What was this small hammer used for

[OldWood]

The couple of discussions on hammers recently encouraged me to take a photo of a hammer I rescued from a skip some years back. The local builder then was doing house clearances and I had a field day one time when a noticeable number of tools appeared.

The hammer is basically a minature claw hammer some 250mm long, but why the bulb at the end of the handle, although that does fit beautifully into one's hand. The handle is made of a mahogony - quite wrong as that is not a mechanically strong wood, and was split when I found it, probably someone using the claw, but then the diameter of the shaft is against it too. Fortunately PVA has done an adequate repair and as long as I treat it with respect it is a nice little hammer for gently .... hammering!!
Rob

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It's a plannishing hammer. The bulbous end of the handle sits in your palm and you beat silver/brass/bronze/whatever with with. The handle doesn't need any real strength as the blows are quick and quite light and its design keeps the blows fairly evenly weighted and the pattern even.

 

[Cabinetman]

It’s a very nice looking thing, I’m sure Phil is right – it’s his thing, I imagined it was something that a piano tuner might use. Ian

 

[Rorschach]

It's not a "proper" hammer, it's been made up of unmatched parts. The handle is of the type used on a chasing or repousse hammer, the head is from a small carpenters or upholsterers hammer (maybe even a shoemakers hammer, regardless it's for someone who works with nails). That type of handle is totally unsuitable for pulling nails with the claw, it would snap, the face is too small for planishing work or chasing/repousse work.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes. You are right. My eyes aren't brillant and I was looking at the handle, didn't notice the claws and didn't expand the picture.

 

[OldWood]

Thanks guys for your input. I have no difficulty at all in going with Rorschach's description as it is quite clear that the shaft has really no strength at all to use the claw - and on that my apologies to Phil for not makig it clear that there was a claw - the photo is just too vertical to show the claw clearly.

The slight oddity of it as an item makes me wonder if perhaps this was an apprentice build - we'll never know.
Thanks
Rob

 

[Rorschach]

My guess would be someone wanted a chasing/engraving/repousse hammer, didn't want to pay the money and had this small hammer head knocking around (it's possible it was a child's toy hammer) and made a suitable handle for it. I suspect it would work perfectly fine for that kind of task.