Has anybody broken a solid steel Estwing Handle?

It does make me wonder how much more expensive (new tooling not included) it would be to make an axe with more proper head geometry? Never quite understood the whole hollow grind thing on the "camp" models. Still great for when you gotta' wreck something though.
 
G-pig said:
Axe geometry nerds unite!
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LOL...I'm IN!!!!

FortyTwoBlades said:
It does make me wonder how much more expensive (new tooling not included) it would be to make an axe with more proper head geometry? Never quite understood the whole hollow grind thing on the "camp" models. Still great for when you gotta' wreck something though.
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That's a good question...

The Estwing axes are not bad tools. Tough as hell, quality build. Personally, I really dislike this euphemism...but..."it is what it is." It's not the most efficient wood processing axe out there, but I don't think that is the #1 goal behind the design to begin with. For the "serious axe user" there are much better options when it comes to wood processing as "toughness" is not the only important factor...not by a long shot.
 
The worst iv seen is a slight bend in the neck of them. Iv only ever purchased a new hammer because my old one had been stolen.
Meanwhile iv seen other guys on my crew going threw 3 or 4 $10.00 hammers a year due to the horrible steel quality mushrooming out so badly.
 
M3mphis said:
That's a good question...

The Estwing axes are not bad tools. Tough as hell, quality build. Personally, I really dislike this euphemism...but..."it is what it is." It's not the most efficient wood processing axe out there, but I don't think that is the #1 goal behind the design to begin with. For the "serious axe user" there are much better options when it comes to wood processing as "toughness" is not the only important factor...not by a long shot.
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My thoughts exactly. Great tools that fill a niche, but not for serious dedicated "precision axe work" so to speak. They're more like the atv of the axe world than a muscle car. You go muddin' with an Estwing. :p
 
Who in their right mind would buy an Estwing for serious ax work anyway? LOL

That's like saying "heh heh, sloths are horrible at hunting gazelles, heh, heh"
beavis.gif





I don't know. Just heard from one dude ramblin' about how he's seen several (plural).
Anyhoo. I didn't think broken Estwings were as common as it was portrayed.
I've never seen one and we're brutal with our gear. Not saying they don't exist.
It just would take a wrath of god to break one IMO. Man I love my Estwings.
 
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M3mphis said:
That's the thing about an Estwing axe....they're so inefficient nobody chops long enough with one to ever hurt it!
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Lol...
My estwing prybar... I mean 'axe' is bent but not broken.
The poll has been beaten all to hell with my sledge too :p
It has a weird rattle in the handle also.
 
In 29 years of construction work I've seen exactly 1 broken Estwing hammer. And I've broken one of their I-beam pry bars after many years of abuse. Many years ago I had one of their 28 oz. straight-claw framing hammers. After a couple years of use the neck was pretty badly warped from pulling nails sideways (framers know what I mean). It didn't break but I don't doubt that it soon would have if I didn't retire it. I switched to Vaughan wood handled hammers for framing and finish but I still use a 20 oz. Estwing for concrete work. They are very very tough hammers.
 
When I worked as a carpenter
For destruction work I used to use a 25 oz framing hammer with an 18" handle and a I-beam pry bar
One in each hand was awesome, and tearing apart work was a breeze

Break?
na...

But I would never ever dream of using it as a nail hammer
I valued my shoulder and elbow too much
 
Dad and I renovate houses for a living and I seen him put a decent (permanent) bend in his 22oz Estwing straight claw hammer. He was prying steel plate off a concrete floor in a basement. It went something like this

Dad: "We gotta get that plate up before we can start building the walls"

Me: "I'll go get the wrecking bar from the truck"

Dad: "F*** that gimme my hammer"

Me: "Sure"

I hand him the hammer and after a few moments he's got the plate up and he hands me the hammer and I notice the bend in it. Its still usable though... Needless to say I kept a close eye on my 16oz Estwing...
 
No I have not. I would not use one. But I have seen hammer handles break. And bending them is real common. I pounded nails for alot of years. I remember the first advise I got, "Get yourself one of these" it was an Estwing framing hammer. So glad I never did that. This was back when most crews didn't have nail guns. Today my shoulder and elbow are still good. Even though my arm does not fully straighten. Wonder what it would be like if I started out with a steel handle?
 
I've worn the head out on one. It took me about 7 years to do it thou, which is still pretty good. I abused it thou, so I bet I could have gotten a few more years out of it if it was taken care of.
 
garry3 said:
No I have not. I would not use one. But I have seen hammer handles break. And bending them is real common. I pounded nails for alot of years. I remember the first advise I got, "Get yourself one of these" it was an Estwing framing hammer. So glad I never did that. This was back when most crews didn't have nail guns. Today my shoulder and elbow are still good. Even though my arm does not fully straighten. Wonder what it would be like if I started out with a steel handle?
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Wow. I pounded nails (to the tune of 8,000 swings a day average) for 2 decades.
My shoulder & arm are fine. When you say you've seen "hammer handles break",
are you talking about Estwings? And bent handles Estwings too?
 
Square_peg said:
In 29 years of construction work I've seen exactly 1 broken Estwing hammer. And I've broken one of their I-beam pry bars after many years of abuse. Many years ago I had one of their 28 oz. straight-claw framing hammers. After a couple years of use the neck was pretty badly warped from pulling nails sideways (framers know what I mean). It didn't break but I don't doubt that it soon would have if I didn't retire it. I switched to Vaughan wood handled hammers for framing and finish but I still use a 20 oz. Estwing for concrete work. They are very very tough hammers.
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When I was young, dumb and full of ____, I actually had a 32oz Estwing Framer.

But that was before I discovered shingling hatchets (28oz).

For Framing, I use Stiletto Titanium Hammers (have a 14oz & 16oz).

I have a 20oz Claw hammer for trim work (going on 10 years now).
Like others, I've personally never broken one, but they've just grown
feet and walked away from my sites (stolen).

It'd take me about 3 years to wear down a shingling hatchet. Even then, I could re-mill
the face and always use the hatchet for demo work especially in compact areas.

Gives me an idea. I'm going to take one my roofing hatchets and convert it into a survival tool.
It's worn enough that I can justify buying another one (even though I barely use it because I
went all guns a few years ago). But I could re-mill the face and try to put a nice edge on the
hatchet and easily utilize it to make kindling and to pound stakes and break rocks. I can use
the bottom of the hatchet to easily scrap bark from a log. Plus, it's an excellent digging tool.

Wow...I think I have a new project in mind!
 
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^I have an Estwing Rigger's Axe that I use as a bit of a do-all around the homestead. Thinned the edge out on it and it chops great. It was a tactical 'hawk before the term even existed.
 
I use a 28 oz to pull nails bash hole in the blocks that I had to put rec outlets in too. I have never had the handle bend one me but I always bought the one with the spikes and not the smoth haed. after awile the spikes whould wear out.
 
richard thurman said:
I use a 28 oz to pull nails bash hole in the blocks that I had to put rec outlets in too. I have never had the handle bend one me but I always bought the one with the spikes and not the smoth haed. after awile the spikes whould wear out.
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I take it you mean a milled face?
 
that means the face is not smooth?? then yes. that way any thing that I am hitting the hammer is not going to bounce of the item.
 
Doc_Savage said:
I bent the steel shaft above the head on an estwing camp axe.... Pissed me off...

Tearing apart a large wooden display for a YMCA camp...

Doc
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Yeah those Camper Axe's handles can flex. I was trying to pry apart some 4x4s someone nailed together, and was surprised at the handle flex I got while the 4x4s just laughed at me. I backed off before there was any damage though.
 
SR69 said:
Wow. I pounded nails (to the tune of 8,000 swings a day average) for 2 decades.
My shoulder & arm are fine. When you say you've seen "hammer handles break",
are you talking about Estwings? And bent handles Estwings too?
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Yes Estwings. One broke from strikeing, two others that I can remember from prying. And not sideways either. If memory is correct all broke two or three inches below the head.
Have you used steel handles all these years?
 
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