Peter Fels

Peter Fels' hand forged "Pry-babies" and "Wine Wurms" are hammered in a complex process.  Each one-of-a-kind piece is spontaneously designed and individually wrought from red hot steel in a shop resplendent with hand made tools.  Using techniques that go back to the middle ages, Peter first rough shapes a "Pry Baby" from yellow-hot steel bar stock with hammer and anvil.  Next he moves to the "Oliver" (a foot powered hammer contraption he built from an old wagon axle, truck springs and sandwiches of one inch steel plate). Here he selects the chasing stamps to be driven into the red hot steel "Pry-Baby" with blows from the towering 90 pound "Oliver" hammer.  The eye alone may involve three separate dies and punches.  Because the steel can only be worked at a red heat, it must be reheated for each stamp.  When the design is complete, it is back to the anvil for final shaping and finishing touches.  Lastly, the surface finish and the critical test - opening an actual bottle of beer.

Pry Baby 1 (7") $350.00			Pry Baby 2 (6") $250.00
Pry Baby F1 $195.00			Pry Baby F2 $195.00 SOLD
Pry Baby F3 $195.00			Pry Baby F4 $195.00
Wine Wurm Blue $125.00		Wine Wurm 1 $95.00	Wine Wurm 2 $95.00
Wine Wurm Face $395.00		Pry Baby Wine Wurm 1 $395.00	Pry Baby Wine Wurm 2 $295.00