Fretz Michael Good Hammer Set of 3

Designed by Michael Good with Bill and Jordan Fretz, this three-hammer kit is purpose-built for anticlastic raising—a forming method where the sheet’s center compresses while the edges stretch, producing two opposing curves. Each hammer is made to Good’s specifications by the Fretz hammer & stake factory in Vietnam and features a polished stainless steel head for a crisp, mark-free strike on properly prepared metal.

What’s Included

Key Features

• Polished stainless steel heads tuned for anticlastic raising
• Good’s sight-line P-1 design plus two long-reach cross-pein planishers (CP-1, CP-2)
• Made by Fretz to Michael Good’s specifications in Vietnam
• Optimized for thin sheet; delivers predictable, repeatable strikes

Specifications

Best Practices for Anticlastic Raising

• For thin sheet, pair these steel hammers with a nylon (or other plastic) sinusoidal stake for control and a clean surface; steel stakes offer faster but less controlled forming and typically require additional planishing.
• Select a hammer whose arc is slightly tighter than the stake’s corresponding curve for efficient forming.
• Strike at right angles to the stake and overlap blows evenly; rotate the work as needed to maintain smooth furrows and uniform curvature.
• Anneal between courses as required by the alloy; continue raising systematically toward the center until the desired axial and generator curves are achieved.

Notes

Anticlastic work is typically performed on thin non-ferrous sheet using a sinusoidal stake. Michael Good recommends nylon stakes for most thin-stock work, though these hammers also perform well on metal stakes and anvils. See the diagrams in Michael Good’s overview of anticlastic forming for tool pairing, blow direction, and progression through courses.

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