I need a new hammer

[Thomas Crawford]

Any recommendations on a particular brand/model? Just need a solid ~16oz with domed head. Have a lot of cut and forged nails to drive on a couple projects. Building a boarded bookcase and the Underhill Nail Cabinet.

Happy to support a more custom tool maker or just grab something from a big box store.

[Jim Matthews]

I have two ancient Warrington hammers from Record.

The balance feels right to me, and they're not heavy.
One is quite lightweight, and I drive Brad pins with it when I don't want to haul out my pin nailer.

https://www.amazon.com/Bahco-480-12-Warrington-Hammer/dp/B00TT5EUA8

[Tom M King]

I swing an Estwing-many varieties.

[Ted Calver]

How much do you want to spend. One from Mark Martinez (https://martineztools.com/product-category/hammers/titanium-handle-hammers/m1-15oz-framing-hammer/) is on my wish list.

[Jim Koepke]

Estwing hammers are about $30 and can be found in many stores.

https://www.estwing.com/collections/nail-hammers/products/claw-hammer-leather

Having grown up using these one of my big thrills was finding one for a few bucks while out rust hunting.

jtk

[steven c newman]

Hammers...
443702
Cobbler's style? several weights out there. some merely need a new handle, like this one...
443703
16oz Champion Claw hammer.....be sure to get a hammer with a wood handle....Just a plain, smooth face, does not need to have a "rip claw".

[mike stenson]

Many like them, I am not a fan of Estwing. Mostly because I prefer a wood handle, that's true also of my titanium head framer (and I still use my old hart more often than that). For this kind of work, I've been using an old Stanley claw. Although, if I was looking new.. I'd probably look at Dalluge with a straight handle (I do like hatchet handles, but more for framing).

[Bill McDermott]

I have carried and used a steel Estwing (still the trusty outdoor beater) and got myself a pretty claw hammer for the woodshop, which I love.
Years later, I was using Grandpa's old hammer that I keep in the garage. I could no longer tolerate the beat up and loose handle and went to work on it.
Just a little attention to the head and a new, custom fitted handle cleaned it up nicely. It's now my go to hammer. That's because of the handle.
Upshot -- consider making yourself a great handle for a common hammer head. Sure worked for me.

[mike stenson]

If you use a wood handle, and don't 'customize' it for your comfort.. you're missing out ;)

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I like my Stiletto......
First hammer that I owned that has a magnet for the nail.

[mike stenson]

are you guys using framing hammers to sink cut nails in furniture?

[Richard Verwoest]

Crucible lump hammer.

[steven c newman]

Nope, retired both of my 24oz framers....
Blue plastic estwing handles? Unable to keep a secure grip on one....usual result being a "Heads up!"....Never like the fibreglass handles..they tend to shatter in the winter outdoors. VOE.

Small brads and nails? I have a 7oz "Riveting" hammer, with the cross pean....

Hammers?
443706
Might have a few...

[mike stenson]

Nope, retired both of my 24oz framers....
Blue plastic estwing handles? Unable to keep a secure grip on one....usual result being a "Heads up!"....Never like the fibreglass handles..they tend to shatter in the winter outdoors. VOE.

Small brads and nails? I have a 7oz "Riveting" hammer, with the cross pean....

Hammers?
443706
Might have a few...

I also have a hammer problem :D The only fiberglass one I have is an electricians hammer that somehow ended up in my truck cab one day and I couldn't figure out whose it was.

I asked because of comments about stilettos and other ti head hammers.. yea, they're 15-17oz (mine's a 16oz), but I still wouldn't use it for this.

[Bill Carey]

Check out Vaughan hammers. I settled on their hammers in my second year as an apprentice and still use them today. Made in the US. I have mostly hickory handles, everything from a 28 oz checker face to a 10 oz trim hammer.

[Aaron Rosenthal]

I have Stiletto Titanium and a 22 oz Vaughn, both with wood handles. Love'em to death.
Stanleys, and for stubborn problems, a 2.5 and 5 lb sledge.

[bill epstein]

Don't be a NINO, use a Rock.

[lowell holmes]

I have a collection of hammers, but my favorite is a 7 ounce wooden handle Belk Nap BG47-7.

[Lamar Keeney]

For serious work a Vaughan 20 oz smooth face straight claw with 16in fibreglass handle. (Still available) and if I only could have one it would be the Vaughan. Lighter work an older Craftsman fibreglass handled. Like the thin ears. The in shop go to is a Blue Grass 14oz wooden octagon handle. Of course I have a bunch more around from 3oz to 8lb to cover anything else that needs frailed on.

[Ron Selzer]

For serious work a Vaughan 20 oz smooth face straight claw with 16in fibreglass handle. (Still available) and if I only could have one it would be the Vaughan. Lighter work an older Craftsman fibreglass handled. Like the thin ears. The in shop go to is a Blue Grass 14oz wooden octagon handle. Of course I have a bunch more around from 3oz to 8lb to cover anything else that needs frailed on.

Blue Grass is a name I haven't seen a long while.
First fiberglass handle was a BlueGrass 16oz straight claw, then a 20oz straight claw. Really liked them and still use them
Ron

[Scott Winners]

I stumbled on this one this morning and finally got around to looking it up. In the expanded version of the Anarchist's Design Book Chris mentions (pp 364) he prefers a 16oz hammer with a slightly domed head. Then I opened some boxes in my yet unused cut nail collection, and then I looked at my hammers.

All my active hammers have a slightly domed head. It was a thing I learned years and decades ago, but when your hard won nailing skill seems to have left you, look at your hammer face to see if there is chip out of it. If there is, sand it out. I move the hammer handle up and down as the hammer face is sliding back and forth on a bit of sand paper fastened to the bench top. Roll it a bit left, keep going, back on center, roll it a bit right.

Once the hammer face is smooth, shiny (and slightly domed) your mad skillz should be restored. I estimate the dome on my hammer faces to be in the range of 8-16" radius, it is enough to see but it would take both hands to sweep the arc of the implied circle. I don't expect I will need to further modify my hammers when I get around to using the cut nails I have in the house.

I don't know how many old hammers I have picked up at garage sales just to feel the grip. I only bought a couple of those, but there is a lot of handle profiles out there. Just like hands come in all shapes and sizes I guess. You got grip a bunch of them to figure out what works for you.

I agree both Vaughn and Estwing make reasonably good current production hammers. I haven't seen a wooden handle on a hammer with the grain orientation I want manufactured in a long time.

[Larry Frank]

Where I worked we made the steel for Estwing and Vaughn. I always amazed when we would make 600 tons for one of them and wondered how many hammers that would make. Are there that many lost or need replacing?

[mike stenson]

Where I worked we made the steel for Estwing and Vaughn. I always amazed when we would make 600 tons for one of them and wondered how many hammers that would make. Are there that many lost or need replacing?

Well, there's also just the random collection of hammers. I probably have about 2 dozen, and 'collecting' wasn't intentional. The last one I bought, I was at a friends house and we needed to fix a shed roof, so at the big-box store.. I bought another hammer. Then again, I have hammers I use for demo, hammers for staking concrete forms, hammers I use for framing, hammers I USED to use for framing (I don't want to swing a 30oz hatchet, or even a 24oz framer too much anymore thank you), hammers for trim work, etc.. you get the idea.

Scott, can always make your own handle ;) I'm not all that convinced it makes a huge difference ultimately anyway (at least not in longevity).. but that's just a personal observation

[Scott Winners]

It occured to me overnight the radius of the dome on my hammer faces is approximately equal to the length of the hammer handle, or where I was gripping the handle last time I polished the face.

My opinion - I spent less than one season on a framing crew- hammer grip comfort hour after hour trumps all. Impact and rebound of various handle materials can be learned and/or sensed. Various claw bends and radii all have something they are good for. If you can't pick it up after lunch because your hand is throbbing from this morning nothing else about the hammer matters. If you are only swinging it a couple hours per year it will take longer to find out how comfortable to use the hammer really is- and it may not even matter.

I don't really care if wood grain in my handles is parallel or perpendicular to the hammer face. What I don't like is grain that makes a 90 inside the handle so one side is face grain and the other side is edge grain. Even worse, grain runout is just dangerous on a striking tool handle, amplified if there is a ladder involved. I see a lot of wooden hammer handles at the big box stores that have grain patterns I find unacceptable, and it seems like there is more runout accepted at the factories than ever before.

My general purpose main hammer is a Millers Falls 20oz. It has a tubular metal handle with a sliding weight inside. But the grip, well the grip just fits my hand. It is probably the poorest rebounding hammer I have ever owned, but I don't care because the grip just fits my hand perfectly. The superior impact is gravy. I figure it is kind of like work boots. Wolverine and Danner both make good workboots, but that doesn't mean either will fit your foot comfortably.

I have never made a hammer handle. I have started making and shaping my own axe hafts, but it is time consuming for me at my shop.

[Jim Matthews]

Where I worked we made the steel for Estwing and Vaughn. I always amazed when we would make 600 tons for one of them and wondered how many hammers that would make. Are there that many lost or need replacing?

The problem is you made them inexpensive.
It's cheaper to drive to a box lot store and buy one than it is to rummage around for the ones you already own.

I think GPS was invented because of all the steel floating around...

[Jim Koepke]

I think GPS was invented because of all the steel floating around...

Go Purchase Steel?

jtk

[mike stenson]

Yea, I agree with runout and twisted grain. I've found decent handles at tool stores (and strangely my local ace hardware) recently. Not at a big box in a long time. Also completely agree with being able to conformably swing it all day being the primary deal in general, and the grip being most important. Great observation about the radii of the face.

[Charles Guest]

Stubai joiner's hammer:

https://diefenbacher.com/more-tools/hammers-mallets/

Scroll down.

[Jim Matthews]

Go Purchase Steel?
jtk

The compass always pointed toward Gramps' Park Shop.

[Thomas Crawford]

Stubai joiner's hammer:

https://diefenbacher.com/more-tools/hammers-mallets/

Scroll down.

I'll probably end up with another one too but I couldn't resist ordering one of these

[Charles Guest]

I'll probably end up with another one too but I couldn't resist ordering one of these

You'll love it. It's what was known in England as an 'Exeter pattern' hammer.

[Rob Luter]

I got a 12 oz Leather Handle Estwing Rip Hammer 35 years ago and it has served me well. Full forged head and handle.

https://www.estwing.com/collections/nail-hammers/products/rip-hammer-leather

[lowell holmes]

Actually it is a Blue Grass hammer.

[Thomas Crawford]

You'll love it. It's what was known in England as an 'Exeter pattern' hammer.

This thing is cool, looking forward to trying it. I like the 14oz weight.

444373

[glenn bradley]

+1 on the Warrington. That and a pattern hammer are my two most used in furniture making.

[lowell holmes]

I go to big box stores and fondle the toys, I mean tools, and make a selection.

[Thomas Wilson]

I got a new hammer today. I got an Estwing 16 oz claw hammer. It is a great hammer .

[Mel Fulks]

I got a new hammer today. I got an Estwing 16 oz claw hammer. It is a great hammer .

Congratulations, you must have gone thru a pile of 'em to get a great one ! I'd say you nailed it and handled it well. Now
you are ready to claw your way to the top with a bang. Never use it for breaking up concrete...borrow
a hammer for the rough stuff !!

[lowell holmes]

See this site.

https://www.google.com/search?q=8+oz+hammer&oq=8+oz+hammer&aqs=chrome..69i57j0j0i22i30l6.11265j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[Bill Carey]

Passed by a friends junque store the other day and came home with these. (10 bucks he charged me)

444959

This one looks to be hand forged.

444960

[Jim Koepke]

Recently Candy, my wife, saw something at Lee Valley she wanted so a few things were added to the order including this:

445030

Not long ago one of these was also purchased:

445031

The Estwing is still in transit. Found an Estwing rip hammer for $2 about a year ago. The nail puller blades set them apart.

jtk