I have been making knives for more than 30 years now. Years of learning the skills to make things sharp and pointy will be used to make the tools I have used to make things sharp and pointy. I call myself a bladesmith. But to be a blade Smith I had to learn to be a blacksmith. Blacksmiths make our own tools. I've made the tools to be a bladesmith.
My focus was on making the blades. The first and most basic tool needed is a hammer. An anvil or something hard to put the hot metal on and strike with a hammer to reshape. It is fundamental.
The skillset for making the blades is the same for making the tools. There is a market for the tools so I plan to put myself in that market. Hammers will be my focus. There are several types of hammers that blacksmiths use. Flatters, drawing, fullring, and piening. Nothing fancy. Just hammers that will do what is needed.
I will be making simple hammers that any blacksmith can use. Nothing fancy. Not too heavy.
The first hammer I am making is a rounding hammer. It does almost everything. All blacksmiths have one. 2.5 lbs is a good starting place and will work for most jobs.
