You've made your first sterling silver ring, tapped it round on a mandrel with an ordinary steel hammer, and now the band is covered in little dents. Do you need a different hammer? Usually, yes, and it's probably a nylon one.
Most people start jewellery making with whatever hammer is in the kitchen drawer. That's fine for a while, but once you're working with silver, copper or brass, knowing when to reach for steel and when to reach for nylon saves you a lot of filing and sanding.
What a nylon hammer actually does
Nylon is softer than the metals you'll be working with, so a nylon hammer can move metal without leaving marks on it. You can shape, straighten and harden a piece while keeping the surface clean.
That makes it the right choice for jobs like these:
- Rounding rings on a mandrel. Tap a ring band round on a ring mandrel without denting the outside.
- Work-hardening wire. Ear wires, clasps and wire shapes are still soft straight after bending. A few taps on a steel block stiffen them up without flattening them.
- Straightening wire and sheet. If a piece of sheet has a kink or your wire has gone wavy, a nylon hammer flattens it out without adding new marks.
- Working on finished or polished pieces. If you've already spent time cleaning up a surface, nylon is the safer bet for any last-minute shaping.
Our Nylon Wedge Hammer has a domed face on one end and a wedge on the other, so you get a broad face for general shaping and a narrower edge for getting into tighter curves.
When you need steel instead
A nylon hammer won't do everything. Because it doesn't mark the metal, it also doesn't spread or thin it much. For that, you need steel.
Reach for a steel hammer when you want to:
- Flatten the end of wire into a paddle. Head pins and wire ends need the force of steel to spread out.
- Add texture. A domed chasing hammer gives a soft, hand-hammered dimple finish. Texturing hammers press patterns into the surface.
- Rivet. The small ball end of a chasing hammer is handy for spreading the head of a rivet.
- Strike chasing and repoussé tools. That's what a chasing hammer was designed for in the first place.
The key thing with steel is that the face of the hammer transfers straight onto your work. A well polished, smooth face leaves a clean mark. A scratched or chipped face leaves those scratches on every piece you hit.
Domed or flat steel face?
If you're buying a chasing hammer, you'll see both flat and domed faces. A flat face is good for flattening and for striking tools squarely. A domed face is more forgiving for texturing, because the curved edge is less likely to leave a hard line where the hammer lands. Our 32mm Domed Chasing Hammer is a good all-rounder for hammered finishes, with a ball peen on the back for riveting.
Mistakes I see most often
- Using a steel hammer to round a finished ring. It's the most common cause of dented bands. Shape with nylon, then add texture with steel deliberately if you want it.
- Hitting a disc cutter punch with a nylon hammer. Disc cutters and similar punches need a solid strike from a heavy steel or brass hammer. Nylon just bounces and gets chewed up.
- Using your good jewellery hammer for DIY. One nail or screwdriver handle and the polished face is ruined. Keep jewellery hammers for jewellery.
- Working on a soft surface. Hammering on a wooden table or a towel soaks up the blow. A steel bench block gives you a firm, flat base.
- Letting grit build up. Bits of metal and grit stuck to a nylon face or bench block get pressed into your work. Give both a wipe before you start.
Do you need both?
For most people making rings, earrings and wire jewellery, yes. A nylon hammer and a domed chasing hammer between them cover most bench jobs, and neither is expensive. If you'd rather have one handle with lots of options, the 22 Interchangeable Head Precision Hammer Set comes with both nylon and steel heads in different shapes, which is handy for smaller, fiddly pieces.
Looking after your hammers
Store hammers so their faces don't knock against other tools. Keep steel faces dry to stop rust, and if a steel face gets marked, it's worth polishing it back before it marks your work. Check the head is tight on the handle before each session.
You'll find our full range, from nylon hammers to chasing and texturing hammers, in the Jewellery Hammers & Mallets collection. If you're not sure which one suits what you're making, drop us a message and tell us about your project. We're always happy to help.