handforging

Handforging is a metalworking process in which hot metal is shaped by hammering with a hand-held hammer on an anvil. It is a traditional form of blacksmithing, distinct from power-forged methods and subtractive machining. The technique is used to create tools, hardware, implements, decorative objects, and structural components. The metal, typically iron or steel, is heated in a forge until malleable. A blacksmith then strikes, draws, upsits, bends, or twists the workpiece to form the desired shape. Common operations include drawing (lengthening the piece), upsetting (thickening a section or end), bending, and punching. Forge welding may join pieces by heating them and hammering them together. After shaping, heat treatment such as annealing, normalizing, quenching, and tempering is used to adjust hardness and ductility.

Tools and practice: A typical handforging setup includes an anvil, a hand hammer, tongs, and various hardy tools and swages. The craft requires skill in heating, timing, and control of strain to avoid cracking or overworking the metal.

The practice remains active in modern times among hobbyists and professional smiths, valued for its hands-on control and the uniqueness of each piece. Handforging has largely been supplanted by power-forging and casting in mass production, but it continues as an artisanal activity that preserves traditional techniques, supports custom work, and enables design freedom.