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Generic bonny doon hammer?

#1

Ok it’s not just me… it’s on everyone’s wish list if they don’t
already have it right?

The Bonny Doon Hammer:
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/1tx
I want it, but it’s a little out of my price range.

Then I found this:
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/1ty
Which is about 1/2 the price and comes in many different face
diameters (down to 1 1/4")

My questions are: For those of you that have invested in the D.B. Is
it worth it?! Does anyone have experience with the garland one? or
any input as to the Urethane durometer on the garland vs. the D.B.

Thanks!!!

Carin Jones, owner/designer
Jonesing for Jewelry

#2

I have one of the Garland hammers and I don’t like it much, it
doesn’t grip the rawhide inserts very well and so they move around in
the hammer. As much as I love Bonny Doon tools I much prefer the Lixi
dead blow hammers.

http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/1u0

they come in size range from 1" diameter face weighing 10 oz to a
sledge hammer that has 3"diameter faces and weighs 11 lbs. All with
replaceable urethane faces and a variety of hardness from very soft
to rock hard. And you can easily make UMHW cross pein faces to mount
on the Lixie hammer

James Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts

#3

I like the BD hammer. It does have a big head. Haven’t used the other
one you mention. It doesn’t look that much cheaper. Do you buy the
different heads individually? I also have the frietz hammer with the
different heads, it is small and I like it as well.

#4

In the interest of full disclosure I’ll start by saying that I have
not used the Bonny Doon hammer nor do I have very extensive
experience using any hammers for jeweler type metal forming. That
said, I have made quite extensive use of Garland hammers of various
models in an industrial setting. I have found them to be excellent
quality tools. Lixie makes great hammers too, you may want to check
them out as well, if you have not already.

#5

Carin,

Most important is that they are both very different from each other
so you might want one of each!

The Garland is a good hammer for the applications that it was
designed for, I have had one for many years. It’s good for knocking
parts into position where you need to minimize marring. It’s also
good for assembling parts. It’s heavier than the BD Hammer.

The Bonny Doon Hammer is quite different in many regards. It was
designed for the unique sets of skills and needs for studio
metalsmithing. It utilizes urethane that is also designed for
metalsmithing applications. Know that there are 1000’s of urethane
formulations. I work directly with the engineers that produce the
urethane to our needs and specifications. I am 100% confident that
there is no better quality nor longer lasting urethane for our
metalsmithing needs. The urethane on the BD Hammer should last you a
lifetime if it’s not misused or abused.

The BD Hammer is also a bit lighter and balanced to make it easy to
use properly, thereby yielding consistent and accurate results. It’s
been designed by a metalsmith specifically for jewelry sized pieces.

With the Bonny Doon Hammer you also get the best support in the
industry. You get direct access to Rio Grande’s tech support team
that know the BD Hammer intimately.

I hope this helps!
Sincerely,
Phil

G. Phil Poirier
www.bonnydoonengineering.com

#6

We recently received two Garland leather mallets at our school. They
are well made and well finished. Everyone rushed to use the NEW tool
and quickly realized it needed to be broken in to be more useful.
The edges were very crisp and after some use they softened and the
mallet was more useful. I have no experience with the Garland
urethane mallet.

Jay

#7

I’m curious and a bit of a Luddite. What’s the difference between
one of these hammers and old fashioned rawhide or goat horn mallet?

Have fun and make lots of jewelry.
Jo Haemer
www.timothywgreen.com

#8

Check out the video to see what this hammer does.
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/1tx

G. Phil Poirier
www.bonnydoonengineering.com
www.gphilpoirier.com