Found a cool trick at the Old Sturbridge Village forge demo

I visited Old Sturbridge Village last weekend and watched their blacksmith do a demo on making nails. He used a super quick twist of the wrist on the hammer to set the nail head perfectly every time without extra strikes. Has anyone else picked up a weird small motion from watching another smith work?

3 comments

3 Comments

evan_stone24d ago

Super quick twist of the wrist" sounds like one of those things that looks cool but might not be as reliable as it seems. I've watched a lot of smiths over the years and honestly, a controlled, even set of strikes usually gives a cleaner head than relying on a fancy wrist move. That twist could work great for one specific nail gauge, but change the metal thickness or the heat just a bit and you're more likely to mess up the head than save time. I'm curious if you tried it yourself and if it held up after a few nails?

roberts.jordan24d ago

It's just making a nail, not defusing a bomb. You can overthink any craft if you try hard enough.

thomas10522d ago

Watching a pro nail that motion made me think there's something to it even if it takes practice. Smiths who do this every day probably know which little shortcuts actually hold up.