Let's see your favorite claw hammers

That 20 oz. Estwing straight claw is the preferred hammer for commercial concrete form setters in the Pacific Northwest. I still have mine. They are very durable but you can't use them top pull nails by levering to the side like you do with a wood handled straight claw hammer. Those steel necks will warp. They are also harder on your hand and wrist. You'd rather use wood handled hammers.

But form setting in the PNW is a harsh environment for a hammer (or a carpenter) and only the tough survive for long. I had the good sense to get out of that work.
 
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Square_peg said:
That 20 oz. Estwing straight claw is the preferred hammer for commercial concrete form setters in the Pacific Northwest. I still have mine. They are very durable but you can't use them top pull nails by levering to the side like you do with a wood handled straight claw hammer. Those steel necks will warp. They are also harder on your hand and wrist. You'd rather use wood handled hammers.

But form setting in the PNW is a harsh environment for a hammer (or a carpenter) and only the tough survive for long. I had the good sense to get out of that work.
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I agree with this, I used a 20 oz Estwing for much of my career along with their framing and finishing hammers. I’m now retired and going in for my second carpal tunnel surgery and surgery on my elbow as well. I wish I’d switched to wood handles sooner.
 
I like to describe Estwing as being a good "off-road" hammer. Good for when you need it to hold up through some rough-and-tumble abusive work, but not the ideal choice as your go-to for actual hammer work.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
I like to describe Estwing as being a good "off-road" hammer. Good for when you need it to hold up through some rough-and-tumble abusive work, but not the ideal choice as your go-to for actual hammer work.
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They have seemed like an ideal choice for many people, until it's too late anyways.
I hear more and more stories all the time from people whose arms and elbows really wish they hadn't spent decades swinging one.
My biggest thing is just the grips that feel like they're going to blister my hands, if the grips didn't feel this way I too might have become one of those people who thought they were an ideal choice and would probably be using one until it's too late.
 
To my mind it's a matter of "are you literally only going to do this particular task ONCE or is it a repeat job?" -- if it's a one-off job liable to chew up a wooden handle, I'll go with the Estwing. If it's a repeat job I'll go with with a wooden handled model. I use my Estwings in the mud and dirt and places where they're likely to get banged around, but wooden handled hammers everywhere else.
 
Is it considered a Sin in the community to rehang an old hammer head? I'm new to the game but I remember my grandmother who was into buying and selling antiques always said to "Never mess with refinishing wood and Never polish off a patena".
 
If you can preserve the original handle, that’s best. But, if you must replace it, do so, if, it isn’t of some kind of significance to the piece.
 
Night Rider said:
Is it considered a Sin in the community to rehang an old hammer head? I'm new to the game but I remember my grandmother who was into buying and selling antiques always said to "Never mess with refinishing wood and Never polish off a patena".
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Only if you're keen on preserving historical significance of some kind. That is to say, that much of the value of an antique AS an antique includes its patina and provenance, as things like the particular handle, tooling marks, damage or scuffs, and so on all help describe a "story" of the piece and its origins. However, if it's a common piece or one that's unmarked or beaten up and "user grade" rather than a piece you need to preserve for historical purposes, you can re-handle it and use it without remorse. In general, MOST hammers you come across are probably fair game, but before starting in on a restoration I usually will do a quick analysis of whether or not it's a good candidate for use or if it should be kept as a collector piece. They are usually users.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
To my mind it's a matter of "are you literally only going to do this particular task ONCE or is it a repeat job?" -- if it's a one-off job liable to chew up a wooden handle, I'll go with the Estwing. If it's a repeat job I'll go with with a wooden handled model. I use my Estwings in the mud and dirt and places where they're likely to get banged around, but wooden handled hammers everywhere else.
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That's exactly what the Estwings are for.
 
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