Fretz HMR-3 Narrow Raising Hammer

The Fretz HMR-3 Narrow Raising Hammer is part of the original Fretz Jewelers Hammer line — still the most popular series in the growing Fretz range. Sized between the smaller Precisionsmith hammers and the larger Silversmithing hammers, the Jewelers series strikes the ideal balance for most metalsmithing work.

Fretz hammers are distinguished by two exceptional features: their handles and their heads. Together, these elements deliver the balance, durability, and surface quality that professional metalsmiths demand.

Features

• African Padauk (Rosewood) handles — smooth, perfectly balanced, and finished to a sensual feel that is unmatched in hammers available today
• Handle weight is proportional to head weight — each hammer is engineered as a balanced system, not assembled from generic parts
• 420 stainless steel heads — cast and hardened to 50Rc for lasting durability and consistent performance
• Highly polished striking faces — minimize surface marks transferred to the work
• Narrow raising profile — two flat face sizes designed for compressing metal down to the stake without stretching
• Useful for raising sheet metal into bowls against wooden or metal t-stakes, raising cylinders into concave shapes, and planishing subtle concave forms
• Handle color may vary from dark brown to lighter shades depending on sourced Padauk — quality and performance are consistent regardless of shade

Specifications

Notes

Handle color may range from dark brown to a lighter shade depending on the Padauk stock sourced by Fretz. Lighter-colored handles are occasionally produced from recycled Asian Padauk. The finish quality and balance remain consistent across all handle colors.

The raising technique described by Bill Fretz involves angling metal off the stake to create an air gap, allowing compression without stretching. The HMR-3 Narrow Raising Hammer is suited to this work and can also planish subtle concave shapes. Project size should guide hammer selection — smaller, lighter work suits smaller hammers; larger work calls for larger heads.

California Prop 65 Warning:
Cancer and Reproductive Harm. www.P65warnings.ca.gov.