The Beadsmith chasing hammer is the only chasing hammer readily available in stores close to me, and the domed face has dented on a few hammers now, making it so I have to keep replacing them. With the cost adding up, I’d like to explore ordering in a better quality chasing hammer.
Any brands people recommend in particular? Any to absolutely avoid (apart from Beadsmith)?
Thanks!
I have a German made one I got from either Rio or Otto Frei that has been bouncing around a drawer and used daily and it still perfect! I think I paid ~$45 10 years ago but well worth it!
You can’t go wrong with Peddinghaus, though not cheap. Fretz is also well made, and also expensive.
I don’t see either as being able to be damaged by typical jewelry work. Beadsmith must use too-soft steel to keep their prices so low.
I have a few medium-priced no-name chasing hammers (different weights) bought from jewelry supply outlets and they have held up well, too. No brand name, but stamped “Made in Germany”.
Chasing hammers are meant for light to medium blows—primarily for chasing tools, punches, and similar applications. In that context, a lightly dimpled or worn-in face isn’t necessarily a problem. In fact, it can improve control. The subtle ‘ding’ texture acts like a grip, reducing skidding and helping the hammer “seat” into the tool with each blow. It prevents slippage, especially when working at odd angles or on smaller contact points. By contrast, a very smooth—and the jewelry gods forbid a perfectly polished, mirror-smooth—face, while beautiful, can be less forgiving and more prone to glancing off.
For example, I have a chasing hammer that was intentionally made from iron, which can’t be hardened. Over the decades, it’s developed a naturally worn texture from hundreds of thousands of strikes. At this point, it’s probably equivalent to 60 or 80 grit sandpaper. That pitted surface has actually made it better for striking engraving chisels or setting punches. It’s even slightly concave now, which only adds to the control. Aside from dressing the edges a few times, I’ve never had to touch it. It still sees almost daily use after all these years.
My light-duty brass hammer is the same.
So before replacing your hammer, with the other contributions to your query above, it’s worth considering: are the dents functional wear or signs of poor material and premature failure? A good chasing hammer should wear in, not wear out.
Per Neil, Peddinhaus makes good hammers. I agree, I have a couple. If you haven’t, or don’t feel comfortable doing it, you should learn how to modify the face of a hammer. None of them are ready off the shelf to do what you want to do with your unique swing, hand or anvil. Just remember that whatever imperfection is on the hammer head or anvil will be transferred to the piece that you are working on. Normally this would be a minus, but if you have hammers that you want to retire, consider making them texture hammers and then they would be a plus. A planishing hammer is not a forging hammer. You use it to make subtle changes in the surface of a piece of stock to make it a bit smoother. If you want to really move some metal, get a Peddinhaus 500 or something similar. My first hammer came from a yard sale for a $1.00. I have made many modifications to it, but I still use it…Rob
If you can, search online for a vintage Dixon chasing hammer. Mine is stamped Dixon/ France. The one I have is perfectly balanced because of the shape of the handle. So balanced that gently held at the rounded base, it does the work for you and it just lets gravity do it’s job. Thus making it easier on your hand and wrist. The hammer head itself is tough as nails. I’m guessing that mine is at least 50 years old.
I have that hammer and love it. The slight spring allowed by the thin handle helps prevent double strikes.
My son made me a chasing hammer and hardened the face. The hammer would skid off the tool with every blow. After softening the face, the hammer worked perfectly. Chasing hammers only contact the top of a steel chasing tool and should have a rough face.
I’m not so sure about chasing hammers having to have “a rough face”. My chasing hammer isn’t mirror polished, but it does have a relatively unmarked face. I’ve spent endless hours over the decades of using it.
I am using a hammer that was my Dad’s. I am sure Rob began on this hammer as did I. I have a collection of hammers that all get used from time to time but for the craft work I do I tend to stay with two hammers. The big ball peen I mentioned first and a cross peen. The surfaces are polished when needed. I think we tend to care for our hammer faces to the level needed by the work we do.
Don
jyoteekat early on in this discussion asked the question regarding the actual use of the hammer. Is it to chase using the hammer to move metal through striking a hardened chasing tool or is it to flatten metal against an anvil. I use my chasing and other hammers for both purposes. The only difference between the two is that, in chasing, the hammer is stricking a hard metal chasing tool. If the tool is harder than the hammer, then a dent could happen in the hammer. If just planishing, then there is nothing to cause the dent. In the end, a better hammer can serve both purposes and there are many to found on various websites…Rob
The main thing is not to use a polished hammer to strike chasing tools. Reserve the chasing hammer, whichever type you use for chasing, for striking chasing tools. Use polished hammers for striking the work.
My absolute favorite is Fretz’s 417. It’s extreme light weight and comfortable handle have help tremendously with my hand/wrist issues. It has a slightly domed face, but even after using a flat one for a couple of decades, I never notice a problem with the curvature. It’s super hard still so it will pick up small dents from my stamps and my Eastern Repousse & Chasing Tools, but these don’t impact its strike. I keep 2 on hand, one for chasing & repousse and one that never touches another tool because it makes a stellar planishing hammer.
Victoria…Your work is wonderful and there should be no doubt about what you say regarding chasing/planishing hammers. Never should one be used for both purposes. For my crude attempts at chasing, I will often just use a small brass hammer that I also use to do my marking…Rob
I have that exact hammer Jo!! And, yes it’s 50 years old. Does Dixon even still make hammers? I was gonna take a picture of it to add to your post, but I can’t seem to find it right now. Embarrassingly, it was the only hammer I had for at least 10 years. I used for everything. Needless to say, the dings on the face presented a problem when using it on metal. I have a hammer fetish. I own a lot of them. It’s just a thing for me. Peddinghaus makes wonderful hammers, I have a few bigger ones. I have a few Peddinghaus forming hammers, but Fretz hammers are my go to. Yeah, I know expensive. I have several chasing hammers in different weights cos sometimes you want a light touch, and sometimes you just want to whack it 
I have this tiny thing and don’t remember who makes it. I just looked, it’s GRS. Has a flat face. A big one on one end, and tiny one on the other. I really like Fretz’s planishing hammers and have this tiny one I just love. I think they call it a “goldsmiths hammer” it has a planishing face on one end and a forging cross pein on the other. I can totally see how a planishing hammer could be useful for raising as long as you kept it pristine and polished. I kinda like Rob’s approach. Use what you can find and understand how to use it. It so totally amazes me how ancients made beautiful stuff with virtually nothing. Its not the tools, its the maker.
Speaking of hammer fetishes… I own a beautiful Herman Hammer designed by the late Jeffery Herman. It’s like my Dixon chasing hammer. It’s so perfectly balanced that gravity pretty much does the work for me. It’s a thing of beauty and cost me more money that I have ever spent on a hammer. I was so enraptured with it for the first few weeks that my husband Tim was starting to get jealous.
Such a beautiful hammer! Thank you for sharing!
Yes, I agree! I actually don’t use the hammer for chasing at all - just light planishing. The marks in the head are even so narrow that they look to be caused by hammering wire. I’ve even designated one my ‘rain texturing’ hammer since that’s all it’s really good for after mysteriously denting one day after months of being completely fine. My suspicion being that the head is plated and I’d worn through that without noticing since I generally anneal as I go, but even so, would work-hardened wire (14ga-20ga) dent a chasing hammer?
Do you by chance have any curious kids running around how might have used this hammer for who knows what? I have dents in my anvil from my now 52 and 46 year old sons and their kids having their way with my hammers and anvil over the years. Just a thought…Rob
That’s not at all a bad suggestion - I have an 8-year-old who had made it a habit of sneaking into my studio until we set some very firm rules.
