Outstanding Quality in Polished Stainless Steel-You'll Love These Hammers!
Fretz Jewelers Hammers are the original hammers made by Fretz, and still by far the most popular hammer in the growing line of Fretz hammers. Fretz Precisionsmith hammers are smaller than these Jewelers hammers, and Fretz Silversmithing hammers are larger, so for many people,
Fretz Jewelers hammers are “just right”.
Fretz hammers are remarkable for two primary features:
The Handles
Made from African Padauk, a type of Rosewood, the Fretz handle has a marvelous feel, smooth and perfectly balanced. Each weight of hammer has an appropriate sized handle, the heavier the head, the heavier the handle.
Handles are usually a dark brown color although some will have a lighter color as Fretz will occasionally source a lighter shaded recycled Asian Padauk. No matter what the shade is, you won’t find a better handle on any hammer made today.
The Heads
Fretz casts the hammer heads in 420 stainless steel and then hardens them to 50Rc. They are highly polished and available in a variety of shapes and profiles for every metalsmithing technique.
This is the Mini Hammer-Large Embossing HMR-4, with a handle length of 220mm (8-7/8") and a hammer head length of 73mm (2-7/8") The hardened stainless steel heads are polished to perfection, and the rosewood handles have a special finish that feels downright sensual. No kidding, the rosewood handles and finished so well that they just plain feel good in you hand. The balance is perfect, and the polished stainless steel surface is exceptional.
Here is what Bill Fretz has to say about
Embossing:
Embossing is the stretching of metal by hammering from the inside. Bocking is a form of embossing when the metal is hammered into a cavity. Freeform embossing is done with a sandbag. The large embossing hammer is used to dome metal from the inside. The metal is stretched from the inside as it is supported on a sand bag or a depression carved in wood. Doming a piece of metal before raising makes it easier to control because the shape becomes rigid. The embossing hammer also leaves a very interesting dimpled texture on flat and slightly domed metal when hammering on the outside of a form against a stake.
The size of the hammer will be dictated by the size of the work. Small light projects will use the mini large embossing hammer No. 4 and the larger work will demand the large large embossing hammer No. 104. The concepts of what they do are the same.
| Aspect |
Specification |
| Brand |
Fretz |
| Face Shape |
Round |
| Face Sizes |
12mm & 16mm |
| Handle Length |
220mm (8-7/8") |
| Head Length |
73mm |
| Head Type |
Embossing |
| Head Weight |
2.5 oz. (71g) |
| Country of Origin |
Vietnam |
