Different types of striking tools
The different types of striking tools are grouped by what you want the blow to achieve: cutting, punching, flattening or marking. Hot chisels and cold chisels cut, punches make holes, set hammers square up flat surfaces, and stamps apply marks.
The striking plate counts as the seventh, because it protects your anvil the moment you strike all the way through something.
Hot chisels for red-hot steel
You use hot chisels on red-hot steel, when you want to cut off or notch a workpiece without sawing through it cold. The edge runs thin and tapers to a point, and that calls for hot material: on cold steel that edge gets damaged.
We carry hot chisels of 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 kg to DIN 5107, with blade widths between 50 and 60 mm and an overall length of around 185 mm. For long runs there is a tungsten-alloyed version of 1.5 kg, which holds its edge longer. If you want to split hot steel rather than cut it off, the 0.6 kg splitting chisel with a blade width between 35 and 40 mm is the obvious choice.
Cold chisels for unheated metal
Cold chisels work on unheated metal: knocking off rivet heads, cutting through bolts or dressing a weld seam. The edge is ground blunter than that of a hot chisel, so the chisel absorbs the dull blows on cold steel without chipping.
The range includes cold chisels of 1.0 and 1.5 kg to DIN 5107, with blade widths of 35 and 40 mm and lengths between 180 and 195 mm. The tungsten-alloyed 1.5 kg version has a blade of about 45 mm.
For narrow work in tight corners there is the extra slim flat chisel in silicon-manganese steel, 240 mm long with a blade thickness of about 3 mm.
Punches for holes in your workpiece
You drive punches through hot steel to make a hole in your workpiece, instead of drilling material away. A punched hole displaces the steel and leaves the grain intact, whereas a drill cuts through that grain.
The round model measures about 400 x 34 x 20 mm and has holes between 4 and 12 mm; the square model has holes between 5 and 12 mm. Both are forged from tool steel, hardened and tempered, and chamfered on one side.
For decorative work there is a set of ten ornament punches in 115CrV3 with a cross-section of 6 x 6 mm. Hold your workpiece with a suitable blacksmith's tongs while you strike.
Set hammers for the hardy hole
You place set hammers in the hardy hole of your anvil to square up flat surfaces and transitions. The lower part drops into that square hole, the workpiece goes on top of it, and you strike the upper part with a forging hammer.
This way, a 50 by 50 mm face presses down evenly everywhere, something you rarely achieve with individual hammer blows. We supply bottom pieces with a 25 mm shank and with a 30 x 30 mm shank; the top part has a 50 x 50 mm face and comes without a handle.
Measure the hardy hole in your anvil before ordering, as this size varies from model to model.
Stamps for marking your work
You strike stamps cold into metal to mark your work with a letter, a number or your own symbol. Letter stamps A-Z and number stamps 0-9 come in character heights of 5 and 10 mm, engraved according to DIN 1451.
The stamp body measures 10 x 10 x 80 mm and has a hardness of around HRC 58-61 on the character side. The nickel-plated version is intended for stainless steel.
If you work with your own logo, we make a custom stamp from hardened and tempered tool steel, up to a design of roughly 10 x 10 mm. A plastic holder keeps the stamp straight and your fingers out of the hammer's path.
Striking plate for the anvil
A striking plate places a sacrificial layer between your tool and the face of your anvil. When punching and splitting, the chisel or punch goes through something, and without a plate that something is the hardened surface of your anvil.
The aluminium plate measures roughly 160 x 80 x 8 mm and absorbs that blow. A marked plate is easy to replace, a damaged anvil face is not. Place it under your workpiece whenever you strike through something, even with thin material.
Which striking tool suits your work?
Which striking tool suits your work depends on the temperature you work at and the weight you can comfortably control. If you forge hot at the forge fire or forging furnace, hot chisels and punches form your foundation. If you work on cold material during assembly, disassembly and repair, start with cold chisels.
Weight determines the rest. You can guide a 1.0 kg chisel precisely and keep going all afternoon, while a 2 kg chisel cuts deeper but calls for a heavier hammer and more experience.
Also make a deliberate choice on steel type: tungsten-alloyed versions hold their edge longer when you run long series. If you're not sure which size or weight you need, our team is happy to think along with you.
Buying striking tools
You buy striking tools at Parrot Shopping from a range built entirely around forging and melting. Every chisel, punch and stamp is grade A hardened tool steel, selected to hold up under repeated blows.
From 50 euros we ship free, throughout Europe. If you're unsure about the shank size or the weight, our team is here to help: your guide in the forging trade. Browse the full range above and get your tools ready for the next heat.
