Nowadays hammers are used in different ways, many designs for many uses: sledge hammers for demolition, Ball-peen hammers for mechanics, and brick hammers for bricklayers.
I am going to talk about carpenters hammers, such as the claw and framing hammer.
Now wether your a carpenter/joiner or a DIYer, it is always advisable to purchase a good quality claw hammer.It is probably the most important hand tool in the tool box.
There are many makes and designs on the market today.It all depends on what you want to use, wether its for small house hold tasks or heavy on site bashing and pulling nail jobs.
Here are a few which i would recommend.
These are Estwing hammers which are designed in America. It is a well known and established name in the building industry.Nearly every joiner i know has an Estwing hammer. Mainly because they are built tough, they last a life time and you would never need to buy another unless It gets nicked, lost or abducted by aliens. Ive had mine for 15 years and it has never failed me. Ive dropped it of scaffolding, I've thrown it against concrete walls ( only when it made contact with a pinky), even survived a running over by a JCB. I wouldn't be without my hardy hammer.
The first hammer is a weight forward hammer which means the balance is more forward, this helps with the swinging technique and also gains more power and blow with whatever you make contact with. It has a straighter claw which enables you to pull nails in hard to reach places. The straight claw also helps with splitting timber for wedges etc.It has a good grip handle which doesn't give you blisters when used constantly.
The second hammer is the most popular of all the Estwing range. Its the one i have had for 15 years and is almost indestructible. Its a good all rounder for joiners and DIYers alike. The balance is excellent and its grip is perfect. The end is soft and actually helps with the feel of the swing. Its ideal for knocking in nails time after time without any fatigue over long periods.
The third Estwing is a classic leather grip design. I have only used one of these once and straight away i loved the feel of the leather which has fantastic grip. Its a nice weighted hammer which is beautifly manufactured. I would have had one but i already owned the other model.E3/23
Now the EMR/23 is a new model which hasn't been on the market for long. To be honest i haven't ever used this hammer yet but hopefully will be trying it out at a tool fair. Its got the Estwing name so should be good.
Hammer Five is a Framing hammer, these are much longer than normal claw hammers which produces greater impact for driving long nails into timber,they are used particularly for shuttering and framing. The handle grip is made from liquid vinyl,bonded on to an all steel shaft during production. Like the rest of the hammers they come in different weights 16-30oz i think hammers which are a weight of 20,22oz are the most popular. All have one piece solid shafts which gives them there strength.
These are just a few hammers on the market, there are umpteen makes but i would always recommend these
as they are the best.
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