Real swingers

Quality and ergonomics important in hammer selection

by Kay Falk

Tools used to strike and pound have been around nearly as long as mankind. Today’s striking tools have evolved into purpose-built hammers designed for specific jobs. The variety of hammers available today may make hammer selection a bit confusing, but hammer experts say a few factors can point you to – or away from – certain hammers.

The experts agree that hammer selection should be first based on quality. “There are several types of hammers,” says Martin Wrege, hammer product manager for Bahco North America. “It’s important to select the correct hammer for each application. Hammers are striking tools, so quality is very important. Poor quality means a higher risk that users could hurt themselves.”

Vince Carlson of Nupla Corp. agrees. “Price is not king when looking for a good hammer. Contractors should take the time to understand the features and benefits of the hammer. Look at warranties, identify the specific jobs and then match the hammer weight and style to the job,” he says.

Robert Bachta, marketing manager at Vaughan & Bushnell Manufacturing Co., says contractors, like other people, often learn from their mistakes. “The most common mistake contractors make in selecting a hammer is to buy on price. The experienced contractor knows a quality hammer will outlast several less expensive or cheaper ones. A better quality hammer will also perform better, have better balance and features that minimize vibration and handle ‘sting.’ In addition, a lower priced hammer might have low-grade castings that can easily fragment and shatter which may create a safety hazard.”

So if price is the wrong selection criteria, what is? “Selection criteria are many,” says Terry Freeman, national sales manager at Estwing Manufacturing Co. “Weight, claw design, hammer length and other features such as a preference for a smooth or milled face all affect selection.”

Balance is a key consideration, says Bachta. A proper head-to-handle weight distribution allows the user to feel as if the hammer swings itself. “Good balance results in less stress on muscles and tendons which helps eliminate common injuries associated with swinging a hammer,” he says.

Carlson says ergonomics – matching the tool to the user and the job – is a major concern for all manufacturers. “To achieve a more ergonomic hammer, we pay attention to grips, handle material, handle shape and angle and even forging design,” he says. “Any time a hammer offers better comfort, it benefits the user. It reduces fatigue and the need for more than one tool to do the job.”

He says dead blow technology which reduces shock and rebound, improved head designs, softer grips, dimensional shapes and handle angles all make the hammer more comfortable to use.

Freeman adds that manufacturers are reducing vibration and shock. His company’s shock-resistant grip introduced in 1999 is an example. “It reduces vibration up to 50 percent, which has been verified by an independent laboratory,” Freeman says. “With less vibration upon impact, you can nail longer and with greater comfort. Each grip is also molded and bonded directly to the hammer handle.”

“The industry has been moving rapidly toward lighter-weight hammers to head off discomfort, pain and injury that comes with repeated, day-to-day hammering,” Bachta comments.

Vaughan’s answer to ergonomic concerns is its solid-steel Steel Eagle hammer with Shock-Blok. “It has a rubber and wood insert that absorbs most vibration to the hammer head, while an air cushioned handle grip takes out most of the remaining sting.”

Fiberglass framing hammers, with less weight, require less effort. Vaughan offers a California Framer model with a hollow core handle and a cushioned, slip-resistant PVC handle grip that reduces vibration.

Estwing recently introduced a weight-forward fiberglass hammer. “It puts the power and weight up front for easier, efficient nailing,” Freeman says. “It features a shock-reduction gasket and comfort grip that are molded on, and its hammer head and overstrike guard are forged as one piece.”

Vaughan also offers new lightweight titanium framing hammers called the Ti-Tech series. They feature unique interchangeable steel striking caps that provide the striking power of steel and the flexibility of changing from a rough framing to a finishing hammer. “The natural vibration absorption of the titanium and the free-floating pin in the changeable caps minimize shock at impact,” Bachta says.

User-friendly designs are also being introduced. For example, the new magnetic nail-holding notch Vaughan calls Head Start on its Blue Max framing hammer line makes one-handed nailing possible.

“It permits the worker to one-handedly start a nail,” Bachta says. “This is also a safety feature because the user can support him or herself with one hand while nailing with the other,” Bachta says.

Published in the November/December 2003 issue of Contractor Tools and Supplies magazine.

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