Hammer weight

[Jeff Ranck]

So I have a sort of strange question. I've finally decided that I need to replace the venerable hammer I've used in my shop for nails on projects and get a new (maybe new vintage) one. As I've been looking around for what I want, I was wondering what type of weight folks used in the shop.

My go to for a general construction has always been 20 Oz. or so. In the shop, I've tended to use 16. But I'm wondering if I ought to go smaller with a 12 or maybe 8.

Not all that important of a question and I probably should just pick something and get back to work. However, I thought I'd at least take the time to ask the collective wisdom of the group.

Jeff.

[Flamone LaChaud]

If we're talking general construction (including beating apart things already nailed together) - weight is king - I go for 22-24oz. But if I'm nailing small nails into something delicate - 12oz is all I need. Large enough to do the job, small enough to not make too much of a mess if I miss.

[Jim Koepke]

There are three nailing hammers in my shop. A small one for 4d nails and smaller. A medium for 6d & 8d nails. Then a framing hammer for the big stuff. My recollection is the small one and the framing hammer were bought when various stores were going out of business.

Just a little note on something most people may already know, framing hammers usually are 16" or at least have two points on them that are 16" apart to aid in setting wall studs.

jtk

[Warren Lake]

some prefer the newer lighter hammers and say velocity makes up for lighter weight. They say they save their elbows and carrying around lighter weight is beneficial. Ive got a number of hammers now but the first 30 years all I had was my fathers finishing hammer., It worked fine for all in the shop and was perfect to turn sideways to use on chisels preferred it to a mallet and it was always at hand in the tool belt, some chisels as well.

One of the best features if not best is the side nail puller in the stiletto but its more for construction, the finishing hammer puller was good for shop stuff.

If you use a hammer alot id say handle comfort is a focus. I have one smaller stanley that is the real stanley. Put a stilletto air grip on it and it feels good in the hand. Find most hammer handles are made too small in diameter. one company changed them after I brought it up with them.

[John K Jordan]

T
Just a little note on something most people may already know, framing hammers usually are 16" or at least have two points on them that are 16" apart to aid in setting wall studs.


Just curious as to the value of that over a tape in laying out a wall. Seems the potential accumulated error in measuring incrementally could be high for more than a stud or two.

JKJ

[bridger berdel]

Hammers- the other slippery slope. I probably have over 100.

the problem is that really sweet vintage hammers of all descriptions show up at the usual rust hunt holes in quantity and for ridiculously cheap prices.

[Christopher Charles]

Slippery slope indeed for an under-appreciated tool. I recommend that you do not search "gennou" on this site if you have any affinity for japanese tools.

Best,
Chris

[Jeff Ranck]

Hammers- the other slippery slope. ...

Nooo don't tell me that!

[Clint Bach]

Replacing or adding to your hammers? I know very few people who have several of the same hammer. For me the question is head style... Rip hammer or claw hammer... Magnetic nail holder for starting nails one handed. Wood, Fiberglas, tubular steel, or thin solid steel, waffle face... I personally like estwing 20 oz smooth face rip hammers for my general purpose beating on things and driving nails. They do have a noticeable ringing some don't like. This is not my only hammer.

C

[Tom M King]

I swing an Estwing. One of each, and multiples of some (for multiple people working), depending on what we are doing. My most used hammer is a 16oz. straight claw. I don't do much nail pulling with a hammer, so have no use for a curved claw. The straight claw can catch an embedded, or not, nailhead, and is useful for many things, as well as having better balance behind the head.

This 16 oz. comes with a bell face, and beveled edges. I think it's good for driving nails all the way home, and maybe not damaging the surface. I don't need that, but the beveled edges don't allow me to get into a tight corner like I would like, so like almost everything else I own, it was customized- by regrinding the face to a much flatter bell, with no tapered edges. This hammer gets used probably 95 percent of the hammer time. It can do any job, but there are some more specific ones for specific jobs, if that job is longer than a few nails, that would be better.

[lowell holmes]

I have 8oz, 12oz, 16oz, and IIRC, a 20 oz. hammer. FWIW, they are mostly wooden handle Bluegrass hammers.
I also have a Bluegrass spoke shave.

[Andrew Gibson]

I love hammers, rarely do I come home without one from the swap meet.
I currently have 4 drawers in the tool box dedicated to hammers. Loosely categorized by mallets, claw/tack, ball peen, and body/hammer & dolly.

When it comes to brands I do keep an eye out for Plumb hammers and axes. Both my Plumb axes take and hold an exceptional edge.
Don't get me started on Trimo Pipe wrenches.

[Lamar Keeney]

Job sight
20 oz smooth face straight claw, fiberglass handled Vaughnan It put way more wear on me over the years than I ever did it.
16 oz older fiberglass handled Craftsman, nice thin ears

Shop
14 oz wooden handled Blue Grass, Dearly love this old thing
4 oz? not sure but really small ball peen That I'm still surprised me how often I reach for. When I first bought it I thought "Ain't that cute" Now I wouldn't do without it

Got several bigger up to 10 lb cause every when I want to hit something and want it to stay hit

[Lee Schierer]

I have a 16 Oz Stanley Nail Master that I've had for many years. A few years back when I got more involved helping build Habitat houses, I moved up to a 20 Oz Estwing Straight claw hammer as it was less work doing framing

[Matthew Hutchinson477]

And here I thought I was kind of an irrational nutcase for being obsessed with objects so simple as hammers. I've been walking around carrying this secret like it was a sign of an untethered mind. Here's my latest simple object love affair:
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Bought it on ebay (search "Ryuzo hammer") and it had to be shipped from Japan. I probably looked at these for a month and my rational side kept talking me out of it but its aesthetic appeal eventually won me over. Does it drive nails better than a $5 garage sale hammer? Prevent blisters? Allow significantly better accuracy? Absolutely not. But it sure is purdy.

In the end, if a particular tool holds enough appeal to make me feel more enthusiastic towards a particular task like driving nails then I suppose it isn't entirely foolish.

[steven c newman]

Is it "bad" when one has a til for hammers?
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At least for the shop hammers.....There are two 24oz framers sitting around...somewhere. I prefer wood handles...less wear and tear on me.

[Andrew Seemann]

Gee wiz, and I thought my two dozen hammers was indicative of a problem.

Until my 30s, the only size hammers I had ever used were 16 oz straight claws (excepting tack hammers and sledge hammers), because that was the only size anyone in the family had ever owned. Then I ran short of hammers for my crew of relatives working on my garage and discovered the hammer section of the hardware store. . . .

I like a 20 oz Estwing for general framing. I have a 24 oz for special needs, but I don't like swinging it all day, too hard on the elbow and arm. 16 oz Estwing straight claw for general use in the shop and when I know I won't be doing much 16d and above. The biggest revelation was the 12 oz Estwing curved claw. I like that one in the shop for smaller nails for long periods of time, much easier on the elbow because you don't have to pull the weight of the heavier hammer when you set the nail. Also picked up a used 10 oz Plumb straight claw at some point, that is nice for larger brads.

The above does not include ball peen hammers, tack hammers, sledge hammers, blacksmith hammers, rubber hammers, wooden hammers, misc used hammers or mallets. I do like me a good hammer. Maybe I have closer to 3 or 4 dozen now that I think of it.

[Jim Koepke]

Just curious as to the value of that over a tape in laying out a wall. Seems the potential accumulated error in measuring incrementally could be high for more than a stud or two.

JKJ

Not sure with many framing jobs if there is a big problem with this. It is a good check to have during a framing job. Most of the time the bottom plate and top plate would be marked out with a tape and then nailed together. If a mark is unclear or scuffed a carpenter can check with the hammer.

Some might use it to lay out a whole wall, but not likely.

jtk

[Roger Nair]

A 16 inch overall length is not used for layout, period. The handle length becomes a handy indicator of where to find a stud, rafter or joist, when nailing down sheet goods that may not have any layout on the plywood. In time a hand-eye gauge develops and banging in nails goes apace.

[Roger Nair]

One other thing, for framing, there seems to be a preference for Estwing hammers, speaking from my own experience, the solid steel Estwings will wear on the joints from shock. please investigate wooden handled hammers with a head weight around 20 ounces. Put friction tape on the handle and use a loose grip, the hammer will stick to the hand. Allow the wrist to bend. A good swing overall is a loose free movement, with multiple points of rotation but try to keep twisting at a minimum.

[Tom M King]

The grip is what puts shock on the arm. It doesn't need to be tight. On my most used hammer (Estwing) the heel corner of the grip is worn rounded from the palm of my hand. For big swings, I only have two or three fingers around the end of the handle, and it rotates freely in the palm of my hand. I find the Estwings less tiring because it puts the energy into the nail, and doesn't lose any to the handle. I almost can't use a figerglass handle because it tires me out faster.

I'm 67, and still working. I've been doing this for a living for 44 years now, and have no trouble with my joints. I still enjoy working, but am afraid that if I stop, I might actually become my age.

I have known old carpenters with arthritis, who would only use a 12oz. hammer with a wooden handle, but they couldn't pound nails for long anyway.

[Tony Zaffuto]

I like hammers and accummulating vintage tools. With that said, I have lots of hammers. My favorite, though, up to a few months ago was a German made 16 oz. cross pein, with a square head. But, I picked up an Estwing 10 or 12oz. At a Home Depot and that little hammer has got it all!

Though for carpentry work, I will use a 16oz. Plumb curve claw, with a hickory handle.

[steven c newman]

The "bad" part...I am unable to hold onto the Estwing blue handles......they all seem to fly out of my hand. Uncle Arthur (itis) has made things like those handles hard to hold onto. Even a coping saw is hard to hold.

Did concrete form work for a long time. Found a framer with a LONG, FAT wood handle seemed to fit my hand the best. 10 pound sledge hammer? I cut the handle on mine down to 24"....both for the reduced arc of the swing ( not a whole lot of room in a foundation's trench) and for the way it fit to my hands.

There is a Vintage riveting hammer in that til. Cross pean, with a square head, best dang hammer for brads, small nails, and even adjusting a plane. I also keep a 16oz curved claw Plumb with a hickory handle in the shop. Have another upstairs in the Household Tools drawer. Ball peans in about 5 different weights. And a few other BP hammers in the Household drawer ( auto work) There is a 3 pounder cross pean long handled for use outside the house...stakes and such. two wooden mallets, one was custom made to fit my hands. No rubber nor deadblow hammers. There is a Carpenter's Hatchet...somewhere....have used it a few times.

The two framers? set aside until the next big project..both of them. They were also known as "War Clubs" ......may get a picture of them..sometime. They could "start" a 7 penny nail with one hit, and drive it flush to the wood with the second hit. I tended to use the entire arm in the swing, not the elbow.

[Mike Null]

My favorite for the workbench and small fix it stuff is my Vaughan 10 oz straight claw. I had a 16 oz steel with leather handle Vaughan that disappeared. That was a nice hammer. I have several including a Hart trimmer 20 oz. I only go to it if I need more heft.

[Stanley Covington]

A directly related question for those that swing hammers professionally.

I have owned and used a titanium catspaw for some years now. It was pricey, but I am generally happy with its performance when pulling small nails. It is really not sized for anything bigger than 8d. As a permanent resident of the tool belt, the reduced weight as is a big plus, although it doesn't seem to dig out nails as aggressively as steel.

But I have never used the lightweight titanium hammers like the Stiletto. Do they perform as well as their steel counterparts?

Does the titanium provide any shock reduction benefit to hand/arm joints?

Stan

[Rob Luter]

My main nail drivers are a 22oz Estwing Leather Handle claw and a 28oz Estwing milled face framing hammer. I have 14 striking tools in total. It helps to have the right one for the job. I've recently discovered japanese style hammers and am thinking about adding a couple.

[Patrick Walsh]

Stan,

I was previously a site carpenter.

I suffer with pretty bad carpal tunnel in my wrist. Both the weight and shock absorption of the titanium stiletto hammers really really helped me.

The hammers do get beat up and I have chipped a claw or two. I have even taken a chunk out of the head. You quickly learn to grab another tool fir general purposes I suppose.

Previously and given the severity of my carpal tunnel I just accepted the chipping and purchased a new hammer when need be.

I would say the hammers are well worth the price if you suffere joint, muscle or tendon problems...

[Warren Lake]

Stanley from the guys ive spoken to the answer is yes. I have the mini 14 and the nail puller on that is outstanding. Its light in the belt The handle is way too small plus ive decided I dont like the curved handle, their latest version they made the handle larger. I was in a shop closing and there was a finishing hammer but it had an extra large head and a quickly made wood handle that was larger. It felt excellent. Have a Douglas stainless head that handle is very comfortable but again put the stiletto grip on as ive got no use for a slippery handle. The air grip thing is sort of sticky but feels good end result you dont have to hold on the hammer very hard which helps when you are using it alot. One thing I look at is head size for that construction type work I want a larger head, one good carpenter i know said his ideal hammer would have a head like a frying pan.

[Stanley Covington]

Stanley from the guys ive spoken to the answer is yes. I have the mini 14 and the nail puller on that is outstanding. Its light in the belt The handle is way too small plus ive decided I dont like the curved handle, their latest version they made the handle larger. I was in a shop closing and there was a finishing hammer but it had an extra large head and a quickly made wood handle that was larger. It felt excellent. Have a Douglas stainless head that handle is very comfortable but again put the stiletto grip on as ive got no use for a slippery handle. The air grip thing is sort of sticky but feels good end result you dont have to hold on the hammer very hard which helps when you are using it alot. One thing I look at is head size for that construction type work I want a larger head, one good carpenter i know said his ideal hammer would have a head like a frying pan.

Thanks, Warren. I will get a titanium head.

The handle always makes a big difference, doesn't it. I am a big fan of making my own handles.

Stan

[Stanley Covington]

Stan,

I was previously a site carpenter.

I suffer with pretty bad carpal tunnel in my wrist. Both the weight and shock absorption of the titanium stiletto hammers really really helped me.

The hammers do get beat up and I have chipped a claw or two. I have even taken a chunk out of the head. You quickly learn to grab another tool fir general purposes I suppose.

Previously and given the severity of my carpal tunnel I just accepted the chipping and purchased a new hammer when need be.

I would say the hammers are well worth the price if you suffere joint, muscle or tendon problems...

Thanks Patrick.

Good to know they help. I will get one.

I had no idea Ti heads were so fragile.

Stan

[Jeff Ranck]

ok, that was funny. I like the hammer till.

[steven c newman]

"War Clubs" and others..
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Yes, there are two framers...
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The one in-between is a 16 oz. curved claw...for scale. The bigs are both 24 oz. Tape on the ends of the handles let me know when I am too close to the end of the handle.

[Tom M King]

I didn't even think about stone working hammers. I probably have more of them than hammers for nails. One has WPA stamped into it. I'll try to think to take a picture tomorrow.

Someone asked me if they could borrow a sledge hammer. I asked him if he wanted a 6, 8, 12, or 20 pounder. I still swing the 12 pounder all the way over, but I've never seen anyone that can put a full swing on a 20 pounder. There is a guy around here that builds bulkheads on the lake. He has a 50 pounder with a short handle.

[Mel Fulks]

Tom, the rare ones have the stamp worn off..... WPA mentions must, by tradition, be followed by a joke !!

[Warren Lake]

The hammer head is steel on a titanium hammer.

Stan the handles are a sore spot with me. Just feels so much better to have a larger handle, then the douglas is pretty nice. I got the curved handle on the titanium and dont like it. already talked to them about cutting the rubber off and making a wood one they sent me a frame photo, then they did make the straight handle one beefier.

I was at one point going to get a wood handle titanium, I looked down the handle and it was crooked to the head. I asked for another and another and another after five I said forget it. Called the company they looked and they were all that way, Ive got an axe that way as well, and another name brand hammer as well. Ive reshaped a few handles to make them straighter to the head but then the size diminishes.

I have a block on my Visa card that will decline a transaction if i accidentally try and buy a Stanley product. If I look at hammers I always look to see if a handle and the head are on the same plane ive seen one name brand where not only was that off the head was also tilted to a side. Stuff made in the US now made in China. Nothing new. I have a decent amount of older US made stuff, you guys made good tools that ive had from the start and even some I bought used so older than I have been doing this.

I bought some racks a while back on one was a bunch of stuff and two hammers hanging, I wanted to buy one of them. guy wanted to keep it. Here is the handle even as coarse as it was just roughed out felt really comfortable. doesnt need to be as large as it is up near where it inserts into the head but get it someone just roughed it out fast during the work day. Finishing hammer but an oversized head. I also notice the steel in my fathers really old hammer just feels different in a good way.

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