Cobblers Hammer

[reedx]

I've tinkered with leather work for a few years and decided it was time I tried to improve my saddle stitch. The YouTube videos by Ian Atkinson and Nigel Armitage convinced me I needed a cobblers hammer - what other reason could there be for my stitching looking rubbish

Anyway, not wanting to pay the money for an Osborne hammer, I picked up an (ab)used example for a couple of pounds. The hammer face was tidied up with emery paper and then mirror polished using Maas - brilliant stuff which I think was recommended by Angst.

My question is, apart from bedding down stitching and tapping down folds in leather, how else are they typically used? Particular the other striking side of the head.

Colin

 

[mrcharly]

hammering in nails?

 

[reedx]

hammering in nails?

Not so sure. It's not that obvious from the photo, but the other end is hooked slightly over and the end is very thin at about 2mm. I wasn't sure if it could have been used for prying.

Colin

 

[Robson Valley]

Back in the days when heel pieces were nailed on, that wedge could have been used for prying the worn heels from boots.

 

[Macaroon]

Apart from flatting and shaping seams and joins in leather, these hammers are used, both ends, to drive tacks in awkward places on both shoes and saddlery work. There are many, many different patterns of them, and at one time there was a big distinction between Saddler's, Cordwainer's and Cobbler's patterns but I think that was mostly down to craftsmen protecting their trades rather than any practical reason. Saddlers I worked with mostly had a number of different patterns for different jobs, and they were very fussy indeed about having the handles offset to their own preferred angles.

At one time Cordwainers were the people who made new shoes and worked only with new leather, while Cobblers were those who repaired shoes and worked only with old leather, so you can see where trade protection would have been important, certainly to the Cordwainers. Likewise in Saddlery, there were Black Saddlers and Brown Saddlers, the former being those who made top-rate stuff for the gentry, carriage harness and hunting
tack etc., while the latter were the makers for the middle classes and farmers, more workaday than show stuff.

 

[Robbi]

Apart from flatting and shaping seams and joins in leather, these hammers are used, both ends, to drive tacks in awkward places on both shoes and saddlery work. There are many, many different patterns of them, and at one time there was a big distinction between Saddler's, Cordwainer's and Cobbler's patterns but I think that was mostly down to craftsmen protecting their trades rather than any practical reason. Saddlers I worked with mostly had a number of different patterns for different jobs, and they were very fussy indeed about having the handles offset to their own preferred angles.

At one time Cordwainers were the people who made new shoes and worked only with new leather, while Cobblers were those who repaired shoes and worked only with old leather, so you can see where trade protection would have been important, certainly to the Cordwainers. Likewise in Saddlery, there were Black Saddlers and Brown Saddlers, the former being those who made top-rate stuff for the gentry, carriage harness and hunting
tack etc., while the latter were the makers for the middle classes and farmers, more workaday than show stuff.

What a great informative post . Thanks for that, lots of info there

 

[Macaroon]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/vintage-a...666944?hash=item3ab8828e00:g:y90AAOSwT4lWT7Pq

Here's an interesting one that looks as though it may go cheaply, for anybody stirred by this thread to get one!

 

[reedx]

Thanks Macaroon. Interesting reading.

Colin