The Philosophical Hammer . . .

Re: The Philosophical Hammer . . .

Kevin French, Antrim, NH

>Man that's a tough question. I LOVE HAMMERS! I have ALL kinds of hammers. I don't think I could limit myself to a 1/2 dozen.

That 'leather handled Eastwing' sure is a nice hammer, but I couldn't go solo.

Definition of Hammer

Stephen Shepherd in the State of Deseret

>I am assuming that you are talking of a metallic pounding device, so having a wooden mallet (to hit wooden chisel handles, as we never hit them with a metal hammer) narrows it down to those made of ferrous or non ferrous metals.

Good question, I suppose I would have to choose a 14 to 16 ounce cross pein hammer. Warrington comes to mind but I have an early cross pein, laid steel round face and straight pein, nice drifted eye and fine detail file work, that is my favorite. I use a 12 ounce cross pein tinners hammer because of its square face and quality steel. Don't ever hit piano wire with a good hammer.

I probably use a wooden mallet more than a metallic hammer and I have at least a half dozen of each I use on a regular basis. (Now I need to make a count.)

Stephen

Re: The Philosophical Hammer . . .

Moses Yoder in White Pigeon, MI

>I can be pretty rough on hammers, so the Estwing hammer with the steel shank going all the way through the handle is the hammer of choice for me. I have enver used the one with the leather handle, mine just has the regular blue rubber or whatever it is handle. A 16 ounce framing hammer is a pretty good all around tool. I also have several ball peen and cross peen hammers in sizes from a couple ounces to a couple pounds. I just lightened my hammer collection considerably; they are very cheap at garage sales you know and so they pile up. My nice Bluegrass hammer with the octagon wooden handle would be the hammer I would use if I didn't have the Estwing.

Re: The Philosophical Hammer . . .

Marv

>Hi Steve,

For some reason, I have about 60 hammers. Hammers from large 10 pound sledge to large and small wood mallets to some of the latest made hammers to very small 4 oz. ball pien to a square headed hammer my son made in highschool. Everytime I go into a hardware store I have to look at the hammers to see if anything different has been made. I even have a Tim Allen hammer. arff arff arff. I have a hammer that only fits the right hand. And yes, I have hammers with a magnet in the head for holding a nail for one handed nailing.

It's just not possible to own only one hammer, just not possible. There should be a law against owning only one hammer. We should have to prove that we have more than one hammer when we are issured a SS card. Hammers built this country!!! I base my relationships on how many hammers they own. When I first meet someone, early on in the conversation I'll ask....hey, how many hammers do you own? If they say three, I buy them a cup of coffee.

Now I'm beginning to sound like I am hammered......

Marv

Re: The Philosophical Hammer . . .

Kevin French, Antrim, NH

>A hammer is the GREATEST tool that was ever invented.

If I can fix something with a hammer my day it made. If your day is going poor what other tool will express that fustration best then a hammer.

If while planing you get a huge tear-out that ruins that last piece of a project. Are you going to pound your $500 LN on the piece? I think not, the Hammer.

Ladies, and gentleman (and all other who read this board), The hammer is the prefect tool. There's no adjustments to be made on it. OK the face can be flatten and the claws sharpened, but it comes ready to do work.

When someone is flattened in football what tool comes to mind? A spokeshaver?

My day is made when I find a new Hammer.

Eastwing with the leather

Jim in Burlington On

>I have one of those and it sit's on my bench. Good hammer but it's a little light for most work. My prefered hammer's goes between a 20oz eastwing with the rubber grip and a fiberglass handled hammer. Depends on wether it's wrecking or building.

My personal favorite...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond, CA

>Is my 20 oz. Hart california framer. It's absoulty perfect in every way.

Marv?

Ernie Miller

>It is really a simple question. do you collect collections or do you have collections? I think there is a differance an I think you collect collections. you may not have more tools than Rob but you have the illness much worse I think. So hammers? we gotta talk I have a small pile of odd ones.

Hammer Fettling

Greg B�tit, Vergennes VT

>No adjustments to be made to the hammer? Say it ain't so! C'mon, I was looking forward to a lengthy thread on how to tune a hammer up! And how about replacing leather washers on Eastwing handles?

greg

Re: Hammer Fettling

Bart Leetch

>I have a Stanley 20oz, 16oz, & a 12 or 13oz Plumb finish hammer that is so well balanced its a joy to use. I also have several ball-peen hammers & a 2# short handled maul.

I have never been able to understand why anyone would want to try to do it all with 1 hammer unless they have no room for more than 1 hammer or just have a make do attitude. I really get a kick out of someone that uses a framing hammer with a large diameter head to do finish work, making it more work then it should be as well as more likely to have a mis strike & ding up their work.

Remember there is a reason & place to use each style hammer.

Favorites

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>For demolition: Stanley steel (pipe) handle w/rubbery grip 20 oz, purchased when I was working as an electrician's assistant 30 years ago.

For carpentry: Bell System claw, handle length as for a 16 oz hammer but a heavier head, more like 20-22 oz.

For shop work: well, heck, it's been so long since I had shop time that I'm not sure. I'd like to try out the Warrington I bought last summer...

For tacks and brads: a brass tack hammer, magnet on one end, steel striker on the other.

Oh, you said one favorite? That's impossible.