Looking for a Hammer

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Randy Stoltz

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Dec 20, 2022, 8:30:19 PM12/20/22
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Hello All,

I was contacted by someone who is looking for a George Basinger.masons hammer or someone who could make one for her.  Any suggestions?

If you are not familiar with George Basinger you can read about him here in the 2014 4th Quarter Hot Iron Sparkle.

Randy Stoltz

Chris Bradley

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Dec 21, 2022, 12:56:24 PM12/21/22
to Randy Stoltz, NCABANA Google Group
I'm curious, what was his niche on the mason's hammer? I read the article and it mentions the hammers. What set his hammers apart from all the others?

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Randy Stoltz

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Dec 22, 2022, 2:29:41 PM12/22/22
to Chris Bradley, NCABANA Google Group
I'm not sure what was special or different about his masons hammers.  Several articles mention it but I have not found an image of one or even a description.

Randy

Chris Bradley

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Dec 22, 2022, 2:33:29 PM12/22/22
to Randy Stoltz, NCABANA Google Group
Ok, thanks for checking.
From: Randy Stoltz <rhst...@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2022 2:29:28 PM
To: Chris Bradley <hillho...@outlook.com>
Cc: NCABANA Google Group <nc-a...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [NC ABANA] Looking for a Hammer
 

Dick Snow

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Dec 23, 2022, 3:23:03 PM12/23/22
to Chris Bradley, Randy Stoltz, NCABANA Google Group

Hey Chris,

We have had both NCABANA and Mid West Tool Collector’s meetings at George Basinger’s shop in the past. It was located next to his house, right off I85 in Salisbury. I believe it was at the Julian road exit. At one of those meetings, George and/or Mark Wein demonstrated making and hardening those hammers. At another meeting there, Jimmy Freeze demonstrated making hinges. George’s hammers were preferred by the brick masons who purchased them, I think due to their toughness. After George retired, Mark Wein in East Bend (near Winston-Salem) obtained the rights to continue making them and did so for a few more years. Mark eventually got out of the blacksmithing business and the contents of his shop went up for auction.

 

I don’t know how widespread the hammers were sold, but I saw them for sale at Adams Products (concrete/hardware store) on LaSalle Street in Durham years ago.

 

Just for additional trivia information, the Treadle Hammer we have at the State Fair shop was produced in Mark Wein’s shop. We had workshops across three weekends there and about 11 hammers were produced in each one. The number on the one at the fairgrounds has been painted over so I don’t remember which weekend it was produced.

 

Dick Snow

Chris Bradley

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Dec 23, 2022, 3:28:12 PM12/23/22
to Dick Snow, Randy Stoltz, NCABANA Google Group
Thanks for the information. It's interesting how tight knit the blacksmithing was around the state back then!
From: Dick Snow <di...@ironglassforge.com>
Sent: Friday, December 23, 2022 3:22:54 PM
To: 'Chris Bradley' <hillho...@outlook.com>; 'Randy Stoltz' <rhst...@gmail.com>

Cc: 'NCABANA Google Group' <nc-a...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: RE: [NC ABANA] Looking for a Hammer
 
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