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“Ooooh Ye Razzer” is a collection of seven hammers I have made in tribute to my grandad. These hammers are a vehicle for biographical commentary for a man I perceive as a crafting legend. Six represent different aspects of craft that he developed over his lifetime. The seventh hammer is a gift I have made for him if he was still physically here today.
The name for this series comes from my grandad’s catchphrase “Ooooh Ye Razzer” which he would exclaim to describe something being exceptional. This term was universal and would be used in many ways to great effect. “Ooooh Ye Razzer” is a collection of seven hammers I have made in tribute to my grandad, Joseph Ernest Simmons. These hammers are a vehicle for biographical commentary of who I will always perceive as a crafting legend. Six of the hammers are representative of different aspects of Joe’s craft that he developed over his lifetime. The seventh hammer is a gift I would have made for him if he was still physically here today.
The research involved in creating this series has taken me through family history as well as the history of tools themselves. From this I created my own pattern that draws from the design and shape of the various tools my grandad would have used in the crafts he was proficient. In chronological order of events the hammers on display are: Pin Maul, Ball Pein, Cross Pein, Heavy Ball Pein, Claw Hammer and Boilermakers Riveting Hammer. Each of these story telling elements are highlighted by humorous references to my grandad’s comedic tendencies but also to shed light on the position they represent in his timeline. Each of the six narrative hammers are fitted with different wooden handles. This links to where my grandads story began, the six narrow boats that were operating in his youth were named after indigenous trees. Cedar, Cypress, Oak, Pine, Sycamore and Willow.
