Notes on old hammers and other hardened tools

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Here’s why we don’t refurbish old hammers, anvils and other such hardened tools. Invisible stress cracks can build up over time and are not always obvious until its too late. A hammer that breaks in use is dangerous and can cause physical injury to the user or those around. These images show a couple of hammer heads that recently came through the workshop. During cleaning and inspection one hammer head broke during its checks revealing that an old crack had already started (the darkened oxidised area).

 

Hammer heads are usually made from a hardened steel and although hard enough for most jobs, can be brittle. As such hammer heads should never be knocked or banged together as they can crack, or in sever cases actually explode. Look closely at the photos below.