Which hammer do I need?

The hammers shown on this page are designed for a specific purpose or application. Here are some descriptions of the different types of hammers and their uses:

• Riveting- comprised of one round and one chisel face. Used for forming metal and for creating a rivet.
• Ballpien – a commonly used hammer for shaping and flattening metal and for removing dents; with one round face and one half round domed face.
• Embossing- also known as repoussé, its two high domed round faces, this hammer works the metal from the back to form three-dimensional shapes.
• Forming- used to move heavy-gauge metal while retaining much of the weight of the original metal. Substantial weight with a slightly rounded face
• Planishing - used for hardening metal and for smoothing the surface of gold, silver, brass, stainless steel and other metals.
• Chasing - a multipurpose hammer for chasing, chiselling, riveting or peening.
• Stretching - Used for expanding metals surface area
• Polishing – To creating indents in your metal with a hammered texture and smooth, shiny finish

Some hammer terms explained:

• Riveting – hammering a metal rod in a hole to create a head and fasten something.
• Repoussé/Embossing – the shaping of metal in relief by hammering on the reverse side.
• Chasing – the process of hammering metal to form a recessed shape
• Planishing - the process of hammering metal with a polished hammer to obtain an even surface
• Chiselling - by creasing metal over holes and grooves, an alternative riveting technique.
• Peening - is the process of hammering on a metal surface to strengthen the material properties of metal by hammering blows.