cold-hammer

A blacksmith cold-hammers a piece of metal on an anvil.

Definition

1. Verb (transitive):
   • To forge or shape metal without heating it: "cold-hammer" refers to the process of hammering or working metal at room temperature (or low temperatures) to shape, harden, or strengthen it, as opposed to hot forging where the metal is heated.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • The blacksmith will cold-hammer the steel to increase its hardness. (The artisan shapes the metal without applying heat.)
  • Artisans often cold-hammer copper to create decorative items. (They hammer the copper at ambient temperature for aesthetic or structural purposes.)

Advanced Usage

• "to cold-hammer a blade": to shape a knife or sword blade by hammering it cold, which can produce a harder edge but may make the metal more brittle.

  • The swordsmith cold-hammered the blade to achieve a razor-sharp finish. (He shaped the blade without heating it.)

• "cold-hammered finish": a surface texture produced by cold-hammering, often used in metalworking for decoration or to create a non-slip surface.

  • The vase had a cold-hammered finish that gave it a rustic appearance. (The surface was textured by hammering the cold metal.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cold hammering (noun): the act or process of hammering metal without heat.

  • Cold hammering is a common technique in silversmithing. (The process of shaping metal at room temperature.)

• Cold-hammered (adjective): describes metal that has been shaped by cold hammering.

  • The cold-hammered copper sheet was used for roofing. (The metal was worked without heat.)

Synonyms

• Cold-forge: to shape metal by hammering or pressing at low temperatures.
• Work-harden: to increase the hardness of a metal through mechanical deformation, such as hammering.

Related Idioms