Hammers are regarded as the oldest tools on earth, and they were presumably the devices with which other tools were originally manufactured. The oldest hammer we know of was thought to be employed about 2-1/2 million years ago to create ancient knives or arrowheads. Fortunately, today we simply shop for our blades and save the hammers for nails, chisels and now and again an unfortunate thumb. The three more common kinds of hammers are explained below, along with a sample of specific products. Be sure to check out the Air Wrench.
A claw hammer is made primarily for pounding nails into wood or plaster. Once in a while, the claw end may be employed to remove nails which were incorrectly driven in by some other guy. The head on the claw hammer is manufactured out of somewhat brittle steel, as a result these hammers were never intended for metalwork. However, they work well on wood, plaster and the other guy’s thumb. Another must see are the Air Grinders.
Stanley markets a well manufactured 16 oz claw hammer mounted on a fiberglass handle which may look incredibly cool in your toolbox. The high-visibility yellow handle would be easy to see in the tool chest, and the handle’s fiberglass material and textured rubber make it easy on your hand, while the treated steel head makes it brutal on fasteners.
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Ball-peen hammers are set apart from claw hammers because these hammers have a round strike surface and don’t have a claw-end. This kind of hammer is used in metalworking situations for jobs like driving punches and chisels with sufficient force to mark metal. Less commonly, it can be employed to adjust sheet metal if the proper machinery is unavailable. Because of the way ball peen hammers are employed, they are less likely to flatten thumbs, but knuckles are sometimes collateral damage. Klein Tools, Inc. designs a 12.5 inch ball peen hammer made with a high-carbon steel head. The straight-grain hickory handle adds force to the strike and is amply sturdy for years of banging on things.
A sledgehammer has a large head, flattened on two sides and is therefore quite a bit heavier than the aforementioned two classes of hammers. Sledgehammers are meant to bring to bear more force than the smaller hammers and are not very made for aim. These hammers are often employed for driving stakes and are particularly useful for demolition of numerous materials. Pony offers a 10-pound sledgehammer mounted on a 36-inch fiberglass handle which ensures the blow focuses on the object, rather than the person holding that hammer. The steel head is tempered for resilience, and the strike surfaces in addition to the sides are coated to guard against rust.
Hammers are very old and incredibly useful tools. They may be used for shimming, flattening, striking, and now and then for fragmenting. No respectable tool box ought to be seen without at least a couple of these versatile tools. As an aside, they are certainly not made for thumbs, wrists or other extremities, so be certain that other guy keeps his hands out of the hammer’s way.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
great blog Thank you for the details.
traveler
this history is so cute. i liked this.