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Devil of a Whipping (a hammer is what?)

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Just Started Devil of a Whipping and in

I:Tactics page II it says

"When the flint struck a piece of metal called the hammer, sparks dropped into the pan"

Was the frizzen called a "hammer" at that time or was this a typo?

I'm like 80% it was a typo, but I know enough to know I don't know all that much, so I thought I'd ask here.
 
Sean Gadhar said:
Was the frizzen called a "hammer" at that time or was this a typo?
Yes, the frizzen to us was the hammer to them, apparently until early 19th century. Cock and hammer, instead of hammer and frizzen. Frizzen was also called the steel.

The Earl of Orrery, in 1677, comparing matchlocks to flintlocks:

"Whereas in the firelock, the motion is so sudden, that what makes the cock fall on the hammer, strikes the fire, and opens the pan at once."

Duane, "A Handbook For Infantry", 1813:

"OPEN PAN....Three motions...
.....3. The hammer is thrown open with the thumb of the right hand."

Spence
 
We still use the term as they did, of course...hammer-stall for the leather safety cover for the frizzen.

Cuthbertson, Bennett, Esq. A System for the Complete Interior Management and Oeconomy of a Battalion of Infantry, The Second Edition. London: J. Millan, 1779.

"On Service, leather Hammer-stalls are undoubtedly an advantage to a Battalion, when loaded, and resting on their Arms, as accidents may be prevented, by having them then fixed upon the hammers of the Firelocks;"

Spence
 
What today many call a "frizzen" was properly called a "hammer" in the flint period. I think that some names changed when percussion became prevalent - the "cock" on a flint bears some resemblance to a rooster head, holding a flint in it's beak but when percussion became the norm, the same part looked and performed more like a hammer & there was no " hammer" or "steel" to strike with a flint so perhaps that resulted in the renaming of the parts. :idunno:
 
Then peoples norms of speech changed. A shambles is a meat market, a mess is a small group of men,a ****** a burning stick. Even the ”˜N’ word just means the color black. Cock took on a naughty connotation so it fell from use. Male chickens became rosters. The cock became the hammer. However we still say cock your gun when most guns today don’t have a hammer/cock.
I always get a chuckle when I see bowman in a qusi historic movie and the officer yells fire before they loose.

Ha when I posted the auto censor on the forum censored out the now offensive name of a burning stick. Hope there are no Brits writing about matches on the forum :haha
 
The history and use of both terms, hammer and frizzen, are confusing, because instances of both terms go well back in time. You have to keep your eyes and mind open when working on them, too, because of the changed spelling.

The GAZETTE Of The State Of South-Carolina
August 25, 1779
CHARLES-TOWN
Thirty dollars Reward

"Stolen on the 21st of August, in camp at Sheldon, a silver-mounted brass-barrel Pistol, the barrel rifled to the screw, marked C. DUPONT on the but, under the lock Wilison, on the upper part of the barrel LONDON, the lock hidden in the stock, except the cock, pan, frison and spring."

“The last battle of the soul in death” by Mr. Zacharie Boyd, Minister of the Barony Church, Glasgow, 1629, ed. by G. Neil “Hee is euer readie to strike fire with his frezell and his flint, if wee will find him tinder.”

Spence
 
Thanks for asking the question. Also, thanks for the answers. I got to learn something today.

Michael
 
Early 18th century Military Nomenclature for what we would call the frizzen was both the "Hammer" and other times it was called the "Steel." This is documented in Dr. Dewitt Bailey's works. I believe this referred back to flints and steels used to start fires.

As Coot mentioned; what some people today incorrectly call the "hammer," during the flint period was correctly known as the "Cock." Of course that gave rise to the terms, "Half Cock/Cocked," "Full Cock/Cocked" and "Going off Half Cocked." Though this latter term is still in common usage, the general public has forgotten where it came from.

Gus
 
Steel was rare and most itams were iron. Technically very mild steals. So with the exception of knifes and fire strikers most people never handled steel. Even axes were made from iron with a small strip of steel laid in a groove on the edge. So calling the steel-frizzen- battery all makes sense.
 
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