The Hofi Hammer And The Ergonomic Technique For Moving Metal

[kalevraa]

after being apprenticed to a knifemaker, then a swordmaker in japan, i spent some time with hofi. in my ignorance, i thought i knew all there was to know about swinging a hammer. what can i tell you? i was humbled. his method is much faster, more accurate and versatile, efficient, and allows to forge for days and years without fatigue or joint damage. i am sold. so will be anyone who truly understands this method.

[simonsezproduction]

@MultiTurul

[Clelliiott]

how do I contact Mr. Hofi? I'd like to buy a hammer.

[DrThunder88]

@Clelliiott I think Big Blu Mfg. sells the official Hofi hammers, but other blacksmith supply places sell a similar pattern sometimes called a "Czech hammer".

[EaglePatriot1]

Very informative. I am new to blacksmithing

and setting up my first shop. I will try to obtain

one of your fine Hofi hammers. Thank You.

[gekko4000]

it is possible to forge as fast as he does and at the same time preserve your wriste and other joints in your body. translated; you don't wreck your self as fast. if you are a blacksmith you should take one of his classe's. than you will be ablle to feel the differens. and don't ever call his hammer stupid. ^^

I ame honoured to have been able to participate in one of his handhammer classe's. it realy works!!!

[simonsezproduction]

And while were at it lets let our computers do all our art work for us so we don't tire our bodies in the process. Ever hear of hand made. Why don't we make a power hammer that also holds the metal and turns it that way we can just sit there and watch.

[yonatanathan]

thank you for the video.

hofii's skill and are always educating

1edit remark : when you cut a fraze in "is exactlly ..." it looks like covering more then like sharing. thanks again

[jonnyakt]

Uri will visit Blacksmith Marathon in Sweden 6-9 in August !

And we are soooo honored =)

And I will buy my self a Hofi Hammer =D

[daddyd852]

that dude is baaaad!

[AladarMonolith]

Hofi Rocks!

(But I gonna keep my ol' hammers,just in case,wink)By the way,some of them are over 100yrs old,that's vintage.

[shira49]

זה סבא שלי .. !!1

הוא גר בקיבוץ עין שמר.

[houseofhydeband]

hofi is from israel.

[simonsezproduction]

Israel

[Conan568]

Exactly 10" long.

At least that's what my hammer handles are cut to.

Hofi ain't kidding.

Good tools make a big difference.

I cut down my blade forging time by 1/3 just by buying a new anvil.

I'll probably buy one of Hofi's hammers too.

[chronicriffer]

HAMMAH!!!!

[510scott]

buying a hammer online, or a video, can only do so much. and yeah, i have one of his hammers. it is a good hammer, but no one hammer can do everything. his ideas are good. but expensive hammers don't make someone a better blacksmith. and anyone who thinks the japanese don't know how to work metal, or design a hammer for their specific needs, is an idiot.

[truenikosteel]

I agree, don't buy a hammer because you've seen it on TV. Uri is a great Smith, but forging is a simple business. The greatest tools in your box, are your skill and imagination. Get on and practice, and worry about the shape your hitting stick when you know the job...just like Uri (then perhaps you can re-invent......the hammer!) Re. other posting, what is a sexy match anyway?....a distracting way to light ur Forge.

[simonsezproduction]

The video DVD is not so much about the hammer as it is how to ergonomicaly use a hammer. Hofi is in his seventies and he moves metal faster then people half his age. This is because he has figured out the best way of doing this without injuring his nerves and tendons and delivering the most power with the least amount of effort.And yes he learned a lot of his methods from Haberman, but I don't see them teaching the world the way Hofi has.

[toxiclung]

while I agree that having a good tool of any kind doesn't automatically make you better, it does make a diiference.

[modernblacksmith]

one rule I read in an old book....get it hot, hit it hard! it works for me.....

[OrganicDrew]

why dont people just listen to those who obviously know what they are talking about, how many of you designed a new type of hammer, I for one am willing to listen and possibly learn something you should be to.

[Justanotherson]

your sexy mature man,who cares about what your doing,Take off that shirt daddy ;-)

[pincheguey06]

20 to 70 thousand times a day? Dude...

[simonsezproduction]

Germans have a long history of traditional blacksmithing. Hofi received an award from the German president for changing the way they teach blacksmithing in Germany. Tradition is not always a good thing especially when not much was known about ergonomics hundreds of years ago.You realy need to watch the whole video to appreciate his technique.A hundred dollars for the hammer, consider this. how much is your medical copay? And some nerve damage can be repaired but some is irreversable.

[andhija]

Is it not true that Hofi learned this particular style and hammer shape from Alfred Haberman? Haberman's family have been smiths for hundreds of years and have developed their own style. Hofi trained under Haberman as did many, many other smiths. The Germans also recently and formally retitled blacksmiths as metal technicians because they thought the name to be reminiscent of 'dirty men making horseshoes.' This alone discredits the German authority in matters of smithing.

[510scott]

i agree with his techinques; but his hammers (over 100 bucks) will not make you a better blacksmith, or save your arm. people have been forging for thousands of years. i don't think his ideas are anything revolutionary.

[andhija]

Here here. I have had much experience and know without doubt that there is a right way to swing the hammer and a perfect hammer. The difficulty is that this changes depending on the work, the material, and the person. Hofi is to be commended for forcing people to think about and question their hammers and their hammering form. Hofi needs to be reminded that he is too one-dimensional in his "answer" to these very questions.

[coobicek]

i comepletely agree with u u have a certian hammer for every job

[fergus5555]

anyone doubting the efficacy of this forging technique should see hofi hammer. the guy is in his seventies, and he moves steel faster and with much greater accuracy than men twice his size and a third of his age, and he is not even out of breath. also, unlike many smiths, he has no joint problems, in spite of his years of heavy hammering.

[simonsezproduction]

Hofi teaches at The Center For Metal Arts in Florida NY. For more information watch my other video on the Metal Arts Center

[rhoweber]

It appears there is a great deal to be learned from this video, even for the professional blacksmith. Where does Hofi teach?

[varmdal]

Wow, fantastic, Come to the Northern part of Denmark and teach us poor bastard :D and your hammer looks very interresting. but could you show something about useing the pen of your hammer? it looks kinda big. Or does your hammer come in different sizes?