Many years ago I had a girlfriend who thought the “ball-peen” hammer was for hitting the manly-bits.
That relationship didn’t really work out.
Good thing you didn’t have a dead blow hammer lying around.
It was briefly mentioned under soft mallets.
I got all dem in multiples, now if I could jsut finish a project or seven!
But where’s my rock hammer on the list? I guess it could be considered a claw hammer but that wouldn’t make me feel all special inside.
Interesting stuff.
If I had a hammer, I’d hammer in the morning…
What - no love for rock hammers? This one is mine, though in hindsight maybe I should have gotten the more iconic Estwing. I think I was trying to save money. It is a good hammer though.
That’s about $50! You can get a rock hammer for about $7 at any rock-and-gem shop.
On the chance that a hammer newb is reading TFA for shopping tips, pardon me while I become the old guy who takes this seriously.
If you’ve got a “big” nail-driving project coming up (finally fixing the roof, building a shed, helping a friend with an addition, etc.) do your tennis elbow and carpal tunnel a big favor and get a wooden-handled straight claw hammer. Steel handles exist solely because they’re indestructible: you can pry the bejesus out of 'em without loosening the hammer head, and when you overshoot your hit on a big nail the handle won’t get chewed up by the nail head. But the zero flex of a steel handle means your elbow and wrist take all the shock (and, the handle coverings are usually blister-breeders).
Fiberglass handles are meant to be almost as tough as steel (they aren’t), while providing the flex of a wooden handle (they don’t). And the handle covers…
The knock against wooden handled hammers is that they can be loosened by nail pulling, and that mis-hits can damage the haft; both conditions are easy to overcome. First, use a nail-pulling tool for pulling nasty nails (pry bar, cat’s paw, nail-pulling pliers) – they’re usually easier to use, and involve no hammer abuse. Second, learn how to hit a nail! ; -) With a long wooden handle, it’s easy to choke up close to the head for starting a nail or striking in a tight space; when you want more leverage, just slide your hand down the handle. Wear eye protection and keep your eyes open when striking the nail(!). Let gravity do most of the work; it’s more about guiding the hammer’s fall than about powering the nail into a board. (Since it’s baseball season – slap out singles rather than swing for the bleachers.)
Here’s my baby – 16oz flat face straight claw on a 17" hickory handle. I’ve used this hammer for 43 years; currently on its third handle. Never a single ache or blister!
Where are the geeks and nerds?
Mjölnir
Ah, what the hell.
And just to keep things vaguely on topic…
you forgot the firework hammer
this list is less extensive that the cover picture.
what about
War Hammers, upholstery hammers and the wide array of hammers as described by wikipedia?
Also, Hammer Jammers, Bell hammers…
I think I have about eight hammers, if you count various sledges, rock hammers, mallets (“persuaders”), as well as a couple of standard claw hammers and the like. Now that I think about it, probably more like ten or twelve.
I have a little brad nailer, a lightweight hammer designed for small nails/finish work. The weird thing it - it sings like a tuning fork when you use it.
