Closeout Fretz HMR-10 Short Narrow Raising Hammer

The HMR-10 Short Narrow Raising Hammer has been officially discontinued by Fretz. We have bought the last of these hammers for closeout.Bill Fretz has decided that the HMR-10 is not necessary as it is too much like the HMR-3. The HMR-10 joins the HMR-11 in being no longer produced for the same reason-too similar to the HMR-3.

Fretz Jewelers Hammers are the original hammers made by Fretz, and still by far the most popular hammer in the growing line of Fretz hammers. Fretz Precisionsmith hammers are smaller than these Jewelers hammers, and Fretz Silversmithing hammers are larger, so for many people, Fretz Jewelers hammers are “just right”.

Fretz hammers are remarkable for two primary features:

The Handles
Made from African Padauk, a type of Rosewood, the Fretz handle has a marvelous feel, smooth and perfectly balanced. Each weight of hammer has an appropriate sized handle, the heavier the head, the heavier the handle. Handles are usually a dark brown color although some will have a lighter color as Fretz will occasionally source a lighter shaded recycled Asian Padauk. No matter what the shade is, you won’t find a better handle on any hammer made today.

The Heads
Fretz casts the hammer heads in 420 stainless steel and then hardens them to 50Rc. They are highly polished and available in a variety of shapes and profiles for every metalsmithing technique.

This is the Fretz short narrow raising hammer No. 10, with a handle length of 225mm (8-7/8") and a hammer head length of 72mm (2-7/8") The hardened stainless steel heads are polished to perfection, and the rosewood handles have a special finish that feels downright sensual. No kidding, the rosewood handles and finished so well that they just plain feel good in you hand. The balance is perfect, and the polished stainless steel surface is exceptional.

Here is what Bill Fretz has to say about Raising:

Raising is the compression of metal down to the stake without stretching it. The trick is to angle the metal off the stake so that there is an air gap for the compression.

The No. 10 Short Narrow Raising hammer is a substitute for the No. 3 Narrow Raising hammer when a smaller striking head is desired with a lighter touch.