Nailing hammers - do they matter?

[nabs]

I managed to even bore myself over on the Record vice thread, so here is one about hammers to liven things up!

I have been using a Plumb hammer on my new workbench and it is the bees knees. It is even better than my erstwhile favourite hammer ( reserved for household DIY and made by another US manufacturer, Estwing). Why? Well I could wax lyrical about balance and heft and such like, but the real reason is the inclusion of a 'take-up' wedge.

Patented in 1922 by Fayette R Plumb and co, the ingenious wedge allows loose handles to be resecured by the turn of a screw.

https://www.google.com/patents/US1426316

.. and it actually works - my handle arrived very loose so I removed the screw, blew out debris from the bottom of the hole, put it back with an additional half a turn and bingo the head is rock solid again.

I wish similar had been used on my two ball pein hammers, both of which will have to be fixed by replacing the handles.

My example seems to have stood the test of the time - I am not sure when it was made but it has two previous owners stamps, and apparently Plumb stop using the wedges in the 50s when they came up with a new fangled resin based wedge, so possibly 1930s or 40s

Do you know of any better hammers? Perhaps you have your own hammer related stories to share!

* edit - sorry I included the wrong link (https://www.google.com/patents/US2850331 is for the 'permabond' fixing - correct link now above)

Popular science ad, 1925

https://books.google.com/books?id=TikDA ... e&q&f=true

 

[bugbear]

That's typical yankee ingenuity, but surely driving a normal metal wedge a little deeper (possibly with something high tech like a nail punch), would have an equivalent effect?

BugBear

 

[nabs]

except that the movement of the wood against the traditional wedge eventually widens the slot so they do not hold no matter how hard you bang them in - at least that is what has happened with my (three) other wooden handled hammers...

 

[NazNomad]

Got a loose hammer head? Stand it in a bowl of antifreeze overnight. ;-)

My 'everyday carry' is a really old Estwing that belonged to my Grandfather. Lovely to use, plus a whole heap of sentimental value thrown in.

 

[AndyT]

I had a summer job once, back in the 70s, where I spent several weeks making big crates. I was assigned to an experienced worker, who taught me how to use the one tool provided, a Stanley wooden handled claw hammer, fresh from the stores.
Under his watchful eye I hammered in thousands of nails, through two strips of wood and down onto the steel topped bench, which turned the points back, clenching them into the wood. I never did manage to loosen the hammer head though.
The old guy said they were 'thinking of getting' an air nailer, but he didn't really want it. The firm closed down not long after and the site is now covered in houses.

 

[bugbear]

Under his watchful eye I hammered in thousands of nails, through two strips of wood and down onto the steel topped bench, which turned the points back, clenching them into the wood.

I've seen this "steel backing" trick recommend when nailing up trellis - a Hasluck book, IIRC.

BugBear

 

[Freddyjersey2016]

Storing a 1970 Stanley hammer in a dry centrally heated flat dried out the shaft so much it shrank - so I just drove the steel wedge in further with a punch, it did the trick

 

[Trafalgar]

Plumb hammers are great, still made and still a great value.