$200+ for a hammer? Why?

[Kev Godwin]

I have seen ads for these Stiletto hammers at really high prices. Why are the prices so high? Why would someone buy one? What can these hammers do that my regular hammers can't do?

Can anyone here chime in if you have or know of someone that has one?

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200357785_200357785

[Joe Bradshaw]

Kev, I have three of them. One with a wooden handle, one with the welded aluminum handle and one like the ad you showed. I really like them. The light weight really reduces the stress on your elbow if you use it all day. But, just for ocassional use I do not feel that they are worth it, except for bragging rights.

[John Mark Lane]

I just figured they were for federal government contracts.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

I can't see anywhere to plug in the air hose.
fmr

[Stew Hagerty]

I just figured they were for federal government contracts.

You should see the platinum toilet seats...

[Jim Terrill]

If I had to hand frame, I'd buy one in an instant. They swing beautifully, have huge heads for their low weight, don't get dinged up with use, the magnetic nail holder is well-designed, they are well worth their price for someone who will really use it. I used someone else's 16oz for a little bit and it put my 24oz steel hammer to shame. I can't really say how it works better, the physics would dictate that the heavier head should drive a nail better, but without a doubt, the stiletto drives a nail faster and more accurately, and with far less fatigue or excess weight, both on the arm and the toolbelt. If I was still framing, I'd have one.

[Jason Roehl]

Titanium is not cheap, nor is it easy to machine--and there's significantly more machining on that hammer versus a drop-forged steel hammer.

[Karl Brogger]

The light weight really reduces the stress on your elbow if you use it all day.

Bingo! I gotta save up elbow injuries for sailing.:D

There's plenty of times where dragging a airhose around just isn't worth the effort. Like crawling around in trusses and nailing in braces, or rat runs, or even purlins. Too much hassle.

[Mark Grotenhuis]

I have 2 .. the mini and the TBII. I love both. I do use the mini more often than the TBII though. My elbow would hurt from swinging my estwing all day ... and I play softball which also strains my elbow. I bought the Stilletto and my pain is gone. I think I will buy the pry bar next to lighten my tool belt even more.

[Randy Klein]

I just figured they were for federal government contracts.

Nah, we don't buy anything that cheap.

[Caspar Hauser]

I use one every day, I wish I'd had one years ago, maybe my elbow wouldn't be shot full of cortisone..

[David Helm]

When I first started building, nobody had air nailers. In those days, with a 24 ounce wood handled framer, the process was tap bang. One stroke to sink the 16d framing nails. When guns first became popular, most of us with hammer skills (yes it does take skill to swing a hammer) could frame as fast as people with guns. I've never used one of those new-fangled tatanium hammers, but with wood handles I never had elbow problems.

[Kevin Gregoire]

yup, the title of the hammer is where the cost comes from - Titanium

why do you think high end golf clubs are so spendy? and the Titanium heads are
hollow, can you imagine how much a driver would cost if the head was solid? LOL

[Scott T Smith]

I've used one for 8 years (with the wooden handle). Before purchasing it, my elbow would hurt quite a bit from construction projects on the farm (nights and weekends). After purchasing the titanium hammer, no more elbow problems.

There is not a whole lot that is machined on them; they are investment cast by Ruger for Stiletto. Still, titanium is very difficult to machine (and very expensive).

[Joe Hennessey]

I have one, not the one you linked to, just a wood handle.
It's one of those "If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand" kinda things.
But if you're using it regularly it's worth the $. Old fart elbow likes it.
Joe H

[Tom Rick]

"Delivers the power of a 28-oz. steel hammer while greatly reducing recoil shock vibration"

Somehow I doubt it....

"Up to 97% of swing energy goes to the nail, compared to 70% with a conventional hammer"

So a 15oz hammer gives the same whack as a 28oz?

Using their numbers the thing is 28% more efficient and yet weighs 46% less...... does not add up to me.

I am a lightweight & depend on a fast swing of a 22oz framer.

f=ma

I don't see a 15 oz framer doing the job. This hammer may well be kinder to your elbow but it is doing less work per swing.

[Jason Roehl]

E(k) = 0.5 * mv^2

(That's kinetic energy equals one-half mass times velocity squared, for those who don't know or have forgotten).

A lighter hammer allows for a faster swing, which delivers more energy. For the same momentum (mass * velocity), a swing with a higher speed will deliver more energy than one with a heavier mass (hammer). That's why baseball players cork their bats--to make them lighter so they can swing them faster.

The shape/design of the hammer, and the material, are what reduce vibration. Vibration is wasted energy. So their claims are at least plausible, but I don't have a lab at my disposal to test their claims.

I know a builder in his 50s who STILL uses a 13 oz (no typo, that's thirteen) wood-handle hammer to frame houses (big ones, too...). He says, "works just fine if you have big enough arms".

[Karl Brogger]

There's other factors to, like length, that add to the speed at which the head is moving. Provided you aren't choking up on it.:p

[John Pratt]

Please correct me if I am wrong:

I can understand how a 15oz hammer would swing faster (and therefore transfer more energy) than a 28 oz hammer given that both are the same length. But would not a longer hammer of equal weight as a shorter one, transfer more energy by creating a greater velocity at the head. So if that is true, a standard 22oz hammer would have less driving froce than a 22oz Titanium hammer with a longer handle.

I definitely understand the claims of less vibration as titanium flexs more and reduces vibration, yet still returns to its original shape. At least thats how it works with Titanium bicycles which greatly reduce vibration over steel or aluminum.

Now I got to have one. For those that wondered if it must be a government contract. I run a carpentry /woodworking shop for the Military so I guess now that is True.

[Tom Rick]

Please correct me if I am wrong:

I can understand how a 15oz hammer would swing faster (and therefore transfer more energy) than a 28 oz hammer given that both are the same length. But would not a longer hammer of equal weight as a shorter one, transfer more energy by creating a greater velocity at the head. So if that is true, a standard 22oz hammer would have less driving froce than a 22oz Titanium hammer with a longer handle.



Having tried to frame with 16 oz trim hammers, I would say there is a definite limit to what increased velocity will do for driving nails. There is not sufficient mass in trim hammers to effectively drive 16d cc framing nails in my experience. I frame with a relatively light framer at 22oz and find there is both sufficient mass and a quicker swing that works for me. My framer is of equal length to the titanium ones. I cannot swing a 26, 28 oz hammer fast enough with my spindly arms. The things feel like sledges to me..

[Ben Franz]

I haven't tried one of these uber-hammers - my manual framing days are pretty much a thing of the past. The reduced arm/elbow stress would tempt me if I were still hand nailing frequently. Biggest problem I see is having to carry your bags everywhere all day to keep your hammer from mysteriously walking away from the job site.

[Jason Roehl]

Please correct me if I am wrong:

I can understand how a 15oz hammer would swing faster (and therefore transfer more energy) than a 28 oz hammer given that both are the same length. But would not a longer hammer of equal weight as a shorter one, transfer more energy by creating a greater velocity at the head. So if that is true, a standard 22oz hammer would have less driving froce than a 22oz Titanium hammer with a longer handle.

I definitely understand the claims of less vibration as titanium flexs more and reduces vibration, yet still returns to its original shape. At least thats how it works with Titanium bicycles which greatly reduce vibration over steel or aluminum.

Now I got to have one. For those that wondered if it must be a government contract. I run a carpentry /woodworking shop for the Military so I guess now that is True.

A longer hammer will resist being swung faster. Try swinging a 32 oz baseball bat versus 32 oz of PVC pipe (should be fairly long). You won't be able to get the same tip speed within the same stroke length (angle of swing, that is).

[Tony Zaffuto]

Find yourself an old wood handled Stanley 100 rip hammer. Mine is a 16 oz. I bought 25 years ago, re-handled once. I was a mud carpenter (lots of concrete forming, year round) and the winters were very hard on the elbow. Being that I did a lot of forming in trenches, space was at a premium and a 20 oz. and larger hammer were simply too long to work with in forms.

A good wood handled hammer helps prevent injury to your elbows.

[Ramsey Ramco]

Bingo! I gotta save up elbow injuries for sailing.:D

There's plenty of times where dragging a airhose around just isn't worth the effort. Like crawling around in trusses and nailing in braces, or rat runs, or even purlins. Too much hassle.

Now, I Love my Stiletto's I have a Oz trimmer, a Oz remodeler smooth face and a Oz framer milled face, I wouldn't trade them in for the world, and on any of my employees three year anniversary I get them one too, 5 year they get an occidental tool belt, only one has made it that far:cool: but on another note I just use my pasload while I'm dancing around in the trusses:D