A farrier at the Horse Expo told me my hammer grip was killing my wrist, and 3 weeks later the pain is gone

Elliot Scott · 2026-09-18T08:35:03.949895+00:00

I've been smithing for about 4 years now, mostly knives and hooks, and my right wrist would ache bad after every session. Last month at the Horse Expo in Lexington a farrier watched me work a billet and said I was gripping the hammer like a hammer and not a wand, which sounds dumb but he meant I had my whole hand clamped down past the point of control. He told me to hold it mostly with my thumb and first two fingers and let the last two just ride along loose. I tried it on a rail spike knife and my strikes got straighter within one afternoon, plus I could work a full 90 minutes instead of tapping out at 40. Three weeks in and the wrist pain is basically gone, which I did not expect at all. Anyone else get a random tip from a farrier that fixed something you'd been fighting for ages?

🐿️Pinecone Attack

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A farrier at the Horse Expo told me my hammer grip was killing my wrist, and 3 weeks later the pain is gone | Blacksmiths - Pinecone Attack