{"id":4545,"date":"2024-02-14T18:41:36","date_gmt":"2024-02-14T18:41:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projecthammercentral.com\/?p=4545"},"modified":"2024-05-10T18:47:27","modified_gmt":"2024-05-10T17:47:27","slug":"hammer-buying-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projecthammercentral.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/14\/hammer-buying-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Hammer buying guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

How could Project Hammer not have a buying guide for hammers?\u00a0 Like most articles, I will focus on general hammer use by home owners and do-it-yourselfers (DIY).\u00a0 Also, this article will touch on the two main types of construction hammers which are curved claw hammers<\/strong> and straight claw or framing hammers<\/strong>.\u00a0 For simplicity in this article, I will call the curved claw hammer just “claw hammer<\/strong>” and the straight claw or framing hammer “framing hammer<\/strong>“.\u00a0 I will touch on things like weight, grip, material, and design.<\/p>

A hammer is just a hammer, right?<\/h3>

In theory, all construction hammers serve the same basic purpose.\u00a0 To hit things.\u00a0 Usually nails.\u00a0 But the experience and efficacy of the right hammer argues that they are very different.\u00a0 If I am hanging a picture frame with a small nail and I pull out a 28oz milled face framing hammer, I am bound to cause some undue damage.\u00a0 Sort of like using a fire hydrant to douse a match.\u00a0 On the flip side, if I try to drive a box of faming nails with 10oz claw hammer, I will be there all day long.\u00a0 So what should you consider for general use?\u00a0 Do you need more than one?\u00a0 Let’s dive into a few considerations and categories when choosing a construction hammer.<\/p>

Click “Shop this article” to jump to recommended hammers in each category.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShop this article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Click “What do I use” to jump to what I make sure is part of my collection.<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhat do I use?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\"Parts<\/p>

Parts of a hammer<\/strong><\/h3>

Both a claw hammer and a framing hammer have similar parts.<\/p>

The head<\/strong> is usually made of metal. It will have a handle <\/b>that is either wood, metal, fiberglass, or some sort of polymer (plastic) material.\u00a0 It will have a neck<\/strong> that connects the handle to the head.\u00a0 Having said that, some hammers are forged from a single piece of metal and do not have a neck.<\/p>

The face<\/strong> is exactly what you think.\u00a0 The area you use to hit stuff.\u00a0 The face will either be smooth<\/strong> or milled<\/strong>.\u00a0 A milled face is specifically designed to interact with a nail head to decrease the chances of slipping.\u00a0 This could also be applied to anything you chose to hit with your hammer such as a cat’s paw or pry bar.\u00a0 Generally, you will want to go with a smooth face hammer unless you are a contractor or professional that may want both a milled face and a smooth face hammer.\u00a0<\/p>

The claw<\/strong> will either be curved or mostly straight.\u00a0 The claw’s primary purposes are extraction<\/strong> and prying<\/strong>.\u00a0 As you can imagine, a curved claw is not ideal for prying but it can extract small to medium sized nails from moderately dense material.\u00a0 I have also used my framing hammer’s claw end to dig holes, punch through plywood, and pry apart mostly anything.\u00a0 I have even used it to pull myself up into tight spaces by hooking it around framing like a climber’s ice pick.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

The handle<\/strong> is also what you may think.\u00a0 It is what you use to “handle” the hammer.\u00a0 The handle can be made from a variety of materials.\u00a0 All of which have their pros and cons.\u00a0 In the case of polymer or metal handles, there is typically an over molded grip<\/strong> to provide grip and absorb shock.\u00a0 The length, thickness, and design of the handle contribute to their desired purpose and preference.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

What to consider?<\/h3>
  1. Type<\/li>
  2. Design<\/li>
  3. Material<\/li>
  4. Weight<\/li>
  5. Specialty<\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
    \"Estwing
    Estwing 16oz Curved Claw<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
    \"Estwing
    Estwing 22oz Framing Hammer<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
    <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

    Type<\/h4>

    I already touched on this earlier in the article, but you are generally going to focus on two types of hammers for your home or DIY projects.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>