Lets talk about hammers

[Andrew Gibson]

Over the last few months I have realised that I really do not have many hammers, in fact the only 2 that I have that are actually mine are a small cross peen hammer, and a rubber mallet. The third is actually my dads and is something in the neighborhood of a 16oz or so ball peen hammer. There are a few claw hammers floating around but I would have to go hunt for one.

So my question is what is your favorite and or most used hammer? ball peen, claw, cross peen, sledge... do you like old or new?

Mostly I use the cross peen, it is a good size for driving tacks and small nails. I have ofter thought I should start picking up hammers when I see them at yard sales and flea markets for a buck or 2, now I just have to start going to yard sales and flea markets more often.

[george wilson]

Curiously enough,I find the Task Force chinese made claw hammer I got from Lowes to be harder on the striking face,and less likely to get all beat up than my real old Stanley hammers. Maybe I am completely full of it.

[Paul Incognito]

At work, a 20 oz Estwing straight claw.
In the shop, an old Craftsman 16 oz straight claw with a wood handle.
Till a couple of weeks ago, when I got a couple of hammers as part of a box lot of tools, they were all I had.
PI

[Mark Baldwin III]

I have a claw, a borrowed ball peen (from dad), a tack, and a plastic faced hammer. I got bored and made a little hammer at work last week on my lunch break. Copper head, stainless handle, and shrink tube. Scrap bins yield some nice stuff;). I am thinking I might glue something soft to one of the faces for smacking my wooden planes. Otherwise I have no use for it. I made it for the sake of making it.

[Tom Millington]

My favorite hammer is a 10 pound sledge with fiberglass handle. I love breaking and smashing things. Don't get much opportunity though!

[Charlie Stone]

I have 2 16 oz eastwing claws, a 20 oz claw, a 8 oz ballp. and a beech carpenters mallet in my shop. I also have some rubber mallets, a sledge or 2, a brick hammer, a couple drywall hammers and a roofing hatchet or 2.

In my shop I typically turn to my beech mallet for all things wood that need to be smacked, including chisel handles and some chisel handles that shouldn't be smacked. For most other things that need persuasion in my shop, I usually use the little tiny 8 oz.

[James Taglienti]

estwing rip claw hammers.

not the leather handled one though, the butt of it has a steel plate that mars customers floors when it's in my nailbag and i kneel down :(

[Robert Culver]

working on the house a 20 oz eastwing rip. working in the shop i have a number a light steel hammers with wooden handles by craftsman but dont use them much anymore since I got a 20 oz wood is good mallet its my go to thing for smacking things togather now im considering a lighter one now i really like them.

[Deane Allinson]

I have a smaller Warrington style hammer (I haven't found a nice French or London pattern) in my tool cabinet and an orange handled no name claw hammer in a kitchen drawer. I don't nail much. Old-timers (anybody older than me) say Cheney or early Maydole are best.
Deane

[Charlie Stone]

I am actually considering a second wood mallet and wrapping the head in leather to cut down on the potential for marring surfaces. I am too lazy to set a piece of scrap against the wood sometimes.

[Sean Hughto]

Just like planes, different hammers for different tasks. I have at least six or seven in different sizes, head shapes, materials. Vintage ones are cheap and easy to rehandle. I particularly like my medium weight bluegrass/belknap for cut nail work.

[lowell holmes]

Bluegrass are my favorites. I have a 16 oz. and an 11 oz. The wooden handles suit me as well as the balance. I have two Bluegrass chisels I like as well. I doubt if many of you know about Bluegrass.

[george wilson]

Back in the 50's(maybe earlier),and 60's,Bluegrass was a common tool supplier to hardware stores,certainly in the South. Used to see them all the time.

Actually,I have quite a few hammers,though I do not consider myself a hammer person(blacksmith).

For striking name stamps without getting a double bounce effect,which is very annoying and a PITA to get rid of and re do,I use a dead blow 20 oz. hammer with steel faces. They aren't cheap! But,good for that job. It takes a fair amount of force to stamp a whole name into a tool steel surface.

I use a black plastic dead blow around the milling machine,and sometimes for moving large wooden joints. The Stanleys aren't too good: I had one turn white and crumble to pieces,so now I just use Asian ones. They haven't done that yet.

I tend to use small hammers a lot for small metal work and made several. My wife commandeered several for her jewelry making. I should take some BETTER pictures than I did last year and post them.

Several hammers at the anvil: 3# hand hammer,sledge,the usual ball peins(correctly pronounced PANE). Rivet hammers. Harry Strasil has made a bunch of nice hammers with angled peins.

[Roy Lindberry]

Over the last few months I have realised that I really do not have many hammers, in fact the only 2 that I have that are actually mine are a small cross peen hammer, and a rubber mallet. The third is actually my dads and is something in the neighborhood of a 16oz or so ball peen hammer. There are a few claw hammers floating around but I would have to go hunt for one.

So my question is what is your favorite and or most used hammer? ball peen, claw, cross peen, sledge... do you like old or new?

Mostly I use the cross peen, it is a good size for driving tacks and small nails. I have ofter thought I should start picking up hammers when I see them at yard sales and flea markets for a buck or 2, now I just have to start going to yard sales and flea markets more often.

Being a residential framer by trade, I spend the day swinging a 23 oz Dalluge, waffle head, hatchet handle with the magnetic nail set. I've had it for years, and it is the best framing hammer I've ever owned, bar none (and I've tried a lot).

In the shop, my shop made mallet (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=1539021#post1539021) seems to be getting a lot of use.

[Jim Koepke]

So my question is what is your favorite and or most used hammer? ball peen, claw, cross peen, sledge... do you like old or new?

For driving nails, it is either a framing hammer or a small (3 oz.?) claw hammer depending on the size of the nail(s).

I have a couple of small ball peen hammers that get used a lot for metal work.

My sledges get used for driving wedges or fence stakes.

For tapping chisels an inherited hunk of oak 2X4 works quite nice. One end has been cut down and has finger holds carved in the surface. For heavier blows on a mortice chisel there is a larger mallet.

Forgot to mention the small wooden hammer used for adjusting plane blades. Myrtle handle with a lignum vitae head. The head is about an inch in diameter and it works fine for blade adjusting.

For driving my froe and tapping in hold fasts, pieces of fire wood are put in the lathe and given a handle. Then if it breaks, it can go back to its original purpose.

I read somewhere that a good framing hammer has a 16" span from handle top to bottom for setting studs. Mine seems to have that. Anyone know if this is correct or is it just coincidence?

jtk

[Roy Griggs]

Old Plumb's, 12oz, 14oz, 16oz for claw hammers, I like the way they feel.
Even when I roofed for a living I used a Plumb roofing axe.

I guess it's what you learn with, I've used Eastwings to roof and frame but always prefered the feel of the Plumb.

and a "few" others...

[Charlie Stone]

I read somewhere that a good framing hammer has a 16" span from handle top to bottom for setting studs. Mine seems to have that. Anyone know if this is correct or is it just coincidence?

jtk

Jim, back when I actually did framing, I heard the same thing. However, I doubt I needed anything to tell me how far 16 inches was after a couple days of it. That was close to 20 years ago, and to this day, my eye is more accurate than most peoples, measurements.

[Jeff Bartley]

I had to look up Dalluge, I'd never heard of them, and saw on their website that they're 'C/O Vaughn and Bushnell MFG.'. I guess they must be the US made version of the (much loved by me) Vaughn.
I don't know about the Titanium ones but the wooden handled hammers sure look nice!
I started out with a steel, blue-handled, 16oz. Estwing with a smooth face and over the years added a few more. On the job the only two hammers I use are the Estwing (for finish work) and a 22oz. Vaughn California Framer. I love them both.
A couple years ago I got a wild hair and bought one of the 'weight forward' Estwings with the square face, plastic-like handle, very futuristic looking. I could use it effectively but I never could get used to the square face. If it was good for anything it was a heck of a conversation piece on the job site. Usually went something like this: 'What the heck is THAT hanging off your belt??' Yeah, I got heavily ribbed for it!
A very seasoned carpenter recently told me of his hammer fetish (he had just about every type I've ever seen) and said the best ones he's used are the Japanese framing style with the long face and short claw.
Anyone here use one of those?
Jeff

[Dave Anderson NH]

1 2.5lb sledge short handled
1 Masons Hammer
1 Normal sized claw Hammer
1 24oz long handled framing hammer waffle faced
1 16 oz Hart Framing hammer
1 4oz Warrington
1 10 oz Warrington
1 Ball peen
1 Machinists hammer
1 Craftsman plastic and rubber faced hammer
1 Rubber headed hammer
1 Black shot filled dead blow
2 Chester Toolworks plane adjusting hammer
I know there are more, but I'm at work now and that's all I can remember.

[Roy Lindberry]

I had to look up Dalluge, I'd never heard of them, and saw on their website that they're 'C/O Vaughn and Bushnell MFG.'. I guess they must be the US made version of the (much loved by me) Vaughn.
I don't know about the Titanium ones but the wooden handled hammers sure look nice!
I started out with a steel, blue-handled, 16oz. Estwing with a smooth face and over the years added a few more. On the job the only two hammers I use are the Estwing (for finish work) and a 22oz. Vaughn California Framer. I love them both.
A couple years ago I got a wild hair and bought one of the 'weight forward' Estwings with the square face, plastic-like handle, very futuristic looking. I could use it effectively but I never could get used to the square face. If it was good for anything it was a heck of a conversation piece on the job site. Usually went something like this: 'What the heck is THAT hanging off your belt??' Yeah, I got heavily ribbed for it!
A very seasoned carpenter recently told me of his hammer fetish (he had just about every type I've ever seen) and said the best ones he's used are the Japanese framing style with the long face and short claw.
Anyone here use one of those?
Jeff

I didn't realize the relationship between Dalluge and Vaughn, but interestingly, I have a "comparable" Vaughn and in my opinion, the difference is night and day. The waffle on my Vaughn will wear pretty easily after some use on a nail puller or other such tools. However, the Dalluge is still sporting a great waffle after 5 or 6 years. And I love the balance of it, though the Vaughn is next in line as my favorite.

I've never tried a Japanese framing hammer at all. I did buy a FatMax one time, but it would ring every time I hit a nail and it got annoying.

[harry strasil]

I have most weights of Estwing claw hammers, both straight and curved claw, a vaughn 10 oz and #00 warington as well as 4 or 5 weights of mallets and clubs.

But for my former occupation, Hammers were a way of life, the picture below represents the rack beside my anvil with the most used ones, and most of my favorites were made my ME to suit ME. Over half of those shown are not hammers at all, but auxilary anvil tools that are held by the smith while being struck by an apprentice striker.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/smithing/shoptoolholder.jpg

And then of course there are the numerous punches, chisels and drifts necesarry to the smith trade. A few shown below.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/smithing/punchesandchiselrack.jpg

[harry strasil]

And then there is my favorite lil Depew Power Helve Hammer with its 6 lb head that moves hot metal like you wouldn't believe. This video doesn't show it in fast action of about 250 blows a minute tho.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/th_depewaction.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/?action=view&current=depewaction.mp4)

[george wilson]

I knew you would win the hammer thread,Harry!!:) My friend Jon has a power hammer. I wish I had one,but sparks flying all over my nicely finished shop wouldn't be too good. They went from a cracked Little Giant to a pneumatic hammer in the maintenance blacksmith shop in Williamsburg. Might be the wave of the future. Easier to make than the older types,and not as heavy.

[harry strasil]

Its not a matter of winning or losing, George, but the differences in tools needed for different trades. You would win the punch and chisel part with all the tools needed for carving art work in metal.

[george wilson]

Just joking,Harry.:) But my punches and chisels just do insignificant little teeny stuff. If I had to repair a bridge,out of luck.

[steven c newman]

I do have a few. A couple of wood handled framers, 24 oz. A couple of 16 oz curved claw hammers. One with a fiberglass handle for "rough" work, the othe has a nice, comfy wood handle. There IS an estwing around somewhere, 20 oz, but I just can't hold onto their skinny handles. After a couple of good swings, it is usually "HEADS UP", cause the hammer will fly.

A small "tack" hammer just sits around collecting dust. An old "riveting" hammer, with a cross pein and a square face, is my "go-to" hammer in the wood shop. About five Ball piens, from a 10 oz "Buckeye" up to a 32 oz "Vaughn" , all wood handled.

At my "day job" I use a large brass hammer, with a rubber coated fiberglass handle, about 3 pounds. Since i work on plastic injection molds, I have to use brass. There is also a small 12 oz ball pien in the tool box.

A 10 pound sledge is around the shop. I call it "Buster". If you miss with this big boy, you'll understand the name.:eek: A smaller 3 pounder is also around. Made by Klein, it has a long, fiberglass handle.

A large rubber mallet. Right now it needs a new handle. Well, that's about it.

[ray hampton]

Harry , I counted six tools with a off-set heads [45 degrees ] are they hit to form grooves in metal

[Tony Shea]

I'm surprised I never saw it but for carpentry, which by the way is not my day job, I just love my Stiletto's. I actually carry a smaller one around for my day job as an electrician. IMO, you just can't beat the comfort of these hammers. I never would have believed such a light weight titanium faced hammer could drive nails and such that much better than a steel head. I just can't reccomend these hammers highly enough, especially those of you who do pound nails for a living. There goes tennis elbow.

[Russell Sansom]

The prince of hammers in my shop. A spirited inspiration during my harpsichord making days when I was planing / chiseling thin things. It occurred to me that I wanted a very low inertia hammer so it would take many sharp tap-taps to adjust a dog to be just below the thin piece I was working on. A high-inertia hammer takes a delicate, carefully-metered tap. This light, all-hickory guy uses gross motor control instead.
It has served its purpose well and is as wonderful to hold as it is pretty to look at. I don't know how you all adjust your dogs, but I highly recommend this.
Besides, when a visitor comes to the shop you can hold it up to them and say, "guess what this is called?" Yes: a Dog Hammer.

[harry strasil]

Harry , I counted six tools with a off-set heads [45 degrees ] are they hit to form grooves in metal

No Ray, the hammers are different weights and are called right and left quarter peens, some call them, twisted face, and several other names. The are used for drawing out hot metal, so that your hand is not directly over the hot piece. What it amounts to is a more friendly position to use the hammer from. 1.5#, 2#, 2.5#, 3# and 3.5#.

[Roy Lindberry]

I'm surprised I never saw it but for carpentry, which by the way is not my day job, I just love my Stiletto's. I actually carry a smaller one around for my day job as an electrician. IMO, you just can't beat the comfort of these hammers. I never would have believed such a light weight titanium faced hammer could drive nails and such that much better than a steel head. I just can't reccomend these hammers highly enough, especially those of you who do pound nails for a living. There goes tennis elbow.

It's interesting to read your review, because about 5 years ago or so, I bought a Stiletto for the very reasons you prescribe. However, my opinion is that the reality just didn't match the hype - and that was not cool for a hammer of that price.

I found that I was bending over more nails, especially when hand nailing T-111 and that the Stiletto would tend to glance off of a nail head far more often. The only real benefits I found with the Stiletto was it's weight in my nail bags and when I had to hammer a nail in a very tight space where I couldn't get a full swing, but needed a lot of "tap tap tap taps". It wouldn't wear my arm out as much on those tasks. Other than that, I was highly unimpressed.

But I'm glad to hear that you like yours. I wonder if the difference in our trades comes into play in our experiences. Anyway, as I said earlier, I think I will forever be a Dalluge man when it comes to my framing hammers.

[John Neel]

Here are almost all my hammers. The blue handled one is very useful when I make a mistake and need to bash my head a bit. I find I can get back to work much quicker if I use that one than if I use any other hammer.

I found the bronze headed upholstery hammer at a garage sale and I found the one to the right of the bronze headed upholstery hammer at another garage sale. Let me call it the mystery hammer. It's very nice for light taps, brads, and some tight places. I think it might be an early version of an upholstery hammer, but I haven't been able to find any picture or anyone who will name it. Do any of you know what the mystery hammer is?

Thank you,

John Neel

[John Coloccia]

This is fascinating. I have a very small hammer I use for gentle jobs, a bigger hammer I use for general jobs, a big framing hammer I use when I want to smash my hand, and a few rubber or wooden mallets I use when I want to destroy something but don't want to leave marks. I really just never gave hammers much thought. I guess this is sort of when you go from using grandad's dull plane to something that's well made and finely tuned and you realize, "Oh wait, there's more to it than just tearing up a piece of wood".

I'll bet that there's a lot of folks like me that really just never thought about hammers as a tool as opposed to just being a convenient way to hit things.

[ray hampton]

the last post is funny because I 've hit almost every part of my body with hammers as one time or other but the only mark from a hammer is the scar on the left hand-web from my child hood days, I were standing on a step ladder driving a nail when the hammer came out of my hand and the claw caught on my eyeglasses frame

[Sonny Wiehe]

Bluegrass are my favorites. I have a 16 oz. and an 11 oz. The wooden handles suit me as well as the balance. I have two Bluegrass chisels I like as well. I doubt if many of you know about Bluegrass.

The old time carpenter I apprenticed under in the 70's was from Harrodsburg, KY and always used the 16 oz.'ers. I grew fond of them myself and bought one at a local hardware store (long gone) here in VA for about $12. I've use the heck out of it for finish work. I think the unique thing about them is the claw was forged to a very fine wedge that could easily pull brads. Try finding one like that today. I've looked and looked, have yet to find something comparable. Also, the balance and feel of this hammer and wood shaft was something special. Again, no other hammer IMO, comes close.
Bought a back up on e-bay years ago for about $35. I think that they are getting harder to find now for that price. I use the backup around my house while my old timer stays on jobsites. Even using the backup is a little off putting because the lacquer finish hasn't worn off yet. It just doesn't quite feel right until it does. I own Festools that cost 100's of times more than my original Bluegrass, but I'd be hard pressed to trade it for a new Kapex. Crazy, I know. Anyway, I know Bluegrass. If you can find one in decent shape, buy it.

[Allen Jordan]

I've made a few plane-adjusting hammers from brass:

328489

And recently I made a jewelers repousse/chasing hammer for my father out of O1 drill rod and osage orange:

328490

[Patrick Chase]

20 oz Estwing claw
26 oz Estwing dead-blow
350 g Gennou
5 oz Lee Valley mini-claw. I bought it for my son but I use it a lot for precision work

I'm not listing a bunch of mallets, of course :-)

EDIT - And a Lee Valley plane adjusting hammer.

[Patrick Chase]

Here are almost all my hammers. The blue handled one is very useful when I make a mistake and need to bash my head a bit. I find I can get back to work much quicker if I use that one than if I use any other hammer.

That Nerf hammer may be a collectible by now. I don't think I've seen one like that since my childhood...

[Tom M King]

Old thread, but I swing an Estwing....of course there are many more, and even a good number and varieties of Estwings. I would never remember them all.

[Frederick Skelly]

* 16 oz Craftsman claw hammer with a steel handle. Must be 40-50 years old. Found at a garage sale. Wouldn't part with it.
* 3 oz deadblow hammer made from copper pipe. It's based on a post from someone here a year or so back. I love that little tool!
* LV plane hammer
* Small cross peen hammer that I use - no matter what they say, I ALWAYS hit my fingers with it when setting brads. Phui on that thing!
* Mallets and rubber mallets of different sizes and types

[Daniel Rode]

I have more than a dozen hammers and mallets, maybe as many as 20. I gave away my framing hammers years ago but wish I would have kept one.They all get used for different purposes. Well, except the drywall hammer. It's never coming back in style :). The one style I do not have is a warrington / cross peen. For driving nails around the house or in the shop, I most often use a steel Eastwing claw hammer. I bought it as a kid and it's still with me. One can never have too many clamps or hammers :)

[michael langman]

I like this thread. When I was a beginning toolmaker, machinist, I went into a sears and was browsing the hand tools. I picked up a 12 oz. craftsman ballpein hammer and could not put it down. It felt so well balanced and perfect in my hand that I spent my last 10.00 on it.
Over the years I have acquired so many hammers as a tool maker, die maker, machinist.
2oz, 4 oz., 8 oz., 24 oz., Vaughn ballpiens, lixie 16oz. dead blow, an old 16 oz. claw type carpenters hammer that I put a nice hickory handle on, a Vaughn 20oz. framing hammer, 3lb. han held sledge , my wifes 8 oz. claw type small hammer, a harbor freight large faced rubber shot filled dead blow hammer, 2 sizes of a hard rubber rounded head hammers, 120z. and 16 oz. that work well with my wood chisels, a magnetic tack hammer, a small 6 oz. brass hammer and a hand held piece of brass 4-5" diameter by 8" long I used to dial in large pieces of round stock on a metal lathe, and a 1" diameter by 3" long piece of round brass, hand held used to level, dial in smaller pieces of steel in milling vises, and a 1/2" x 6" length of round brass used to level dial in parts in my grinding vises.
A nice mechanic friend took me to the pedestal grinder and showed me how to grind rough circular V's using the corner of the grinding wheel into the handles of my 3lb. hand sledge. About 5-6 circles ground into the handle where you hold the hammer. Gives you excellent grip and I have done this to all of my larger hammers, framing and ballpein.

[Frank Drew]

I've got a lot of hammers, all of them useful at one time or for specific purposes, but for woodworking, at the bench, I prefer my Warrington style cross-peen hammer for those times when a brad needs nailing. For chisel work I use a Japanese hammer and hooped chisels.

[Cody Kemble]

I inherited my grandfather's (mason) and great-grandfather's (machinist) hammers this year which has left me with 6 sizes of ball peens along with numerous types of hammers I didn't know existed. The small Mason's hammers work really well in place of a cross peen hammer. I still use my estwing deadhead mallet for assembly since I have not finished the wooden mallet that I started over 2 years ago. Maybe I can finally get over almost losing a finger cutting the handle.

[Stew Denton]

Hi All,

I certainly have less hammers than some, but still have a few: half a dozen or so (not sure exactly how many) ball peen hammers that run from 4 or 6 ounces up to a real monster with a long handle that has a 48 oz head, my grandfathers old wooden mallet, a rubber mallet, a sheetrock hammer (I love this thing for putting up sheet rock, especially after using one of my carpenters hammers for that task for many years), a 12 lbs (I think) sledge, a splitting mall, a 3 lbs drilling hammer, 16 and 20 oz true temper steel shanked carpenters hammers that I have owned about 45 years, and assorted tack and other small hammers. Not sure exactly how many of these I have, many of these were inherited. I am sure I have probably missed a few of my hammers.

That said, I use the two carpenters hammers more than all of the rest combined...a throw back to my carpentry days I guess. After these two, one or another of my 16 or 20 ounce ball peens gets the next amount of use. I have to have a tasks that takes LOT of horse power before I will dig out the drilling hammer or that monster ball peen. I sometimes use that big ball peen with both hands, as I am not a very big guy.

I would like to get a few more hammers though, and would use them if I had them. I remember using my dads wooden handled carpenter hammer, and like the bluegrass hammer discussed above it's claws would pull even very small brads. It was a nicely finished well made hammer, I believe it had better balance than my true temper carpenters hammers, and it was definitely more pleasant to use. However, a wooden handled hammer wouldn't stand up to the carpentry we did at that time, so I bought nearly indestructible steel hammered TTs. Pulling big nails, etc., would eventually get to the wooden handled variety. Some day if I wander on to a nice wooden handled carpenters 16 oz at a garage sale or flee market (I get to a flee market once about every 3 or 4 years), I will buy it. Most of the ones I saw quite a years ago needed a new handle, but that is an easy fix. Almost all of my ball peen hammers, as was the sledge, were bought at garage sales years ago, and every one of them was only the head and had no handle, or only the stub of a handle remaining. I will use the 16 oz wooden handled hammer for finish work if I ever find one.

I would like to get a small brass hammer for adjusting plane irons.

So, I guess these are the ones I don't have (I think) but want to get some of these times: a dead blow, a weighted non marring hammer, a very small plane adjusting brass, and a good wooden handled 16 oz carpenters finish hammer. (Years ago I saw several very nice carpenters hammer heads at garage sales but didn't buy one, but don't know if you still see them. It seems to me that by far most of the old carpenters hammer heads I saw were cheapies, and none to good, but every now and then you would see a nice well made hammer head.)

I have never seen a blue grass hammer, to my knowledge, probably lived too far north for that brand.

Stew

Stew

[Tom M King]

Long handled sledge hammers: 6 lb., 8 lb., 12 lb., 20 lb. The 20 pounder is called a "Man's sledgehammer". It's the only one I don't swing all the way over. If I need to exercise my golf swing, I use one of the sledge hammers. I know the swing is different, but it does help. If I need to hit a golf ball straight down into the ground, I'm ready. Those are just the ones classified as sledge hammers with a striking face on each end. Then there are also the stone work hammers, but not worth remembering every one unless I need a specific one. My most prized stone hammer is a 3 lb. vertical cutter with W. P. A. stamped into it.

My everyday carry hammer is a 16 oz. straight claw blue handled Estwing. Those come with a beveled edge bell face to help prevent damage to something being finish nailed. I do use it for finish nails, but I reground the face years ago to flatten out the face and get rid of the bevels so I can hit a nail with the edge of it that's tight in a corner. The end of the handle that fits in the palm of my hand has been rounded over from many thousands of swings holding it with two fingers and thumb. Yes, I have all my fingers even with 50 years of using a table saw with no guards, and regular use of a RAS, but those are the only three that I need on the hammer.

[Stanley Covington]

Curiously enough,I find the Task Force chinese made claw hammer I got from Lowes to be harder on the striking face,and less likely to get all beat up than my real old Stanley hammers. Maybe I am completely full of it.

Have you been eating hammers again George? :D

I suspect that you have a rare fluke among Chinese-made hammers.

Stan

[george wilson]

Actually,Stanley,the hammer is of excellent quality. One of our blacksmiths,with 50 years of experience,is quite delighted with a Chinese blacksmith's hand hammer he bought from Tractor Supply for $9.00. The handle is even the correct length. I bought one for myself. He ground the cross pein a bit less sharply curved,and has used it daily for over a year by now with no mushrooming.

There is a natural enough prejudice against all tools Chinese,which I agree with for the most part. But some of these hammers are quite nice. I suggest you remember that there used to be a similar prejudice against Japanese tools. Cigarette lighters with the tin can label still on the inside. Things like that. I have seen a Chinese oil can with Lychee nut can label on the inside.:) Eventually China will be making excellent tools,and the importers will have to find some other undeveloped place to get cheap stuff.

My friend Jon bought a cheap watch when his ship was in Hong Kong back in the 60's. It turned out to have a bamboo mainspring. Ran for 2 weeks!!

[Stanley Covington]

Actually,Stanley,the hammer is of excellent quality. One of our blacksmiths,with 50 years of experience,is quite delighted with a Chinese blacksmith's hand hammer he bought from Tractor Supply for $9.00. The handle is even the correct length. I bought one for myself. He ground the cross pein a bit less sharply curved,and has used it daily for over a year by now with no mushrooming.

There is a natural enough prejudice against all tools Chinese,which I agree with for the most part. But some of these hammers are quite nice. I suggest you remember that there used to be a similar prejudice against Japanese tools. Cigarette lighters with the tin can label still on the inside. Things like that. I have seen a Chinese oil can with Lychee nut can label on the inside.:) Eventually China will be making excellent tools,and the importers will have to find some other undeveloped place to get cheap stuff.

My friend Jon bought a cheap watch when his ship was in Hong Kong back in the 60's. It turned out to have a bamboo mainspring. Ran for 2 weeks!!

I agree that Chinese products are getting better, but the comparison with the perception of Japanese made products is seriously mistaken, and I say this as someone that buys a lot of materials made in China for construction projects, and inspects Chinese factories and their products frequently.

The American perception of Japanese products was low primarily because American importers bought and imported only the very cheapest products. In other words, they sought junk, the bought junk, and sold it to America. They didn't import high-end Japanese woodworking tools, or silk, or lacquerware.

By contrast, Chinese manufacturers (and there are a very few notable exceptions of late) do not know how to make or work steel. Almost all the high-quality steel products made in China are manufactured from imported steel. Domestic Chinese steel is 99% scrap, with zero QC. What finds its way into the pot is what you get, with quality entirely unpredictable. If aluminum, tin, brass, and chicken crap don't find its way into the pot, then in most cases, it is by accident. There have been plenty dramatic failures as a result, and lives lost. You only hear about the few that affect Americans.

Scrap metal can make decent products, and QC is not difficult to accomplish. But the manufacturer has to give a rat's fundament.

There is also something that seems to be a genetic problem with the Chinese. I say genetic because they repeat it over and over again, in every area of China, to their own detriment. It is a well-known problem. What happens is that, through whatever process (usually based on a order from a foreign company with high expectations of quality), the Chinese manufacturer learns how to make a high-quality product, and successfully passes the prototype stage and even does a few runs with great success. But, unless carefully monitored by an independent or Client's non-Chinese QC manager, the factory, or even more frequently someone that works at the factory, will replace the well-made parts or materials with a cheaper part or material, of identical external appearance, made by a relative who owns a factory that produces a competing product or material of much lower quality. This will continue until the fraud is discovered. It happens in every industry.

The only way to be certain such theft and fraud will not happen is to watch every step of the process like a hawk, and test test test.

I am using several tens of million of dollars worth of Chinese-made products on my current construction project in Yokohama. In each case, the materials (aluminum, steel, glass, paint, etc) are made outside of China, imported to China, and cut/shaped/extruded/painted/coated in Chinese factories under the eyes of either German, Japanese, American, or Taiwanese QC Managers. I inspect the factories, and verify their QC procedures. I make sure that the manufacturers clearly understand that I will destroy their reputation if they allow subpar products into my projects. I independently test the products in China, and test again after they arrive at the jobsite, but before they installed. It is not an easy process.

I hope Chinese products continue to improve, and these self-destructive genetic/cultural problems are resolved. Sadly, the only way that seems to really work is execution. It would be unwise to assume that because a Chinese-made product was good once, it will always be good.

Stan

[george wilson]

I've heard of unmelted ball bearings being cut into in Chinese made steel,ruining expensive cutting tools,and possibly hurting very expensive machinery. They seem to carelessly throw anything into the furnace that is laying around,though some may be just plain old ignorance on the worker's part. Most of them don't even get to use any of the products they make. Even in Taiwan,a visitor wrote in another forum,they only use a collapsable plywood workbench and hand tools to finish a nice office in a new building.

The Kobalt files sold at Lowes are no good. They are dull when new.

So far,the hammers seem to be decent. Nicely ground and polished,and a lot harder than my old 1940's Stanleys. But,not so hard they'd shatter. I agree that buying anything Chinese is a gamble,and I'm glad I don't have millions invested in their products. Somehow they can build decent rockets. Possibly with imported metals. I wouldn't know. Lots of import products are the fault of the importers who only want the cheapest stuff that they can get. And then there is the consumer in the USA who wants super cheap products to purchase. I have first hand knowledge that you can get excellent quality products made in India if you are willing to pay for them. And,they will still be cheaper than any equivalent Western made product. My friend has been buying products from India for many years,after he met the owner of the New Delhi Gun House in Williamsburg. He gets a hand forged and beautifully filed 18th. C. multi purpose flintlock tool for just a few dollars each. I mean they are VERY nice.