Blacksmith Hammers
Blacksmith hammers as a rule are heavier than your typical carpenters hammer. The added weight makes it easier to apply great force upon the metal you are trying to shape. Handles vary in composition and length. What you prefer is a personal preference so let's concentrate on the head.
Hammers that blacksmiths use range from the small sub one pound ball peen hammers, to heavy sledge hammers for large thick metal jobs. The typical blacksmith hammer is in between these two extremes, usually 2-3 pounds (1-1.4 kg).
The other big difference between a blacksmith hammer is the backside of the hammer. Instead of a claw you usually find something more like a hatchet called a cross peen hammer. This hammer is however, not sharp like a typical hatchet, but instead is more rounded and dull by design. The cross peen hammer forces the metal to spread in two opposite directions when the metal is struck. Whereas, the normal face side of the hammer spreads the metal in all directions equally.
Another type of hammer used by blacksmiths is the ball peen hammer. On this hammer the claw is replaced with a rounded end. A blow from a ball peen hammer works much like the flat face of the typical hammer but since it is not flat but instead rounded it does a better job of spreading out the metal.
