The difference between a rubber mallet and a deadblow cannot be overstated. First time I used a deadblow, I was amazed at how little energy rebounded back off the workpiece. Definitely would add that to your collection if you're laying brick, or pounding something into place.
Also longevity just sitting on the shelf. I've been through three hardware store rubber hammers that have dried cracked and fallen off the handle before their 2nd use. One deadblow has outlasted them all.
Where most use a rubber hammer, I use a rawhide hammer, and they live longer, but I only carry a deadblow for most site work as it's far better for most purposes.
Amen, said the same thing. Swap out the rubber mallet for a soft faced deadblow and add in a copper/leather dual faced and you have the complete 6 pack.
I'm going to add two instead of list two. In addition to the five essentials listed in this video, I'd add a deadblow and a wooden mallet. I'm into woodworking and both of them are handy when you want to move something without damaging it.
Wooden tappy-tap-tap will not mangle sheet metal and move it more locally than rubber or rawhide mallet. Very useful for small adjustments on already/nearly finished shiny metal.
you really need a wooden mallet if you are going to do any chiseling as the ring of a metal hammer will drive you crazy. Chiselling mallets are also cut at a different angle to be more efficient and ergenomical. (sp?)
+1 on the wooden mallet and woodworking. And they are fun to make! I made one for a buddy who is a fellow woodworker and he told me it's his go-to for tapping stuff into place.
A number of years ago i moved from using a traditional mallet to a Thorex nylon faced hammer for woodworking, not a big difference but I think it's easier to work with.
Scott, like Tommy Silva and Norm Abram, you're the salt of the Earth. Myself being a career field geologist, I've spent decades traimpsing over terrain all over the world mapping formations for esoteric research papers. But it's you all as tradesman, building contractors, fabricators, plumbers, blacksmiths, electricians, masons, landscapers as patrons of the practical that I have always respected the most. You're tough, work outside in all conditions doing physical work, read blueprints/plans, solve ongoing problems from engineered drawings to structure, build products for us that we live in and that stand the test of time for generations beyond, and inspire with the knowledge and advice which you freely demonstrate/share on your channel. Even though you and I are the same age, I've always regarded your calm, soft-spoken, and knowledgable demeanor as an indication that you're a rare sage indeed of all things practical and a much older and wiser soul than I. Thanks for such a great and inspirational channel.
Great video. Over 50 years ago I showed up to work on a roof for my great uncle. I had a curved claw hammer. Uncle took it over to his tailgate and sawed the handle off. He went to his truck toolbox and gave me a straight claw. He showed me how to flip it around and bury it in the roof if I was sliding or falling. He said we'll fix the hole later but you can't do that with a curve claw.
As a diesel and heavy equipment mechanic I would add to your list a ~2 lb. brass hammer. I mostly use the ball peen, engineers/sledge, and brass hammer day to day. Also specially tire dismount hammers and wheel weight hammers and more. I couldn't do my job well with just two but the two in my hand the most are probably a ball peen and the brass hammer with the sledge a close third. A deadblow hammer is also super useful.
I want to congratulate you on your patent! Wonderful news! When I was in the union and doing footings your hammer invention would have been in my holster had it been invented then. Scott, you're a truly great man, and I'm proud to be a subscriber..
I’ve always wanted to get a tattoo of a crossed claw hammer, and ball peen hammer. My father was a primarily a carpenter (among other things), and supported his family with a claw hammer. I ended up being an Airframer, and working sheet metal on planes in the Navy, so I supported my family with a ball peen hammer. It’s wild to think about the connection of how central a hammer is to both of our lives.
Tattoos are tacky -- nobody regrets not getting a tattoo when they're 60, I promise you that. But there are thousands upon thousands who definitely DO regret getting that tacky artwork permanently etched onto the temple that is your living body.
@@Russ0107 I have a lot bigger regrets than my tattoos. My tattoos aren’t regrets, they’re proof of lessons learned. Plus there’s nothing like a painted up salty sailor or something.
As an auto mechanic, I'll add one more. In a similar vein to the rubber mallet for wood, if you're a machinist or auto mechanic or something of that nature where you can't afford to mar the finish (or threads) on something that needs a sharp strike, you just can't beat a brass or non-ferrous hammer. Additionally, they're absolutely indispensable if you're in an industry where you need non-sparking tools, because brass is about the only game in town in that regard that has both the mass/density and the safety to do the job. And you would be surprised where you'd need a brass hammer too, flour and sugar mills, along with coal power plants that use fluidized bed burners (where they blast air up thru a contained quantity of ignited coal dust with constant fly ash removal and new coal powder feed, it's a very thermodynamically efficient burner type) come to mind because of the ever-present danger of a dust explosion.
If you’ve ever worked on classic British sports cars like Healies or MG’s, many have knock-off center wheel nuts that came with brass hammers from the factory to remove them without damaging them. They’re packaged with the tool kits in the vehicles.
@@matthewgallant3622 Over the years, those get lost or go missing for other reasons, so it's good to have one that's "yours" in case you can't find the "proper" one for something like that.
@@44R0Ndin It definitely is good to have your own. Especially if you’re working on MG’s exclusively, just buy your own it’ll be quicker than digging out the same tool out of every car
I found a 2-3lb short(14”) handled sledge hammer on the street, I believe dropped by a utility worker, years ago. It was a life changer outside of my fiberglass handled, semi-curved claw hammer, it’s been the most useful hammer I have ever owned.
I used to use a 3lb hammer with a wedge on one side. Ive since switched to a 4lb engineers hammer. I get better strikes and its flat on both sides so performs the same either way. Ive had too many times swinging that wedge end on a chisel im holding, only to get a glancing blow off the chisel and into my hand. I keep a 6lb one hand sledge handy too. In case i need to send it! Or drive a stake into the ground. My favorite hammer is my 2 1/2" lixie dead blow though, second favirite is my stiletto.
As others have mentioned, the modern plastic deadblow hammer has mostly replaced the rubber mallet for me. My 40 year old rubber mallet sits forlornly in the shop. The other "whacking device" I enjoy is a fairly small headed (10oz?) claw hammer that lives in the in the house tool kit. An all purpose device for sure.
I use a 2 1/2" lixie dead blow mallet with interchangeable rubber heads. I use the super soft orange to wail on finished wood flooring to install. And brown on the other side for a firmer but still soft head which i use for all kinds of stuff. I want to get one of their dead blow sledges too (a one hand sledge size) I'll show that floor who its daddy is! I found out today lixie got selected by nasa to be their deadblow, means a lot to me because both my grandparents were engineers on the apollo program. I actually have 2 of them
I'm about the same age as Scott. I've bought a few brand new hammers and a lot of used. A quick gather up the other day I had 45 and I wouldn't want to give one of them up!
Excellent insights, as ALWAYS, sir! You were speaking of hammer heads mostly (very interesting), but I have a collection of hammers whose HANDLES are OCTAGONAL (from the 1950's and 1960', I think)--love 'em! You are AWESOME, Scott, keep up the good work!!!
My two goto hammers are the Estwing rock hammer and the Estwing 3lb drilling hammer. If you're doing rock work those two will get you where you need to go.
In your category of soft hammers, the dead blow hammer is amazing. The lack of rebound and fine control despite the weight is essential for the trades involving machinery.
Hammers, everyone needs at least a dozen or so....... I'm in my seventies, I still dabble at work a little, a few years back I got really arm-weary swing a framing hammer, so I purchased a Stiletto 16oz ...... what a beast, and with that 16 in handle It has all the leverage in the world for pulling all most bent everything..............................what a game changer, worth every dollar !! ,
Adam Savage highly recommends a small thwacker. And for home use as well, I always recommend a tack hammer, small, light weight, for hanging pictures and such on your walls.
Only recently did I stumble across your channel and I'm so very glad that I did! Your advice and explanations of why and how things work are always most helpful. The variety of different crafts you've learned and the skill and experience you've acquired along the way are amazing. The appreciation you have for craftsmanship of any kind means so much to me personally. You remind me very much of my father, there isn't much he can't do with a little forethought and what he has around him. That is something that I've always admired and wanted to emulate. But being his little girl, and him being old fashioned, he's less than thrilled to see me working on a car, or (even worse) operating equipment for a living, clearing land, grading and excavating. But it's something that I enjoy immensely along with just learning new things in general and being able to do things for myself that need to be done. I do a little woodworking when I can, or have to, I've done some minor framing on my own home, drywall, tile, a/c work, built my own cabinets from scratch (before I knew about the world of TH-cam), I've installed, replaced or rerouted plumbing when I've had to, taken apart and fixed things that I didn't think I could until I did, and I understand that all this just makes me a jack but not a master, however I can do so many things that I never thought I'd be able to do, and along the way, as a single mother of two girls, have been able to show them that almost anything is doable. I grew up on the job site where my father framed houses and I learned so much from just watching what was going on around me. My girls have not had that same experience themselves but I try to always have them around when I do things that they might not be familiar with in hopes that they will learn that with a little determination and some basic knowledge and skill they can do for themselves what needs to be done when there is no one else around to do it for them. I've recently had a friend begin teaching me to weld and I think that it is such a useful skill to have. Your videos about blacksmithing have really intrigued me as well and I'd like to make that mini forge you made a video about and just try my hand at it, mostly for its usefulness, they fact that it's exciting is only an added bonus. What most impressed me about your videos are, for one thing, your mild mannered way and down to earth, hardworking outlook on life, and, secondly, how you have learned what you need to know to do what needs to be done for yourself and your family. Now I know that most people do that, to some extent, but the fact that you can go out to your shop and make what you need, to me, that is such an invaluable skill. Because no matter how much faith we want to have in humanity, when push comes to shove, you may not always be able to depend on a fellow man to help you or your family out, or there may not be anyone around to help you out if they could. And while I'm not trying to far out on an already long winded post (I'm very sorry), it's very important to me to be able to do for your self because it seems like everything seems to be disposable these days, even though the price tag would indicate otherwise, you'll find yourself working more to replace things that should last but don't or paying high prices to fix things, that by any standard, is still considered new and shouldn't need fixing, is where being able to make do or make something you need or fix what you have comes in quite handy. I am, by no means an extremist of any sort, I just value so much what you do and what you've taken the time to try to share with anyone who wants to learn. Again, I apologize for the long post, but I feel very drawn to the content you provide and I'm thankful for the time and effort you and your family put into these videos to share your wisdom and knowledge. I look forward to more of your videos. I'll do my best to keep up the good work and I thank you for the encouragement! 🖤
I got my Estwing when I was an apprentice and it’s still my favourite after 34 years, then my duel faced rubber mallet with weighted head and wooden handle..
I have a lot of hammers, but the one I reach for the most by far is an old, somewhat beat-up, ordinary, and modestly-sized ball pein with a hickory handle. I happened upon this hammer in the oddest way. I came into the office one morning - and I'll note here that this was an office building in downtown Boston - to find a large hole in the wall over my desk and said hammer resting there innocently like nothing happened. I picked it up. It felt good. I took it home and have used it for decades. It is as it was: head slightly loose, paint splattered, etc. I never bothered to fix it, clean it, polish the faces or anything else. I just like it for most any light hammer task. Beyond that hammer, I don't know ... I do use a 2-faced rubber/plastic mallet a lot, a harbor freight dead blow, and a 5lb hand sledge.
Most of my work is DIY household repairs, general carpentry, and some fine woodworking. My go-to hammer is a 16 oz curved claw hammer with a wooden handle. It was one of the very first tools that I bought for myself 30 years ago while I was in living in a college dorm. I love its balance, weight, and the grip of the handle, that I sanded down and refinished with boiled linseed oil. I use it for everything from hanging pictures to building furniture. My other favorite hammer is a wood handled Vaughan tack hammer that's great for setting brads into trim work. I own an electric brad nailer, but I prefer the finesse and precision of a tack hammer. I have two rubber mallets - a black one for sealing paint cans, and a white composite rubber one that leaves no marks and is useful tor furniture assembly. I also have a 3 pound Fiberglas handled drilling hammer for setting garden stakes and small outdoor demo projects. Also, a Narex wooden mallet that's I use with my wood chisels, or for nudging wooden parts together. My father-in-law has a collection of peen hammers that I can borrow if I ever need to hammer metal.
I love myself a stacked leather handle for my carpentry hammer. I have replaced damaged plastic for leather a few times myself and it holds up great and feels so much better.
@synapticburn I have 9oz leather in full hides. I stamp out disks of the right size with a hole in the middle and stack them with flexible epoxy in between. Then shape the handle to final dimensions.
Estwing makes a leather handle hammer. I used to have one, but the concrete eats the leather and ends up killing it in my use. They are great and feel good, they just arent for masons i wouldnt say. Estwing makes them from 12-24oz i think. For me its the blue handle though.
In your online store you should show a photo of your "Form Setter" hammer driving a square concrete form steak. Congratulations on your patent well done Smithy.
My two go-to hammers are a 100 year old hickory handled Germantown claw hammer and a medium sized ball pien that was made in China. I use those at my workbench all the time. When I'm in the field I tend to use a heavier straight-claw steel hammer, a no name that like 90% of my tools, I bought at a garage or estate sale.Great video Scott. Keep up the good work!
I’ve built up a pretty decent collection over the years and have quite a few that I really like. Still my absolute favourites would have to be 10oz Stiletto for light work, 20oz long fibreglass handle milled face Vaughan for framing, and my 12oz Walboard drywall hammer.
I inherited my grandfather's Dalluge titanium hammer. Prior to using that I have been swinging a Hart hammer (this was before that brand sold to Walmart and still produced a quality tool.) The Dalluge instantly became my favorite. The huge face and light weight made driving nails a cinch. The Hart however still earns it's keep as my concrete hammer. The steel handle makes yanking out stakes easy and the side nail puller, wow what an innovation. Most will be familiar with the Martinez version of the same thing but at the time Hart made a great hammer with that feature for a fraction of the price. So titanium for carpentry and steel for concrete/demolition. Just got to get my hands on a form setter now...
Nice selections. I’d add one to the list. I once found an old solid heavy iron hammer. All one piece of iron. The thing is amazingly heavy, and with a blunt chisel on the handle end. I absolutely love it and have used it for everything from demolition to finishing nails. The momentum really helps with precision work, you just choke up.
I'm old and retired, a career in IT, but I have always been a DIYer. I have examples of each of the hammers in my collection, except I have a 3 pound (-ish?) engineers hammer that is represented by your patented design. Thanks for the video!
I'm a leatherworker, and for me a soft-impact hammer of some sort (rawhide/rubber/poly) is a must. I spend a lot of time using stitching punches, hole punches, letter stamps, whatever - they all end up with dangerous, ugly mushroomed ends if I don't use something soft. The second must-have would be a ball-peen - the face of it for hammering stitches or flattening something; the round end for finishing saddler's rivets.
I've been spending a lot of time with my chisel mallet lately. It has a softer rubber face and a harder plastic face. It's been great for so many jobs beyond chisel work. I've been installing a floating engineered hardwood floor. Snapping the pieces together is a lot easier with a tap from the soft face.
In the woodshop I use a Paul Sellers style wooden mallet, and I love it. I've also found myself recently reaching for the little stubby hammer in the junk drawer for odd jobs around the house. It's surprisingly handy.
Around the homestead the hammers I find myself reaching for the most are my estwing 16oz rip hammer and a 4lb crosspeen hammer. Those 2 hammers do 80% of what I need but for the other 20% the other hammers you listed cover all my bases nicely
My two are a 12oz claw and an 8lbs sledge (for woodworking and driving splitting wedges to make lumber). Third is a wooden mallet for driving chisels and persuading parts together.
So interesting! I love my collection of mallets-usually for driving tent stakes and such, including big lawn fabric staples. If I had to choose one other one it would be my claw hammer I “borrowed” from someone way back in college 😊 what fun to have a patent on a hammer -- good for you.
Excellent video. I have all you mentioned. My favourite for framing is a 32 oz with waffled face on the head. One hammer which has proven useful for small jobs is a tailor's hammer - like a small blacksmith's hammer. The cross pein is useful for hitting in a small area, or use it as a punch (set). Well done with the form setter hammer and patent.
My favorite hammer is one I learned about from you, sir - the riggers ax, which I would still count as a hammer. I have an Estwing and get so much use from it thanks to your channel!
For the woodworker or timber framer doing joinery, a wooden mallet is ideal, but the rubber mallet will suffice. Great video and congrats on the patent!
I used to swear by a rubber mallet until I bought a cheap orange Deadblow mallet (found in every big-box DIY store ever). All the energy into the work and no marks. I also made a wooden mallet out of scrap oak with a curved head and angled faces, handle about 18 inches (sized so it will rest on a face with the handle tip on the bench). It's about 4lbs and it moves things. My biggest hammer mistake was a 12lb sledge - too heavy to swing with any kind of finesse - bigger isn't always better.
Your channel is what convinced me of having a good hickory handle, so I have been in the process of switching over. It definitely helps my hand. I have found that I can do anything I need to do, including demo work with a 3lb drilling hammer, a 2-3lb engineering hammer and a 19oz framing hammer. I am looking for a 5-6lb maul that I can saw down to be a heavy single jack for heavier demo work. I also vastly prefer a dead blow to rubber mallet. I do not like the rebound of a mallet. Cheap harbor freight dead blows work just fine and their soft faces do not mar the work. The other day I scored a very interesting hammer. It is 10lbs with a 24" hickory handle, a striking face that and a cross peen. The front half of it looks like a drilling hammer. I got it for heavy, short strikes and confined space work for when I really need to move something.
its awesome that you acknowledge "perhaps its confirmation bias". we are imperfect creatures, and sometimes were not willing to admit that until we get nice and ol... 'experienced'.
Your videos are excellent! My two most used hammers are both carpenter hammers. One with a straight claw and the other with a curved claw. Congratulations on your Patent and the wonderful hammer. Best wishes.
I have one or more of the 5 types. But, my standard go-to hammer, for the last 40+ years, is an Estwing 20 oz. straight claw with the leather wrapped handle.
Another great video, Thanks. Your honesty and consistency with what you've done, do, and don't have much experience with is invaluable. My go to hammers are a claw and a ball peen. The ball peen is great for mechanical work and some metal shaping, hot and cold.
I've got em all! Guess I better get out there and start swinging! My two favorite are the claw hammer and my 8lb sledge that makes stubborn things move 😄.
Love my Estwing, BUT my go-to is a little 3/4 version (around 6-8oz). I must have about a dozen of them around the place - gotten used to the much smaller size and weight. My Stiletto has dewalt written on it!
45 years of framing and finishing my go to hammer is a 16 oz smooth face curved claw fiberglass handled hammer. Vaughn or Plumb are my favorites. Curved claw is best for pulling nails. 16oz is easier on my elbow and wrist. Smooth face is versatile and will not take out a chunk of meat if you happen to miss. A checkered face is not necessary if you keep the face smooth face clean or lightly sand the face with fine sandpaper when it gets a waxy or oily finish on it. A fiberglass handle is indestructible and have never had to replace it, however I do like the feel of a wooden handle. It minimizes vibration and feels very well balanced. If you opt for a wooden handle, make sure the grain orientation is right or you will be replacing the handle moe often. I have tried most every type of carpenter's hammer even a titanium Stiletto costing a couple of hundred dollars but keep going back to my go to hammer, it just feels right.
My house has 200yo oak framing. I usually use a 4lb hand sledge to drive any nails into that and even then it is hard to find many nails good enough to drive into that wood. When ever I work on new construction it blows my mind how easy nails drive in yellow pine.
I have many different hammers but my favorite for around the house is my old craftsman with the nail claw on one of the claws. So great for pulling small things like stapples and such. :)
Also: wooden mallet, deadblow (small, medium, large), specialty hammers for specific trades (eg tire weight hammer). As a shade tree mechanic my go to is a light flat faced/pointed end, body hammer that is great for shaping sheet metal, chipping rust, and just persuding things. Found it at some yard sale. I have a whole set of Stiletto's including a waffle head given to me by a VP of Stiletto I chatted with at a bar after work one day, but I never really got comfortable with them. My favorite is my Tim Allen "RRR" polished steel 16oz that I got as a Christmas gift. Ill check out you patented whacker, looks like i might need to add it to my collection!
Nice video about hammers. I'm a tool nut with over 40 different types and sizes of hammers. But my daily go to are the 20 oz. Stright claw and a 40 oz. cross peen. Keep up the Essential 👍🏻👍🏻 Craftsman! One great channel❤
I just got my formsetter. Great great design for driving pins, I absolutely love it. Ive been in construction since I could walk, I buy nice tools, and have a pretty good collection of hammers that include old estwings, stilettos, and martinez. The formsetter is the pride of my collection and I love telling people about the design of it and how they are being forged and sold. Everyone that uses it loves it. Its not just a cool novelty, the design stands on its own. Maybe im biased, but it seems to drive pins better than my estwing 4# single jack i swore by for years, and it digs great in out harsh soil. I plan to take care of it and use it for years and years to come.
I’m an automotive mechanic, huge gear head and forever a car guy, and I own a lot of different hammers you’d never think you’d need but I use them every single day at work. A dead blow hammer and ball peen are essentials, and a 4lb sledge hammer as well.
I'm a millwright and I carry a 2lb soft face drilling hammer with a fiberglass handle everywhere. If you wear gloves and particularly if you get grease, water, and various oils on your glove, the fiberglass handles with deep ridges can't be beat. I used to carry a 2lb forged cross peen with a hickory handle but I found a lot of instances where I would be fighting to hold onto it. Honorable mention to my 8lb sledgehammer with the 18 inch handle. Sometimes absolutely nothing else will work for driving or beating something in close quarters.
Rubber mallets can be used for leveling or sanding interlocking pavers as you do not want to risk cracking them. When leveling, the mallet will help settle the stone dust underneath the pavers to bring them flush and when sanding, it settles the sand between them. If you use polymeric sand you want it to settle between the pavers so that once you water it it will harden and hold them in position.
Inherited from my dad a number of hammers. A couple of them stand out, an upholsterer's tack hammer ( it has a magnetized split head on one end and driving head on the other ) and the other is a combination splitting / nailing hammer for cedar shakes / shingles.
Scott, my two are now a 14 oz long steel handle (the 22 oz wood handle stays in the box because I've broken too many handles) and a 2 lb puddling hammer for driving stakes around forms.
As a bricklayer/mason I'd be lost at sea without my lump hammer and scutch hammer. I always keep a claw hammer in my bag for any rudimentary or enabling carpentry work.
I work in a tire shop and have four hammers I use. First a soft faced wheel weight hammer for slamming clip weights onto a rim. I've been through about half a dozen of those in thirteen years. Next I have a double jack for convincing stubborn wheels off of the hub. Works well on duallys. A single jack as well for when it is not a big welding truck of some kind. Then the standard framing hammer when I have to "modify" some horribly designed lug nut with an aluminum cap (for some reason) because it swelled and doesn't fit in the socket anymore. Claw hammer and a cold chisel and replace the lug nut. I really enjoy when that happens. DESTROY!!
Yes hickey handle with my 21 oz framing hammer and my 8 lb sledge hammer with a 30" fiber glass handle i put in about 40 couple years ago and still going strong.
Another wonderful video! I’ll echo the Stiletto/titanium preference. Have 3 (milled and non-milled 14 oz. framers and a 10 oz finish hammer), all w hickory handles. Made the investment 20-some years ago. I’m 3 months from 60, work full-time as a carpenter/builder, and (KNOCK WOOD, all) have good elbows still. Other item I’d add are my Garland split-head rawhide mallets (#3 and #5), musts for timber framers and anyone who cares to protect lovely wood-handled chisels/slicks - and your work - while still bringing some oomph.
I use a rubber mallet - but a few years ago I got one half the size / weight of the "regular" one you have there, and it's much better to use - less tiring. I also have a white one now when I don't want to leave black marks on things. A dead blow mallet is also fantastic. Filled with bearings there is no bounce or recoil, so great on the arms / wrists. Very good for making adjustments to table saw tables to get them level etc. In a pinch last year it made for a great mallet with an old cold chisel for getting up (very) stubborn laundry tiles. Primary hammer would be a medium sized cross pein / warrington hammer, with a ball pein hammer next.
My two go to hammers are a Sears Craftsman claw hammer I inherited from my Dad, and a dead blow hammer I use for knocking things into place without making a mark on it.
I have been a contractor for almost 50 years. My go-to hammer is a 20 oz. smooth face with a wooden handle from a 28 oz. hammer. It gives me just a little extra length on the handle, it's a little bigger in diameter, and it improves the balance of the hammer. I keep a 3 lb. double jack for driving stakes and light demo work.
As a retired Mason my 2 are: Bricklayers hammer (wood handle) and the Estwing carpenters hammers exactly like yours. Had both over 40 yrs. Ballpeen and 3# Mash backups. Love your channel as I enter retirement from commercial work and look forward to my projects.
I run the m4 Martinez "finish hammer". It hits similar to my old 22oz estwing but my elbow doesn't hurt anymore. Some times I will swap in out for a 3lb club hammer in the belt if dealing with 8"x2" or larger long term
I split wood for exercise and heating, and do carpentry around the house, so my two main ones are an 8-lb double jack and a straight-claw carpenter’s hammer.
I’ve always had a 16 oz claw hammer and a 16 oz ball peen. They’ve served me well around the house and as a general mechanic. I’ve also had a 4 lb engineers hammer for heavier work. Now that I’m getting onto blacksmithing. My needs have changed to more specialized hammers. I now have a 2.5 lb cross peen and recently a 3 lb rounding hammer
While I agree with your choices, as a mason I’ve been able to use my good old Estwing big blue head with the hickory handle for a lot. I’ve cut 2x4s in half with my hammer. Up on the roof of a huge job at Yale we needed a 2x4 to be cut. We couldn’t do anything unless this board was cut to get out of the way of raising our foot plank. One laborer left to get a saw and extension chords and while he was gone I pulled my etswing brick hammer out and chopped the board in half and we raised the plank before the other laborer came back. Drives nails pretty quick too.
The difference between a rubber mallet and a deadblow cannot be overstated. First time I used a deadblow, I was amazed at how little energy rebounded back off the workpiece. Definitely would add that to your collection if you're laying brick, or pounding something into place.
Also longevity just sitting on the shelf. I've been through three hardware store rubber hammers that have dried cracked and fallen off the handle before their 2nd use. One deadblow has outlasted them all.
find myself regularly turning to my dead blow hammer. It made my rubber mallet all but obsolete.
Where most use a rubber hammer, I use a rawhide hammer, and they live longer, but I only carry a deadblow for most site work as it's far better for most purposes.
Amen, said the same thing. Swap out the rubber mallet for a soft faced deadblow and add in a copper/leather dual faced and you have the complete 6 pack.
I was thinking the same, I find a dead blow has more uses and I have gotten away with using it in place of a rubber mallet for the last ten year
I'm going to add two instead of list two. In addition to the five essentials listed in this video, I'd add a deadblow and a wooden mallet. I'm into woodworking and both of them are handy when you want to move something without damaging it.
Wooden tappy-tap-tap will not mangle sheet metal and move it more locally than rubber or rawhide mallet. Very useful for small adjustments on already/nearly finished shiny metal.
you really need a wooden mallet if you are going to do any chiseling as the ring of a metal hammer will drive you crazy. Chiselling mallets are also cut at a different angle to be more efficient and ergenomical. (sp?)
+1 on the wooden mallet and woodworking. And they are fun to make! I made one for a buddy who is a fellow woodworker and he told me it's his go-to for tapping stuff into place.
A number of years ago i moved from using a traditional mallet to a Thorex nylon faced hammer for woodworking, not a big difference but I think it's easier to work with.
Agree 100% on the wood mallet and deadblow.
7 years into running my own company and I’d like to thank you for all the knowledge I’ve gotten from you over the years 💪🏾💯
I don't do construction but I too have gotten a lot of knowledge out of these videos as well.
As a young carpenter who just turned 30, ive come to the conclusion i know nothing.
Scott, like Tommy Silva and Norm Abram, you're the salt of the Earth. Myself being a career field geologist, I've spent decades traimpsing over terrain all over the world mapping formations for esoteric research papers. But it's you all as tradesman, building contractors, fabricators, plumbers, blacksmiths, electricians, masons, landscapers as patrons of the practical that I have always respected the most. You're tough, work outside in all conditions doing physical work, read blueprints/plans, solve ongoing problems from engineered drawings to structure, build products for us that we live in and that stand the test of time for generations beyond, and inspire with the knowledge and advice which you freely demonstrate/share on your channel. Even though you and I are the same age, I've always regarded your calm, soft-spoken, and knowledgable demeanor as an indication that you're a rare sage indeed of all things practical and a much older and wiser soul than I. Thanks for such a great and inspirational channel.
Great video. Over 50 years ago I showed up to work on a roof for my great uncle. I had a curved claw hammer. Uncle took it over to his tailgate and sawed the handle off. He went to his truck toolbox and gave me a straight claw. He showed me how to flip it around and bury it in the roof if I was sliding or falling. He said we'll fix the hole later but you can't do that with a curve claw.
Dang.
I been on a few roofs with my dad in the day but he never gave me that lesson. Holy...
I hope that's not a lesson that you or he ever had to actually use.
My dad just says i look like a monkey fucking a football. I still do not know what this means.
Do monkeys even like footballs?
I thought that was framing roofing 101. At least it is for everyone in my crew.🍻
As a diesel and heavy equipment mechanic I would add to your list a ~2 lb. brass hammer. I mostly use the ball peen, engineers/sledge, and brass hammer day to day. Also specially tire dismount hammers and wheel weight hammers and more. I couldn't do my job well with just two but the two in my hand the most are probably a ball peen and the brass hammer with the sledge a close third. A deadblow hammer is also super useful.
As an electrician, my two go-to hammers are a 16 oz Estwing and my linesman pliers
😂 lineman's pliers! oh lord, yes. can't count the times i've used mine for pounding on things.
The infamous hammer Klein's the safety guy has nightmares about😂 Scaffold builders know them well.
Such a natural delivery style. One that the "professionals" only hope to achieve in their lifetime.
You forgot to mention that some think "every tool is a hammer" 🛠
Palm strike, dont be a tool, be the tool 😅
I want to congratulate you on your patent! Wonderful news!
When I was in the union and doing footings your hammer invention would have been in my holster had it been invented then.
Scott, you're a truly great man, and I'm proud to be a subscriber..
I’ve always wanted to get a tattoo of a crossed claw hammer, and ball peen hammer. My father was a primarily a carpenter (among other things), and supported his family with a claw hammer. I ended up being an Airframer, and working sheet metal on planes in the Navy, so I supported my family with a ball peen hammer. It’s wild to think about the connection of how central a hammer is to both of our lives.
That would be an awesome tattoo!
Quit playin'. Go get that tat on your left cheek, son.
Tattoos are tacky -- nobody regrets not getting a tattoo when they're 60, I promise you that. But there are thousands upon thousands who definitely DO regret getting that tacky artwork permanently etched onto the temple that is your living body.
@@Russ0107 I have a lot bigger regrets than my tattoos. My tattoos aren’t regrets, they’re proof of lessons learned. Plus there’s nothing like a painted up salty sailor or something.
@@Russ0107 some tattoos aren’t tacky
As an auto mechanic, I'll add one more. In a similar vein to the rubber mallet for wood, if you're a machinist or auto mechanic or something of that nature where you can't afford to mar the finish (or threads) on something that needs a sharp strike, you just can't beat a brass or non-ferrous hammer.
Additionally, they're absolutely indispensable if you're in an industry where you need non-sparking tools, because brass is about the only game in town in that regard that has both the mass/density and the safety to do the job. And you would be surprised where you'd need a brass hammer too, flour and sugar mills, along with coal power plants that use fluidized bed burners (where they blast air up thru a contained quantity of ignited coal dust with constant fly ash removal and new coal powder feed, it's a very thermodynamically efficient burner type) come to mind because of the ever-present danger of a dust explosion.
A lead hammer is an absolute must for a machinist.
If you’ve ever worked on classic British sports cars like Healies or MG’s, many have knock-off center wheel nuts that came with brass hammers from the factory to remove them without damaging them. They’re packaged with the tool kits in the vehicles.
@@matthewgallant3622
Over the years, those get lost or go missing for other reasons, so it's good to have one that's "yours" in case you can't find the "proper" one for something like that.
@@44R0Ndin It definitely is good to have your own. Especially if you’re working on MG’s exclusively, just buy your own it’ll be quicker than digging out the same tool out of every car
I found a 2-3lb short(14”) handled sledge hammer on the street, I believe dropped by a utility worker, years ago. It was a life changer outside of my fiberglass handled, semi-curved claw hammer, it’s been the most useful hammer I have ever owned.
I used to use a 3lb hammer with a wedge on one side. Ive since switched to a 4lb engineers hammer. I get better strikes and its flat on both sides so performs the same either way. Ive had too many times swinging that wedge end on a chisel im holding, only to get a glancing blow off the chisel and into my hand.
I keep a 6lb one hand sledge handy too. In case i need to send it! Or drive a stake into the ground.
My favorite hammer is my 2 1/2" lixie dead blow though, second favirite is my stiletto.
As others have mentioned, the modern plastic deadblow hammer has mostly replaced the rubber mallet for me. My 40 year old rubber mallet sits forlornly in the shop. The other "whacking device" I enjoy is a fairly small headed (10oz?) claw hammer that lives in the in the house tool kit. An all purpose device for sure.
I use a 2 1/2" lixie dead blow mallet with interchangeable rubber heads. I use the super soft orange to wail on finished wood flooring to install. And brown on the other side for a firmer but still soft head which i use for all kinds of stuff.
I want to get one of their dead blow sledges too (a one hand sledge size) I'll show that floor who its daddy is!
I found out today lixie got selected by nasa to be their deadblow, means a lot to me because both my grandparents were engineers on the apollo program.
I actually have 2 of them
I'm about the same age as Scott. I've bought a few brand new hammers and a lot of used. A quick gather up the other day I had 45 and I wouldn't want to give one of them up!
Excellent insights, as ALWAYS, sir! You were speaking of hammer heads mostly (very interesting), but I have a collection of hammers whose HANDLES are OCTAGONAL (from the 1950's and 1960', I think)--love 'em! You are AWESOME, Scott, keep up the good work!!!
My two goto hammers are the Estwing rock hammer and the Estwing 3lb drilling hammer. If you're doing rock work those two will get you where you need to go.
In your category of soft hammers, the dead blow hammer is amazing. The lack of rebound and fine control despite the weight is essential for the trades involving machinery.
Love my 2 1/2" lixie dead blow. I use mine for carpentry and masonry with the softer heads (orange/brown)
Hammers, everyone needs at least a dozen or so....... I'm in my seventies, I still dabble at work a little, a few years back I got really arm-weary swing a framing hammer, so I purchased a Stiletto 16oz ...... what a beast, and with that 16 in handle It has
all the leverage in the world for pulling all most bent everything..............................what a game changer, worth every dollar !!
,
Adam Savage highly recommends a small thwacker. And for home use as well, I always recommend a tack hammer, small, light weight, for hanging pictures and such on your walls.
Only recently did I stumble across your channel and I'm so very glad that I did! Your advice and explanations of why and how things work are always most helpful. The variety of different crafts you've learned and the skill and experience you've acquired along the way are amazing. The appreciation you have for craftsmanship of any kind means so much to me personally. You remind me very much of my father, there isn't much he can't do with a little forethought and what he has around him. That is something that I've always admired and wanted to emulate. But being his little girl, and him being old fashioned, he's less than thrilled to see me working on a car, or (even worse) operating equipment for a living, clearing land, grading and excavating. But it's something that I enjoy immensely along with just learning new things in general and being able to do things for myself that need to be done. I do a little woodworking when I can, or have to, I've done some minor framing on my own home, drywall, tile, a/c work, built my own cabinets from scratch (before I knew about the world of TH-cam), I've installed, replaced or rerouted plumbing when I've had to, taken apart and fixed things that I didn't think I could until I did, and I understand that all this just makes me a jack but not a master, however I can do so many things that I never thought I'd be able to do, and along the way, as a single mother of two girls, have been able to show them that almost anything is doable. I grew up on the job site where my father framed houses and I learned so much from just watching what was going on around me. My girls have not had that same experience themselves but I try to always have them around when I do things that they might not be familiar with in hopes that they will learn that with a little determination and some basic knowledge and skill they can do for themselves what needs to be done when there is no one else around to do it for them. I've recently had a friend begin teaching me to weld and I think that it is such a useful skill to have. Your videos about blacksmithing have really intrigued me as well and I'd like to make that mini forge you made a video about and just try my hand at it, mostly for its usefulness, they fact that it's exciting is only an added bonus.
What most impressed me about your videos are, for one thing, your mild mannered way and down to earth, hardworking outlook on life, and, secondly, how you have learned what you need to know to do what needs to be done for yourself and your family. Now I know that most people do that, to some extent, but the fact that you can go out to your shop and make what you need, to me, that is such an invaluable skill. Because no matter how much faith we want to have in humanity, when push comes to shove, you may not always be able to depend on a fellow man to help you or your family out, or there may not be anyone around to help you out if they could. And while I'm not trying to far out on an already long winded post (I'm very sorry), it's very important to me to be able to do for your self because it seems like everything seems to be disposable these days, even though the price tag would indicate otherwise, you'll find yourself working more to replace things that should last but don't or paying high prices to fix things, that by any standard, is still considered new and shouldn't need fixing, is where being able to make do or make something you need or fix what you have comes in quite handy. I am, by no means an extremist of any sort, I just value so much what you do and what you've taken the time to try to share with anyone who wants to learn.
Again, I apologize for the long post, but I feel very drawn to the content you provide and I'm thankful for the time and effort you and your family put into these videos to share your wisdom and knowledge. I look forward to more of your videos. I'll do my best to keep up the good work and I thank you for the encouragement! 🖤
Ahhh! That was so nice! Thank you! Very inspiring! K
I got my Estwing when I was an apprentice and it’s still my favourite after 34 years, then my duel faced rubber mallet with weighted head and wooden handle..
Congratulations on the patent. Engineer and framing hammer are my two go to always with wood handles.
Congratulations on your design patent. Keep up the good work!
It was nice to get up on the beginning of the weekend and start my day off with a bit of The Essential Craftsman ☀️
I have a lot of hammers, but the one I reach for the most by far is an old, somewhat beat-up, ordinary, and modestly-sized ball pein with a hickory handle. I happened upon this hammer in the oddest way. I came into the office one morning - and I'll note here that this was an office building in downtown Boston - to find a large hole in the wall over my desk and said hammer resting there innocently like nothing happened. I picked it up. It felt good. I took it home and have used it for decades. It is as it was: head slightly loose, paint splattered, etc. I never bothered to fix it, clean it, polish the faces or anything else. I just like it for most any light hammer task. Beyond that hammer, I don't know ... I do use a 2-faced rubber/plastic mallet a lot, a harbor freight dead blow, and a 5lb hand sledge.
Most of my work is DIY household repairs, general carpentry, and some fine woodworking. My go-to hammer is a 16 oz curved claw hammer with a wooden handle. It was one of the very first tools that I bought for myself 30 years ago while I was in living in a college dorm. I love its balance, weight, and the grip of the handle, that I sanded down and refinished with boiled linseed oil. I use it for everything from hanging pictures to building furniture. My other favorite hammer is a wood handled Vaughan tack hammer that's great for setting brads into trim work. I own an electric brad nailer, but I prefer the finesse and precision of a tack hammer. I have two rubber mallets - a black one for sealing paint cans, and a white composite rubber one that leaves no marks and is useful tor furniture assembly. I also have a 3 pound Fiberglas handled drilling hammer for setting garden stakes and small outdoor demo projects. Also, a Narex wooden mallet that's I use with my wood chisels, or for nudging wooden parts together. My father-in-law has a collection of peen hammers that I can borrow if I ever need to hammer metal.
I love myself a stacked leather handle for my carpentry hammer. I have replaced damaged plastic for leather a few times myself and it holds up great and feels so much better.
where do you buy that? are you buying flat strips and wrapping it?
@synapticburn I have 9oz leather in full hides. I stamp out disks of the right size with a hole in the middle and stack them with flexible epoxy in between. Then shape the handle to final dimensions.
Estwing makes a leather handle hammer. I used to have one, but the concrete eats the leather and ends up killing it in my use.
They are great and feel good, they just arent for masons i wouldnt say. Estwing makes them from 12-24oz i think. For me its the blue handle though.
In your online store you should show a photo of your "Form Setter" hammer driving a square concrete form steak.
Congratulations on your patent well done Smithy.
My two go-to hammers are a 100 year old hickory handled Germantown claw hammer and a medium sized ball pien that was made in China. I use those at my workbench all the time. When I'm in the field I tend to use a heavier straight-claw steel hammer, a no name that like 90% of my tools, I bought at a garage or estate sale.Great video Scott. Keep up the good work!
By the way, I've used a 20 pound sledge hammer once in my life. That was enough!
#6 - The “MC” Hammer 🕺🏻
#7 arm & hammer
#8, hamm er bacon?
I’ve built up a pretty decent collection over the years and have quite a few that I really like. Still my absolute favourites would have to be 10oz Stiletto for light work, 20oz long fibreglass handle milled face Vaughan for framing, and my 12oz Walboard drywall hammer.
I inherited my grandfather's Dalluge titanium hammer. Prior to using that I have been swinging a Hart hammer (this was before that brand sold to Walmart and still produced a quality tool.)
The Dalluge instantly became my favorite. The huge face and light weight made driving nails a cinch. The Hart however still earns it's keep as my concrete hammer. The steel handle makes yanking out stakes easy and the side nail puller, wow what an innovation. Most will be familiar with the Martinez version of the same thing but at the time Hart made a great hammer with that feature for a fraction of the price.
So titanium for carpentry and steel for concrete/demolition. Just got to get my hands on a form setter now...
Nice selections. I’d add one to the list. I once found an old solid heavy iron hammer. All one piece of iron. The thing is amazingly heavy, and with a blunt chisel on the handle end. I absolutely love it and have used it for everything from demolition to finishing nails. The momentum really helps with precision work, you just choke up.
I'm old and retired, a career in IT, but I have always been a DIYer. I have examples of each of the hammers in my collection, except I have a 3 pound (-ish?) engineers hammer that is represented by your patented design. Thanks for the video!
Just wanted to say thank you so much for the knowledge you’re sharing.
I'm a leatherworker, and for me a soft-impact hammer of some sort (rawhide/rubber/poly) is a must. I spend a lot of time using stitching punches, hole punches, letter stamps, whatever - they all end up with dangerous, ugly mushroomed ends if I don't use something soft.
The second must-have would be a ball-peen - the face of it for hammering stitches or flattening something; the round end for finishing saddler's rivets.
Been watching your channel for years, rubber mallet is great for glass work...thank you for all the knowledge Mr. Craftsman
Thank you for the awesome content and all the amazing videos!!
I've been spending a lot of time with my chisel mallet lately. It has a softer rubber face and a harder plastic face. It's been great for so many jobs beyond chisel work. I've been installing a floating engineered hardwood floor. Snapping the pieces together is a lot easier with a tap from the soft face.
In the woodshop I use a Paul Sellers style wooden mallet, and I love it.
I've also found myself recently reaching for the little stubby hammer in the junk drawer for odd jobs around the house. It's surprisingly handy.
I bought a Stiletto because of your video about them few years back. Worth every penny
I have an old steel Stiletto that I inherited which has quickly become my favorite, and my second-favorite is a pair of lineman’s pliers 😉
And your third favorite you charge money for people to see you use.
I’m in excavation and logging. Small drilling hammer preferably estwing, and a good double jack. I can not live without these.
Around the homestead the hammers I find myself reaching for the most are my estwing 16oz rip hammer and a 4lb crosspeen hammer. Those 2 hammers do 80% of what I need but for the other 20% the other hammers you listed cover all my bases nicely
I really enjoyed this discussion on hammers. There is definitely not a one size fits all hammer all jobs.
My two are a 12oz claw and an 8lbs sledge (for woodworking and driving splitting wedges to make lumber). Third is a wooden mallet for driving chisels and persuading parts together.
Keep up the good work!
Im excited for updates on the gate!!
So interesting! I love my collection of mallets-usually for driving tent stakes and such, including big lawn fabric staples. If I had to choose one other one it would be my claw hammer I “borrowed” from someone way back in college 😊 what fun to have a patent on a hammer -- good for you.
Excellent video. I have all you mentioned. My favourite for framing is a 32 oz with waffled face on the head. One hammer which has proven useful for small jobs is a tailor's hammer - like a small blacksmith's hammer. The cross pein is useful for hitting in a small area, or use it as a punch (set). Well done with the form setter hammer and patent.
Stiletto 14 oz with hickory, dead blow, and some sort of sledge. Thanks again for all the good work from a fellow Pacific Craftsman.
My favorite hammer is one I learned about from you, sir - the riggers ax, which I would still count as a hammer. I have an Estwing and get so much use from it thanks to your channel!
For the woodworker or timber framer doing joinery, a wooden mallet is ideal, but the rubber mallet will suffice. Great video and congrats on the patent!
I used to swear by a rubber mallet until I bought a cheap orange Deadblow mallet (found in every big-box DIY store ever). All the energy into the work and no marks.
I also made a wooden mallet out of scrap oak with a curved head and angled faces, handle about 18 inches (sized so it will rest on a face with the handle tip on the bench). It's about 4lbs and it moves things.
My biggest hammer mistake was a 12lb sledge - too heavy to swing with any kind of finesse - bigger isn't always better.
Your channel is what convinced me of having a good hickory handle, so I have been in the process of switching over. It definitely helps my hand. I have found that I can do anything I need to do, including demo work with a 3lb drilling hammer, a 2-3lb engineering hammer and a 19oz framing hammer. I am looking for a 5-6lb maul that I can saw down to be a heavy single jack for heavier demo work. I also vastly prefer a dead blow to rubber mallet. I do not like the rebound of a mallet. Cheap harbor freight dead blows work just fine and their soft faces do not mar the work.
The other day I scored a very interesting hammer. It is 10lbs with a 24" hickory handle, a striking face that and a cross peen. The front half of it looks like a drilling hammer. I got it for heavy, short strikes and confined space work for when I really need to move something.
its awesome that you acknowledge "perhaps its confirmation bias". we are imperfect creatures, and sometimes were not willing to admit that until we get nice and ol... 'experienced'.
Your videos are excellent! My two most used hammers are both carpenter hammers. One with a straight claw and the other with a curved claw. Congratulations on your Patent and the wonderful hammer. Best wishes.
I have one or more of the 5 types. But, my standard go-to hammer, for the last 40+ years, is an Estwing 20 oz. straight claw with the leather wrapped handle.
Got me one of those recently and love it check my comment here as well
Ya i had the leather dry up, split, then fall off like a candy necklace over time...
#masonlife...
Another great video, Thanks. Your honesty and consistency with what you've done, do, and don't have much experience with is invaluable.
My go to hammers are a claw and a ball peen. The ball peen is great for mechanical work and some metal shaping, hot and cold.
Like before watching from Palau! 👍 Thank you EC!!! 🙏
I've got em all! Guess I better get out there and start swinging! My two favorite are the claw hammer and my 8lb sledge that makes stubborn things move 😄.
Love my Estwing, BUT my go-to is a little 3/4 version (around 6-8oz). I must have about a dozen of them around the place - gotten used to the much smaller size and weight. My Stiletto has dewalt written on it!
45 years of framing and finishing my go to hammer is a 16 oz smooth face curved claw fiberglass handled hammer. Vaughn or Plumb are my favorites. Curved claw is best for pulling nails. 16oz is easier on my elbow and wrist. Smooth face is versatile and will not take out a chunk of meat if you happen to miss. A checkered face is not necessary if you keep the face smooth face clean or lightly sand the face with fine sandpaper when it gets a waxy or oily finish on it.
A fiberglass handle is indestructible and have never had to replace it, however I do like the feel of a wooden handle. It minimizes vibration and feels very well balanced. If you opt for a wooden handle, make sure the grain orientation is right or you will be replacing the handle moe often. I have tried most every type of carpenter's hammer even a titanium Stiletto costing a couple of hundred dollars but keep going back to my go to hammer, it just feels right.
I’d have to add a light tack hammer to that list.
Love the wood stilettos… It exactly my go to when hammering metal objects on site such as Alums concrete forms and scaffolding
I would also add a farrier's Rounding hammer for blacksmithing.
Glad to hear you got the design patent on your form setter. I was hoping you might.
Love that Estwing! Bought mine over 50 years ago.
My house has 200yo oak framing. I usually use a 4lb hand sledge to drive any nails into that and even then it is hard to find many nails good enough to drive into that wood. When ever I work on new construction it blows my mind how easy nails drive in yellow pine.
I have many different hammers but my favorite for around the house is my old craftsman with the nail claw on one of the claws. So great for pulling small things like stapples and such. :)
Also: wooden mallet, deadblow (small, medium, large), specialty hammers for specific trades (eg tire weight hammer). As a shade tree mechanic my go to is a light flat faced/pointed end, body hammer that is great for shaping sheet metal, chipping rust, and just persuding things. Found it at some yard sale. I have a whole set of Stiletto's including a waffle head given to me by a VP of Stiletto I chatted with at a bar after work one day, but I never really got comfortable with them. My favorite is my Tim Allen "RRR" polished steel 16oz that I got as a Christmas gift. Ill check out you patented whacker, looks like i might need to add it to my collection!
Thank you for the video.
Nice video about hammers. I'm a tool nut with over 40 different types and sizes of hammers. But my daily go to are the 20 oz. Stright claw and a 40 oz. cross peen. Keep up the Essential 👍🏻👍🏻 Craftsman! One great channel❤
Always appreciate your videos. I love a good deadblow...
As a woodworker, my #1 hammer is a wooden mallet. I use it all the time.
I just got my formsetter. Great great design for driving pins, I absolutely love it. Ive been in construction since I could walk, I buy nice tools, and have a pretty good collection of hammers that include old estwings, stilettos, and martinez. The formsetter is the pride of my collection and I love telling people about the design of it and how they are being forged and sold. Everyone that uses it loves it. Its not just a cool novelty, the design stands on its own. Maybe im biased, but it seems to drive pins better than my estwing 4# single jack i swore by for years, and it digs great in out harsh soil. I plan to take care of it and use it for years and years to come.
I’m an automotive mechanic, huge gear head and forever a car guy, and I own a lot of different hammers you’d never think you’d need but I use them every single day at work. A dead blow hammer and ball peen are essentials, and a 4lb sledge hammer as well.
I'm a millwright and I carry a 2lb soft face drilling hammer with a fiberglass handle everywhere. If you wear gloves and particularly if you get grease, water, and various oils on your glove, the fiberglass handles with deep ridges can't be beat. I used to carry a 2lb forged cross peen with a hickory handle but I found a lot of instances where I would be fighting to hold onto it.
Honorable mention to my 8lb sledgehammer with the 18 inch handle. Sometimes absolutely nothing else will work for driving or beating something in close quarters.
Rubber mallets can be used for leveling or sanding interlocking pavers as you do not want to risk cracking them. When leveling, the mallet will help settle the stone dust underneath the pavers to bring them flush and when sanding, it settles the sand between them. If you use polymeric sand you want it to settle between the pavers so that once you water it it will harden and hold them in position.
Inherited from my dad a number of hammers. A couple of them stand out, an upholsterer's tack hammer ( it has a magnetized split head on one end and driving head on the other ) and the other is a combination splitting / nailing hammer for cedar shakes / shingles.
Scott, my two are now a 14 oz long steel handle (the 22 oz wood handle stays in the box because I've broken too many handles) and a 2 lb puddling hammer for driving stakes around forms.
As a bricklayer/mason I'd be lost at sea without my lump hammer and scutch hammer. I always keep a claw hammer in my bag for any rudimentary or enabling carpentry work.
I love Estwing tools, they're made in my hometown!
I could not go without my dead blow hammer. Carpenter, use and abuse almost every day. Thanks for the video
I work in a tire shop and have four hammers I use. First a soft faced wheel weight hammer for slamming clip weights onto a rim. I've been through about half a dozen of those in thirteen years.
Next I have a double jack for convincing stubborn wheels off of the hub. Works well on duallys. A single jack as well for when it is not a big welding truck of some kind.
Then the standard framing hammer when I have to "modify" some horribly designed lug nut with an aluminum cap (for some reason) because it swelled and doesn't fit in the socket anymore. Claw hammer and a cold chisel and replace the lug nut. I really enjoy when that happens. DESTROY!!
Scott, I’d love to see a run-through of all the black smithing tools in your arsenal and what you do with them.
Yes hickey handle with my 21 oz framing hammer and my 8 lb sledge hammer with a 30" fiber glass handle i put in about 40 couple years ago and still going strong.
I absolutely love my esteing framing hammer and my estwing leather handle trim hammer
Another wonderful video! I’ll echo the Stiletto/titanium preference. Have 3 (milled and non-milled 14 oz. framers and a 10 oz finish hammer), all w hickory handles. Made the investment 20-some years ago. I’m 3 months from 60, work full-time as a carpenter/builder, and (KNOCK WOOD, all) have good elbows still. Other item I’d add are my Garland split-head rawhide mallets (#3 and #5), musts for timber framers and anyone who cares to protect lovely wood-handled chisels/slicks - and your work - while still bringing some oomph.
I use a rubber mallet - but a few years ago I got one half the size / weight of the "regular" one you have there, and it's much better to use - less tiring. I also have a white one now when I don't want to leave black marks on things.
A dead blow mallet is also fantastic. Filled with bearings there is no bounce or recoil, so great on the arms / wrists. Very good for making adjustments to table saw tables to get them level etc. In a pinch last year it made for a great mallet with an old cold chisel for getting up (very) stubborn laundry tiles.
Primary hammer would be a medium sized cross pein / warrington hammer, with a ball pein hammer next.
My two go to hammers are a Sears Craftsman claw hammer I inherited from my Dad, and a dead blow hammer I use for knocking things into place without making a mark on it.
I have been a contractor for almost 50 years. My go-to hammer is a 20 oz. smooth face with a wooden handle from a 28 oz. hammer. It gives me just a little extra length on the handle, it's a little bigger in diameter, and it improves the balance of the hammer. I keep a 3 lb. double jack for driving stakes and light demo work.
As a retired Mason my 2 are: Bricklayers hammer (wood handle) and the Estwing carpenters hammers exactly like yours. Had both over 40 yrs. Ballpeen and 3# Mash backups. Love your channel as I enter retirement from commercial work and look forward to my projects.
I run the m4 Martinez "finish hammer". It hits similar to my old 22oz estwing but my elbow doesn't hurt anymore. Some times I will swap in out for a 3lb club hammer in the belt if dealing with 8"x2" or larger long term
I split wood for exercise and heating, and do carpentry around the house, so my two main ones are an 8-lb double jack and a straight-claw carpenter’s hammer.
Stock flesh mallet (side of my fist) and the bottom of the battery on my impact driver are the go to implements of choice
I’ve always had a 16 oz claw hammer and a 16 oz ball peen. They’ve served me well around the house and as a general mechanic. I’ve also had a 4 lb engineers hammer for heavier work. Now that I’m getting onto blacksmithing. My needs have changed to more specialized hammers. I now have a 2.5 lb cross peen and recently a 3 lb rounding hammer
While I agree with your choices, as a mason I’ve been able to use my good old Estwing big blue head with the hickory handle for a lot. I’ve cut 2x4s in half with my hammer. Up on the roof of a huge job at Yale we needed a 2x4 to be cut. We couldn’t do anything unless this board was cut to get out of the way of raising our foot plank. One laborer left to get a saw and extension chords and while he was gone I pulled my etswing brick hammer out and chopped the board in half and we raised the plank before the other laborer came back. Drives nails pretty quick too.
A 4 pound sledge and carpenters hammer is my must have combo. Sometimes bring out the rubber mallet when I'm roofing.