Hammers

 

Hammers are a continual source of vexation and hope to many players. The possibility that the ideal set will somehow magically elevate technique has led many to acquire huge arsenals of different hammers. Alas, I make just three different styles.  

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Single-Sided Hammers have a long-enough grip to allow for two-finger flicking, a weight and length good for the instruments I make, and they are what I myself use to play. I can supply them with calfskin (recommended) or bare wood. Woods will vary, but I use laminate construction on the shanks for durability.  

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Double sided Flexi-Hammers

The carbon fiber hammers developed by Sam Rizzetta have a couple of useful advantages over regular wooden ones. The flexible shank allows the player to maintain a firm grip on the handle and still get a nice-sounding rebound from the strings. Many players (myself included) learn to play with a loose grip and let the hammers bounce naturally, but this can be hard for some people to get the hang of- especially if they’re trying to play quickly. There are also a number of folks who are dealing with wrist and arm problems, and the carbon fiber hammers are generally easier for them to use.

 

There are three versions of the regular CF hammers: #0 (flexible) #1 (medium) and #2 (stiff). If you fish, you can think of them as light, medium, and heavy. Anyone who tried Sam’s CF hammers several years ago and liked them then might prefer #0 hammers- they are also about as floppy as the hammers Paul Van Arsdale used to make for himself (though not ground from high-carbon steel hacksaw blades, like Paul’s).  For most people #1 hammers will work the best. For heavy hitters, #2 hammers will not feel as though the heads are lagging behind the handles as you play. If you play like Dan Landrum, #2 might be what you want.

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Ergonomic Hammers

There are also folks who have impaired hands and wrists, and are having a hard time keeping a grip on any set of hammers and making them work. For them, the ergonomic grip can help. It clips in between the fingers, like hackbrett hammers, so arthritic fingers don’t have to be tensioned in order to hold on.  The shanks come out of the grip at an angle, also, so the wrists and hands can operate more horizontally- which is kinder to the wrists and hands. You can see more photos of them at https://samrizzetta.com/contents/hammers

 

Heads of these are walnut (though I have a few sets with poplar heads, which works just as well). Handles are usually a pretty laminate of veneers and some hardwood that’s too short to make a dulcimer (once a board is cut up for an instrument, it’s a shame to pitch the cutoffs into the woodstove). Usually, it’s goncalo alves. 

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• See Prices & Ordering if interested in purchasing.

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