I smacked on the ball end of a hammer I like to make a diagonal pean. It was annealed and I have ground the striking surfaces to 220grit. I am going to harden it but what is recommended for tempering?

Gables,
      I have a question.
Is the hammer head made in US?

Lin

You need to know the steel type to figure out how to harden it.  Temps, soak time, quenching media etc,,, all vary by steel type and quality.

True. It's a shot in the dark most of the time, but you can get a little closer if it's US made. My main hammer is a 32 oz Craftsman ball pien that I reshaped, but I got too soft and have to dress the face often. I was assuming it to be S7 steel and to be air hardening steel. It may be, but I did something a little bit wrong anyway. What ever you do gables, wear eye protection while working these hammers. Lin

Thanks for the input. I'll have to look at where it was made. I guess I could always pull the handle back off and re-harden, temper if it is too soft.