Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
special hammer
Frank in Forest Hill
>My neighbor has a double clawed hammer... yes its real! The Idea behind it is the close claw gives max leverage, and the higher one is to finish the job.One explanation I have heard is that it was used by slate roofers. I have been looking for one and maybe this is the group with the resources. I tried posting this in the general message board. I was told this is the place.
Re: special hammer *LINK*
David Miller from Iowa
>They are pretty scarce and expensive. If you check the link in the next 8 hours, you can pick one up - it's at $112 as of this posting - probably top out around $140 (wild guess).
I have never hear the slate roffing reference. Slate hammers are way different. It was popular with scaffolding and concrete men that had to nail things together and then take them back apart.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4122&item=6106982594&rd=1
Re: special hammer
Todd Hughes
>I have had a few of these over the years. Real ones will be have a head made out of two pieces that have been machined to fit down inside each other and you will see a horizontal line around the center.If you look good you should see a patent date too which if I remember right is around 1900.Don't know who made them as mine were not marked as to maker.This hammer takes a special handle as well as a regular handle will not work with out a major fitting.I have seen photos of primitive double claw hammers and believe I read somewhere they were a shaker "invention"....don't know.I don't think any work very well though or were designed for slate work
I have actually seen more fake double claw Hammers then real ones! The fakes will not be machined in two piece to fit together but instead will be made by welding two hammers together after cutting off the bottom one's face. I had an old friend that had been collecting tools since the early 1960's and he told me these hammers were VERY popular back in the 70's and lots of fakes were made then.This was when some Primitive tools, hammers, wooden braces were very popular with some prices higher then what they go for today. Saying this though I have sold real double claw hammer for around $200. I have seen pictures of TRIPLE claw hammers and double claw hammers that had a claw on each end with no face....Real? don't know but looks kind of fishy .....Todd