Strange Hammer

[Kevin Hampshire]

Okay, this is a USA, made drop forged hammer head.

349499

Anyone ever seen a face with that shape? I'm used to Estwing's smooth curved faces so wondering if this style with a point is "normal" and does anyone use a hammer like this one?

349500

I haven't tried to use this one yet.

[Frederick Skelly]

If by "normal", you mean "Is it supposed to look like this?" - my bet is that it is intentionally made like that. There are many kinds of specialty hammers - I'm always fascinated to go to a box store and just look at all the various types.

It should be fun to hear what this one's used for.

[Tim Brosnan]

I'd guess that because the face is convex in nature it isn't for hammering nails but rather shaping or flattening metal. There are a lot of specialty tools designed for blacksmiths, auto body restoration, and things as specialized as art or jewelry making (although typically much lighter in weight). Check out anvil tools on Google.

[Tim Brosnan]

Such as this page from an old tool catalog... 349504

[george wilson]

I'm thinking that with the nail pulling claws,this is a woodworker's hammer,not a metal worker's.

I think the factory failed to finish grinding the face of this hammer to a smooth,convex curve,and it got out roughly shaped. The shape it now has would be an ideal shape from which to grind the smooth,convex shape that a hammer of this type normally has.

[steven c newman]

Meh, use it for driving Drywall nails.....

[george wilson]

Could be. I'm not a hammer collector.

[Michael L. Martin]

If I recall correctly, they used to describe a hammer with the elongated head as an electrician's hammer. Not sure if that applies to this one.

[Dave Anderson NH]

I agree with George. This hammer escaped when the quality control department wasn't watching.

[John Vernier]

My reaction at first glance was the same as George and Dave's - it looks like the face is just as it came off of the drop forge, and needs grinding to shape. interesting that it doesn't show any wear from use or abuse. I wonder if it was part of a manufacturer's display, although since it is handled as a finished tool it is likely just an error.

[Mel Fulks]

John's idea of a display could be right. There used to be a lot of store displays with real items in stages of manufacture ; "then the highly skilled technician makes sure .....

[Stew Hagerty]

I'm going to throw out another possibility. It may be for putting in brad nails. The convex face would allow you to tap in the brad without dinging the surrounding wood. I have an old hammer somewhere with a similar convex face, and I'm pretty sure that is what it's for. It's a light weight hammer though, and you didn't say how heavy yours is.

[Lee Schierer]

That's either a Friday afternoon hammer or an early Monday morning one and the QC person was on vacation or a coffee break.

[Glen Canaday]

I vote for a hammer deliberately made to ruin table surfaces.

IOW, I fold; I got nuthin'.

[george wilson]

Hammers for brads usually have a narrow cross pein to strike brads held between your fingers. To set brads deeper,I use a nail punch to avoid denting the wood.

BTW: If anyone cares to know,the word should be PANE,rather than PEIN. But,we all say pein anyway.

[Kevin Hampshire]

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George, I was hoping you'd chime in on why this hammer is an English hammer.

[george wilson]

No,but I can tell you which part of a fish is French: The BONY PART!!

[Tim Brosnan]

I'm not buying into the QC thing. I'm still going with some specialized use. I'm off to do some more research!

[george wilson]

Good luck,Tim. Tell us where you will START doing research !:)

[steven c newman]

Looks more like it was made in Japan, from the shape of the rest of the hammer's striking end.....

Google Search-fu came up with a Made in Brazil Tramontina Master

[Kevin Hampshire]

Okay, this is a USA, made drop forged hammer head.

349499

Anyone ever seen a face with that shape? I'm used to Estwing's smooth curved faces so wondering if this style with a point is "normal" and does anyone use a hammer like this one?

349500

I haven't tried to use this one yet.

Steven, It's brand new and made here in the USA.

[Stanley Covington]

I'm not buying into the QC thing. I'm still going with some specialized use. I'm off to do some more research!

The first clue is that the claw indicates the hammer head is intended to motivate nails, but the face could not possibly drive a nail.

The second clue can be seen in the hammer's face. A close look at the photos makes it very clear that, even if the shape of the face is as intended, it has not been finished completely. You can see where the face end of the hammer was cut to length, and the leftover metal was simply broken off. No one would leave a hammer face that rough and ratty intentionally. Ergo, the head skipped a step or two in the shaping and polishing process. We can only guess what the final shape was intended to be, but we can be confident the shape and finish we see now are not what was intended.

I think it is an incomplete hammer head that escaped out the factory doors.

[Mel Fulks]

Well, I still think it was on one of those "how its made" store displays; probably only the older guys remember them but they were quite common. The examples were on plywood and heavily secured in an obvious attempt to prevent theft. But people still stole them. Stole them at every stage,not just the completed sample.So the hammer didn't escape, it was kidnapped!

[Tim Brosnan]

I'd still have to disagree that this is a QC reject. I think it looks too good not to be for some specialized task. There is a type of hammer called a "chasing hammer". It may fall into that category.

[Mike Henderson]

I'll go with the idea that it was part of a display of how hammers are made. But what do I know:)

Mike

[Pat Barry]

My slightly researched conclusion is that its a farriers hammer. Used for shoeing horses. If you know its made in USA there should be a makers mark of some type on it. Can you post a side view and better view of the claw end?

[Pat Barry]

BTW: If anyone cares to know,the word should be PANE,rather than PEIN. But,we all say pein anyway.
Never seen it as 'pane'. Where did you find that spelling?

[Mel Fulks]

Never seen it as 'pane'. Where did you find that spelling?
I think George is referring to pronunciation ,not spelling. I'll check OED. I just looked at all farrier hammers on Google pics and did not see any pointed faces.

[Frederick Skelly]

My slightly researched conclusion is that its a farriers hammer. Used for shoeing horses. If you know its made in USA there should be a makers mark of some type on it. Can you post a side view and better view of the claw end?

Ditto for me - slightly researched and possible farrier hammer. Resembles the face on the one at this link (http://www.hammersource.com/Farriers-Hammers/Nordic-Forge-2-lb-Supreme-Farrier-Rounding-Hammer-Hard-Turned-and-Finished-1-1/2-inch-round-1-flat-face-15-inch).

[Joe Tilson]

Could it be a hammer used to make bowls and the claw used to pry it from a wooden mold.
It looks like it could make hammered copper bowls.
Just my two.

[george wilson]

I am quite familiar with both chasing and farrier's hammers. A chasing hammer usually has a very flat face. A farrier's hammer has hardly any dome at all,and has very differently shaped claws. That hammer is neither.

[Dave Lehnert]

Reminds me of a Japanese Carpenter Hammer.

http://www.japanwoodworker.com/Product/156448/20oz-Finish-Hammer-Non-slip-FG-Handle-Smooth-Face----Dai-Dog.aspxJapanese Carpenters Hammers

[Jim Koepke]

Geez Leweez, This is getting as bad as a sharpening thread.

Sorry if anyone's bubble is getting burst on this, but it looks like a regular claw hammer to me that hasn't been finished.

Here is the reason for my conclusion:

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Mine is made by Stanley.

jtk

[Mel Fulks]

Frederick ,yes the SHADOW has a funny shape, the photographer needs to move his lights and take another shot!. This thread has brought to mind something I had not thought of in over 60 years. Being in a hardware store with my parents and seeing one of those 'how we do it' things described earlier. I wanted to take a close look at it but they would not let me. And I remember a store employee backing them up saying they had to take care of them and that they would, at some now forgotten time have to go back to factory or supplier. Not sure how old I was then but I was little and one or both of my parents were holding my hand.

[Stanley Covington]

Well, I still think it was on one of those "how its made" store displays; probably only the older guys remember them but they were quite common. The examples were on plywood and heavily secured in an obvious attempt to prevent theft. But people still stole them. Stole them at every stage,not just the completed sample.So the hammer didn't escape, it was kidnapped!

Free Willy!

[William Fretwell]

The hammer head has been painted with some kind of enamel. The striking face is still covered in paint so it's not finished being made.

[Frederick Skelly]

Frederick ,yes the SHADOW has a funny shape, the photographer needs to move his lights and take another shot!. This thread has brought to mind something I had not thought of in over 60 years. Being in a hardware store with my parents and seeing one of those 'how we do it' things described earlier. I wanted to take a close look at it but they would not let me. And I remember a store employee backing them up saying they had to take care of them and that they would, at some now forgotten time have to go back to factory or supplier. Not sure how old I was then but I was little and one or both of my parents were holding my hand.

Well, you may very be right Mel. That's an interesting memory too. It's funny how things like that come to the surface, isn't it? The point Bill Fretwell makes in post #36 seems compelling too, doesn't it? I don't know. :)

[Frank Drew]

Unfinished carpenter's hammer with a somewhat unusual, flared head. IMO, there's no conceivable special purpose use that would explain that unfinished striking face.

Could also be that someone bought a bunch of reject hammer heads for pennies on the dollar, fit handles, and put them on sale in a bargain bin somewhere.