Wander down the aisle of your local hardware store and you will discover a massive variety of hammers available. They vary in shape, size, weight, and styles, and have a myriad of uses. Have you ever wondered where this most useful tool came from, and what exactly it is capable of? This article delves into surprisingly fascinating world of all the different kinds of hammers and their usages.
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The origin of the first hammer has been lost to pre-history. It would have most likely begun as a simple rock, which would have eventually been connected to a stick, bone, or antler with some sinew, in order to maximise its striking power.
However, it was not until the Roman Empire, in the first century, that we find the emergence of a dual-function hammer that could both pound in and pry out nails &#; the precursor to everyone&#;s favourite tool, the claw hammer!
FUN FACT: You may occasionally see nail sizes such as 4d, 6d, 8d etc. (particularly if you live in the USA). This is in fact a legacy of the Romans, who made extensive use of nails for construction. The &#;d&#; stands for the Roman coin &#;denarius&#;, which was also the name for an English penny during Roman occupation. Fast forward to 15th Century England, when each nail was hand-forged, one at a time. It is believed that a hundred 3-1/2 inch nails would have cost 16 pennies and thus became known as 16-penny nails, or 16d.
Surprisingly, the shape of hammers has not altered a great deal from the Roman design, although some modern materials are now used in both the head and handle.
Traditionally, handles were made of wood fixed through a hole in the head, which allowed the handle to be easily replaced if needed.
Modern hammers use materials and the handles that are often built into the head, sometimes with a form of built-in shock absorber to make them easier to use.
Over the centuries, hammers have evolved to suit different needs and materials. From hammering nails, demolishing walls, and panel-beating Rolls, to everything in between. The humble hammer has pounded, tapped, shaped and formed its way into history.
The most popular hammer for general work, available with a wooden (often hickory), glass-fibre or steel handle. Primarily used to hammer in nails. The claw is normally curved, and has a 'V' cut-out to extract nails from wood. Additionally, the claw can be used to lever objects.
Find Claw Hammers here.
Normally used by engineers, the pein (or peen) is rounded and used for shaping metal and closing rivets. It gets its name from a fabrication method called &#;peening&#;, which is used to help a weld joint stretch as it cools.
Find Ball Pein/Peen Hammers here.
Primarily used for shaping metal, the hammer has a regular-shaped hammer head and one that is wedge-shaped. It can also be used for starting panel pins and tacks. Handles are normally wood, usually Ash.
Find Cross Pein/Peen Hammers here.
This double-faced basher is useful for light demolition work, as well as driving steel chisels and masonry nails. With a weight of around g (2 1/2 lb), it is perfectly suited to domestic work. Handles are normally wood, usually Hickory, or synthetic resin. We recommend safety glasses and working gloves, because debris is likely to fly.
Find Club Hammers here.
If you want to break something, this beast is for you! Used for the heavier jobs, such as driving in stakes or to break up concrete, stone or masonry. These sturdy tools weigh around 7 to 14lb. When using, wear suitable protective clothing, including safety glasses.
Find Sledge Hammers here.
A specialized mallet designed to deliver enough force to dislodge parts and fix dents without damaging the workpiece, and with minimal rebound. The dead blow hammer is usually made of rubber or resilient plastic. They are used mostly in woodworking and automotive applications.
Find Dead Blow Hammers here.
The Joiner's Mallet is a traditional tool is used to drive chisels or to tap wood joints together, where a metal-faced hammer would cause damage. Note that the head is slightly tapered to ensure correct contact with the work. Both the handle and head are wood, quite often Beech.
Find Wooden Mallets here.
A lightweight tool with a head made of moulded rubber or hard plastic and a wooden or fiberglass handle. They are useful for when a steel face would cause damage, such as pavers, forming sheet metal or snugging up joints in PVC pipe.
Find Rubber Mallets here.
Used for cleaning and removing slag after arc welding, and also for boiler scaling applications. The all-steel construction makes it both solid and strong. The chipping hammer features a striking head with a sharp conical point and a flat chisel bevelled end. The unique helical barrel spring handle helps to prevent kickback, and reduce resonance. This helps to avoid fatigue during long periods of use. It also has a special ability to dissipate heat.
Find Welder's Chipping Hammer here.
1. Always use the right hammer for each job. The correct tool will make jobs easier and avoid possible damage to both the tool and workpiece.
2. For delicate work, use a piece of scrap wood between the work piece and the hammer, thereby preventing damage to the workpiece.
3. Use a nail punch to sink nails into the timber, again preventing damage to the workpiece. A nail punch has a flat end, which fits the nail head rather than a pointed end that other punches have.
4. Regularly check that the steel wedges are tight. Be aware that timber handles can shrink in dry conditions.
5. If a timber handle does loosen, place the head in water overnight. Water will cause the handle to expand and tighten the head in.
6. If a hammer tends to slip off nails, roughen the face of the head using a medium abrasive paper.
7. Always wear safety glasses, especially when driving masonry nails or breaking up concrete.
Hammers come in many shapes and sizes, some specialised and others general. In this article, we will explore the differences between an array of hammers, including;
We will also explore what each hammer is good for, and why you should have one in your kit!
Before starting, let&#;s get the easy question out of the way. Hammers have metal heads for driving nails or striking, while mallets have softer heads, often rubber or wood. You can also get nylon mallets too.
Metal = Hammer. Not Metal = Mallet. Simple right?
Hammers come in various shapes and sizes so knowing which hammer to get for your specific job, will make you more efficient at the task at hand. The majority of hammer types can be identified based on these 3 criteria;
The head spans the width of the top of the hammer, the face is the part of the hammer that is used to hit material and the claw is either used to pull nails, reshape metals, chisel materials, or in some cases act as another face. The handle allows you to operate the tool.
Below, we go into the different variations of hammers; each hammer type has a different type of handle, face, claw, or head, or all 4, and as such has a different name.
A claw hammer has a flat head for driving nails and a curved, V-shaped claw for removing them. It&#;s a versatile tool for carpentry.
When you think of a hammer, 9 times out of 10, a claw hammer is the first to spring to mind. They&#;re used in woodworking and construction alike, and if you&#;re nailing something, this is the perfect tool. Over the years, claw hammers have been split further into separate categories such as electrician hammers, rip hammers/framing hammers, and finishing hammers. Whilst all could be called claw hammers, some do deserve their own category due to their differences
Claw Hammer brands to look out for:
Notable claw hammer brands include Estwing, Vaughan, and Stanley. These brands make quality claw hammers for woodworking, DIY, and professional use.
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A framing hammer is a popular type of claw hammer used in construction to drive long nails into wood.
The main difference between a regular claw hammer and a framing hammer is whilst having a similar body shape, the framing nail hammer will have a longer neck, heavier head, and, in some cases, a longer handle.
Framing hammers will also feature faces that are slightly curved or grooved, this gives the hammer a bit more grip, stopping nails from slipping when struck.
Framing hammers can be used for:
Framing Hammer brands to look out for:
Estwing and Vaughan make excellent framing hammers but most brands have some sort of framing hammer, they&#;re just that popular!
A roofing hammer is a tool used for nailing shingles onto roofs. It has a flat head for driving nails and a sharp, often single-tipped claw for removing and cutting roof material.
Roofing hammers come in many shapes and sizes and can be further categorised into slate hammers, roofing hatchets, roofing tailers, pick hammers, and roofing spades. Generally, they will have a flat metal head, a sharp pointed claw, and a short handle.
However, when getting more specific, tools like the roofing hatchet will start to get flatter and look more akin to an axe. They do, however, all keep their long single-pointed claw.
(example of a roofing hatchet)
Roofing Hammer brands to look out for:
Estwing, Vaughan, and Rougheck are some good brands to look into when searching for a roofing hammer.
A Stiletto hammer is a lightweight framing hammer with a titanium head, designed for reduced weight and increased durability. It&#;s commonly used in construction for framing tasks.
Stilleto Hammer brands to look out for:
Milwaukee makes a great stiletto hammer as seen here.
A sledgehammer is a large, heavy hammer with a long handle, used for heavy-duty tasks like demolition or driving stakes.
Sledgehammers have a flat metal head, a flat face, and a flat &#;claw&#; which you could call a second face. Sledgehammers are usually heavy with long handles which allows them to be used to smash and demolish concrete and stone materials.
Sledgehammer brands to look out for:
Ox Tools, Bulldog, and Roughneck make some amazing sledgehammers, with Ox Tools featuring fibreglass handled hammers. Depending on the job at hand, you can expect a sledgehammer from these brands to be around (7lb-14lb 3-8kg).
A brick hammer is a tool used for breaking and setting bricks. It has a chisel end for chipping and a blunt end for striking.
Brick hammers have a metal head, a flat face, and a chisel at the end, they also have a short handle making them lighter and more maneuverable. Often precision-balanced, brick hammers are used to cut bricks down to size with their chisel. The handles will also tend to have shock reduction built in to protect against the injuries caused by repetitive tasks.
Brick Hammer Brands to look out for:
Marshalltown, Estwing, and Ox to name some brands. Ideally, you might want to go with a brand that offers shock absorption as these hammers are used often in bricklaying and construction.
A club hammer, also known as a lump hammer, is a small, heavy hammer with a double-faced head. It&#;s used for light demolition and driving chisels.
Club hammers could be called the little brother (or sister) to the sledgehammer as they both serve the same purpose in that they&#;re used for demolishing stone and masonry. However, club hammers excel when used with a chisel.
The combination of the two tools allows you to be precise when &#;cracking&#; large blocks of stone down into smaller chunks. Club hammers can also be used in this way for sculpting. However, results may vary based on skill level.
Club Hammer / Lump Hammer brands to look out for:
Milwaukee, Estwing, and Stanley have decent ranges of club hammers to explore. With Milwaukee and Stanley also selling chisels, you could get yourself a nice branded set.
A ball pein (or peen) hammer has a rounded face (opposite the flat face) and is used for shaping metal or closing rivets.
In the case of these hammers, the &#;claw&#; is called a pein or a peen. This spherical end is great for rounding off edges, in jobs such as metalworking. Another industry that uses this hammer en masse is the automotive industry, when repairing vehicles a ball pein hammer is the perfect tool to round off dents in bodywork.
Ball Pein Hammer brands to look out for:
Milwaukee, Stanley, and Estwing are well known for their ball pein hammer ranges, Milwaukee has been known to be at the forefront of automotive tools so it makes sense that their hand tool range includes such a specialist tool.
A dead blow hammer is a tool often filled with a steel shot to minimize rebound. The steel shot distributes the energy of each strike evenly. It&#;s designed for striking without causing damage or bounce-back. Commonly used in automotive and construction tasks.
Dead blow hammers are designed with heavier heads, which reduces kickback when striking surfaces. This means that when using the hammer it won&#;t rebound giving you control of the motion causing less accidental damage than say a rubber mallet.
Dead blow hammer brands to look out for:
Milwaukee has a great range of dead blow hammers built for automotive repairs and manufacture. Brands such as Estwing and Sealy also offer a range of pretty good hammers.
A mallet features soft faces, often made of rubber or plastic, for non-damaging blows. They can also be made of wood.
Mallets are a great tool for knocking wood into place when working with timber etc &#; think dovetail joints. They are also used to strike chisels and other woodworking tools, the advantage being that unlike metal tools they do not cause much damage to the tool they are hitting.
Mallet brands to look out for:
Ox Tools has a great range of rubber mallets whereas brands such as Draper and Faithful will have you covered for wooden mallets.
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