for the best blacksmithing hammer, and now it's your turn to make a decision. Remember, it is you who needs to pick the one that suits your tasks best. Good luck!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Hammers do blacksmiths use?

Blacksmiths use a variety of hammers. The hammer that is used most often in blacksmithing work will be the cross-peen or straight peen (sometimes called round) type, which has a flat face like an axe head and comes to a sharp point. A second popular type for general work would be the ball-peen hammer, which has a conical peen ball and is useful for work on all surfaces.

How heavy should a blacksmith hammer be?

A blacksmith hammer is typically used for forging metal. The weight of a blacksmith hammer varies depending on the size and type of work it will be used to perform. A larger, heavier style would generally indicate that it’s intended for heavy-duty use such as horseshoeing or other tasks involving hard materials. On the other hand, a smaller, lighter hammer may be more appropriate for use in light works and softer materials such as sheet metal.

The weight should be well-suited for repetitive hammering as well as for reshaping heated metal.

How do I know if a blacksmith hammer is the right size for me?

A blacksmith hammer should be chosen based on personal preference as well as task-specific needs, but there are some general guidelines to follow when choosing which one will work best for you. It's important that your arm and hand can swing through the full range of motion comfortably. If your hammer is too long, it may be difficult to perform a delicate task like forging lettering or shaping small pieces. Conversely, if you have tiny hands and the handle is too short for you to grip properly, then this will also result in poor form when working with material that requires finer control such as rivets.

Some blacksmith hammers are designed for right-handed people and some for lefties. When choosing a hammer, it's important to find one that will allow you to use the arm, hand, and fingers on your dominant side without straining or twisting. The weight distribution should also be in consideration with this as well so heavier hammers should be used on larger anvils to get a better strike.

What steel is best for Hammers?

The best steel is one that can take a lot of abuse. This means it needs to be tough enough so the hammer doesn’t shatter into pieces when used, and strong enough so the head does not deform too much over time if there are any sharp blows or impacts with other quality hammers during forging. Some materials such as carbon steel are not a good choice because they can quickly deform.

In general, the best steel for blacksmithing hammers is one that has been hardened and tempered correctly to give it great strength without sacrificing toughness.

What is the best way to store Blacksmith hammers?

In order for a blacksmith hammer to last long periods of time, it needs to be cared for properly. This includes being stored in dry environments with minimal temperature fluctuations and not being exposed to too much humidity or water. The storage area should be dark and cool, but not too cold.

It is also important to never drop a blacksmith hammer on the floor or hit it against another surface. This will damage the head of the tool as well as develop cracks in the handle over time.

Are heavier hammers better?

Some people believe that heavier hammers are better because they have a higher ratio of weight to head size. However, the best hammer is one with which you feel comfortable and can swing properly. A heavy hammer may be difficult to control if it doesn't fit your hand or style of work.

The perfect balance for most blacksmiths is a hammer that has a weight of about 3 to 5 lbs.

The best way to find the right balance for you is by trying out several hammers, looking at their specifications, and seeing which one feels most comfortable in your hand.

How heavy should a hammer be?

A blacksmith's hammer should be designed to suit the user. The weight of a hammer can vary from about one kilogram (two pounds) up to 20 kilograms (40 pounds). A hammerer needs a heavier tool than does a finisher, for example. One basic rule is that when you're using your hand as the primary power source, you should use a lighter-weight hammer. When using the power of your shoulder or pushing with both hands on an anvil to drive a blow, then heavier hammers are better for developing more force.

Does hammering metal make it stronger?

Yes, hammering metal makes it stronger. Metal is a malleable material that can be shaped through working or deformed when struck by another object. The force applied to the material will cause microscopic cracks in its surface and boundaries which are then filled with new atoms of whatever substance was being hammered into place- as well as creating more space for atoms to flow into.

If you are a beginner in the industry, this video will help you-