Hand Stamping Metal with a Hammer & Caring for Steel Dies

Master Hand Stamping Metal: Techniques and Maintenance for Steel Dies

Our steel stamps are designed from high carbon tool steel with hardness 53-55 HRC to assure they will give long life when stamping any annealed (non-hardened) metal, wood, leather, etc.

Tools you’ll need:

• A steel block that can take some banging.
• A metal hammer with a flat face.

Use the correct hammer for stamp size and material, too light of a hammer may cause you to overswing and hurt your hand or your stamp. 

Other helpful items to have handy:

- A small piece of non-skid, rubberized shelf liner.
- Masking tape, blue painter’s tape, or post-it notes.

Step by Step Instructions

1. Put a small piece of rubberized, non-skid shelf liner under your steel block to hold your working surface completely still while you hammer. You can use masking tape to tape to the steel block of the item they’re stamping. This helps them hold the item steady while you stamp it. Line up all the metal stamps you’ll use for your project and put them in the order in which you’ll need them before you start. 

2. Practice first. Use your new stamp on a practice piece first before stamping your finished products.

3. Place the stamp face directly on the spot you wish to imprint. Pick up your hammer and, before striking your stamp verify that it’s vertical and not tilting in any direction. Check to see that the entire stamp face is in full contact with the surface of your product. Strike your stamp only once, to prevent a double image and ensure a clear and complete imprint. Even swing, a controlled, will give the best results.

4. Never strike the face of the stamp with a hammer!

5. Do not attempt to use your steel stamps for marking hardened steel. Hardened steel products cannot be stamped with steel stamps.

Preservation & Care

When you're not using your steel stamps, to prevent rusting, we recommend that you store your stamps in a dry, airtight container.

То protects your steel stamps from rusting by oiling them before storing.

If you live in a humid climate and find that your steel stamps have some rust on them, you can use a dry scouring pad (a dishwashing pad) to remove the rust.

A Steel Sandpaper sheet can also be used. 

When you're done removing the rust off the shaft of your stamp, wipe it off with a dry paper towel or a clean cloth and oil them promptly thereafter.