Rant: I finally switched from a standard rounding hammer to a cross peen for my clinching

I used a standard hammer for years, but after a clinic in Boise last fall, I forced myself to make the change. The cross peen gives way more control on the nail tip, and I haven't had a clinch pop loose since. Anyone else make a specific tool switch that felt like a game changer?

4 comments

4 Comments

harris.dakota1mo ago

Read an article a while back about farriers who switched to a cross peen for road nails. They said the same thing, that the narrow face lets you really push the tip over without hitting the shoe. Makes total sense for clinching too.

john_lopez1mo ago

Yeah that narrow face thing is key. I've seen guys mess up a clinch because their hammer was too wide and bounced off the shoe. With a cross peen you can get right in there and fold the nail tip flat against the hoof wall. It gives you way more control, especially on a horse that's moving around. Makes the whole job cleaner and faster.

the_hayden20d ago

Ever try using a cross peen on roofing nails?

karen_hill31mo ago

My first time trying a cross peen, I almost took out a window.