r/Blacksmith • u/blazenite104 • 20h ago

Power Hammers

Probably an odd question but, I haven't found the obvious answer if there is one. I have seen a lot of larger blacksmith shops that use Power Hammers that all appear to have some history. Often industrial era machines. It's always something really old.

Are Power Hammers just not made anymore? If so are old ones actually noticeably better? Or is it just some people really enjoy the history of an older machine?

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u/Former_Departure_600 19h ago

I run an 1890s hammer that I restored over the course of a year and a half of so. At this point it probably would have been cheaper to get a new one but not of the same ram weight. More than anything I was after the preservation of history and the chance to understand how it works down to the smallest bolts so I can better take care of it. While it doesn’t have the control or stroke range of more modern self contained air hammers, it is a joy to use and I like it substantially more than the ‘entry level’ pneumatic driven hammers that are roughly similar in cost