There’s a saying about hammers that if all you have is a hammer, everything starts looking like a nail. But hammers are for lots more than pounding nails.

I started thinking about this when the folks at ToughBuilt sent me a sample of their new high-tech framing hammer, the ShockStop 20 oz. Steel Rip Hammer. It doesn’t look anything like the hickory-handled California-style 20-oz. framer that hung from my tool belt most of the time while I was building my house. And it’s millennia away from those hammer stones that early humans found so useful as one of the first tools ever used.

What’s a hammer?
The first question is what is a hammer for? Well, it’s for hitting stuff, of course, but depending on what it’s hitting, the tool itself changes. I started rounding up all the hammers around my shop and collecting related striking devices, too.

Probably the most common hammers are those designed to hit nails. They typically have a steel head ranging from 8 to more than 20 ounces and a claw to remove errant nails. On household hammers and smaller hammers, the claw has more curve to work in tight spaces. On so-called framing hammers, the claw has very little curve so the hammer can serve as a prybar when needed and remove bigger nails, too. 
 

But not all hammers have steel heads. There are dead blow hammers with rubber encased heads and something inside the head to keep the head from bouncing on impact. There are rubber mallets and other heads designed to protect the impact target from marring. And there are wooden mallets and batons that are a form of hammer designed for striking wood.

Peens and such
If you really want to see a lot of hammers, go to a blacksmith shop. I dabble in blacksmithing and rely mostly on a 2-pound cross-peen hammer. The peen offers a narrow targeted striking surface that moves hot metal precisely and quickly. Other peens are round as in the classic ball peen hammer used so often in metalworking and automotive shops. Blacksmiths have a whole repertoire of hammers, including flatters, fullers, hammers for forming, raising, riveting, and planishing.

Going high tech
Getting back to the hammer that started this whole discussion, it has a lot of interesting features. Most noticeable is the straight steel handle with a rubber grip. No hickory here. In the head is an embedded device that looks like a spring that is supposed protect your hand from excess shock. There is an enlarged head with a milled surface for accuracy and sure contact. And on top is a magnetic nail holder so you don’t have to endanger thumb and fingers while starting a nail.

I like the feel of it, and I’ll add it to my collection, looking for just the right nail to pound with it. If you want to learn more about the ToughBuilt hammers, visit toughbuilt.com.