Cast iron?

[Antipodes]

Picking the brains of the forum about this hammer head. It looks like a club or lump hammer. I've added the handle. I bought it to use as a smaller mallet for bee fence work, cleaning off bricks etc. It weighs about 3lbs with the handle. It was sold as an "antique cast iron hammer head". The last cast iron hammer head I used broke and it seems an unusual metal for a hammer. There is some deformation at the ends. Thoughts please?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

the difference between iron and steel is simply steel is iron, processed with the addition of a pinch (less than 5%) of carbon to give it strength, of course you also have 'wrought' iron simply 'processed' by forging, the hammering dispersing some impurities and crushing any voids to give it more tensile strength. I doubt you'd get any hammer head that is bog standard 'cast' iron unless it is of some great (probably older than 'modern' Australia) age, so wrought/forged iron maybe but not cast.
what I can see on your hammer head is deep rust pitting, the deformation/mushrooming on the ends means it has had a hard working life and used to work stone or metal and also suggests again that it is steel rather than iron

 

[enrico]

Looks like it has had the last 100 years underground

 

[Murox]

My father was a blacksmith and it seems very reminiscent of a knackered wedge hammer to me.

 

[Antipodes]

the difference between iron and steel is simply steel is iron, processed with the addition of a pinch (less than 5%) of carbon to give it strength, of course you also have 'wrought' iron simply 'processed' by forging, the hammering dispersing some impurities and crushing any voids to give it more tensile strength. I doubt you'd get any hammer head that is bog standard 'cast' iron unless it is of some great (probably older than 'modern' Australia) age, so wrought/forged iron maybe but not cast.
what I can see on your hammer head is deep rust pitting, the deformation/mushrooming on the ends means it has had a hard working life and used to work stone or metal and also suggests again that it is steel rather than iron

Thanks for that excellent explanation. Talking to a couple of blokes here since posting, that is in line with their thoughts too.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

My father was a blacksmith and it seems very reminiscent of a knackered wedge hammer to me.
View attachment 38925

they used to use similar wedge hammers underground but with a larger head, like a small sledgehammer, but the one in the OP looks more like a bog standard roadman's hammer

 

[Antipodes]

Looks like it has had the last 100 years underground

Agreed!
It certainly has an aged "patina".

 

[pargyle]

Picking the brains of the forum about this hammer head. It looks like a club or lump hammer. I've added the handle. I bought it to use as a smaller mallet for bee fence work, cleaning off bricks etc. It weighs about 3lbs with the handle. It was sold as an "antique cast iron hammer head". The last cast iron hammer head I used broke and it seems an unusual metal for a hammer. There is some deformation at the ends. Thoughts please?

It's well used but if all you need it for is hammering stakes into the ground it will do the job - let's face it - you are not going to see any further deterioration ! If the mushrooming has created a rolled over lip at all it is really good practice to file those off as they can splinter off. A steel splinter in the eye is not something you want. Indeed, chisels, hammers - anything that has had metal to metal contact and the face has been mushroomed needs dressing.

https://permies.com/wiki/134110/pep-metalworking/Dress-mushroomed-chisel-splitting-wedge