Appreciation post: That old smith in Flagstaff who fixed my hammer drift

I was at a workshop in Flagstaff last fall and this old timer watched me struggling with a badly drifted cross peen for about ten minutes before he walked over and handed me his personal hammer. He showed me how to correct the drift by striking at a 45 degree angle instead of straight on (which I had been doing the whole time). Has anyone else had a random stranger change how you use a basic tool like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

lindaw299d ago

Hell yeah, I get what you mean. I used to think hammer technique was just "hit it harder" until some random old guy at a dirt track race showed me the same trick. He had me choke up on the handle and use my wrist instead of my whole arm. Completely changed how I drive a nail now. Stuff like that sticks with you way more than any YouTube video ever could.

rosejackson9d ago

Oh for sure, the wrist snap makes all the difference. Once you get that down, you barely feel the impact in your arm. @lindaw29, I've found the same thing with pulling nails or prying stuff loose too. You just need that little flick instead of full body force. These old tricks are gold, and nobody puts them in any manual.