doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DIY Gunsmithing @ doublegunshop.com Question about rawhide hammer

For a while I’ve considered getting a rawhide hammer. As I understand, they are used for tapping metal parts (e.g. barrel action) when inletting the parts into wood. I found one in my dad‘s shop, and he no longer needs it. However, I noticed the rawhide head seems incredibly hard. Hard like an Hard like a dense piece of wood. Are they supposed to be this way? I understand they are not supposed to mar the metal surface; however, it’s hard to believe this one would not leave marks on blued metal. Is it normal for them to be this hard? I’m sure I could try it on a piece of scrap blued metal.

Larry

Yes, they are that hard. Typically the metal is inlet before final metal finish. Any small marks in the metal from the inletting process are given a final polish before bluing.

Metal finish is the last operation when building/stocking a gun. Blued parts can be inlet without damage to the finish but extreme care must be taken.

Purchase yourself a double ended Nylon faced hammer because you can replace the hammer faces with other plastic types and rubber version's by just screwing them in. As the replacement hammer faces just screw in a lead and brass faces are simple to make yourself, and far much more use than just a hide hammer.

In addition to steel and brass hammers I have rawhide, some kind of hard phenolic resin, and a softer plastic that is incorrectly called Teflon. I use them all, but only occasionally. However, I'd not want to be without any one of them.

About to search out and buy a steel cross pein hammer. Then, I'll never need another one. Yeah, right.