A Guide to the Different Types of Hammers and How to Use Them

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Hammer

There is a wide range of factors to consider when choosing a hammer. This includes determining your price point, understanding the differences in the performance of various materials, and considering the reputation of the brand. 

Price

It can be easy to let your budget get out of hand when attempting to buy the best of the best in tools. In a rush to flesh out your toolkit as soon as possible, you could find that your ability to afford the materials you’ll need to complete projects may be compromised.

Ultimately, you get what you pay for. Be wary of tools with suspiciously low prices. These may be produced without enough quality control or with cheap, flimsy materials. They may also be counterfeits, complete with fake branding. The limited durability of such tools makes them unlikely to see use for long, assuming they are even fit for the task at hand. 

While the cost of any given project may be an immediate concern, investing in the right tools upfront can keep you prepared for many more projects to come. A quality hammer, properly used and maintained, can pay for itself many times over compared to shoddy hammers that don’t outlast the projects you use them to complete.

Materials

Examples of reliable materials are high-carbon steel, fiberglass, and titanium. These generally absorb the impact of repeated strikes and are durable. Examples of unreliable materials are steel with high iron content and wooden handles, which can become fragile over time.

Again, while tools made of unreliable materials may be cheaper, the more durable alternatives are often worth it. After all, if you need to replace a hammer every couple of years due to poor workmanship, are you truly saving money in the long run? 

Note, however, that the level of quality you need often depends on the purpose of the hammer. Hammers that are used to drive in or break up materials should be made from highly durable materials, while those designed for light work may be made out of copper, wood, or even plastic. 

In addition to keeping an eye out for high-quality materials, note that some projects may require specific additions. For instance, if you need to apply force with a softened strike, you might use a milled face framing hammer or a smooth face nailing hammer with a rubber mallet cap. Understand these requirements while shopping to avoid causing damage later.

Brand

Brands that produce tools have reputations to uphold — and their reputations hinge on the quality of their products. Choosing to buy a hammer from a veteran-owned company could be a smart move, as it improves the chances that you’ll be getting a tool that will last for many years. Certain brands offer better manufacturer warranties than others, which is an important consideration for hammers. We cover any Spec Ops branded hand tool for the lifetime of the product.

In addition to this consideration, many brands support specific causes. By supporting these brands, you may also be providing support to people on issues that matter deeply to you. Spec Ops Tools is a prime example, as we have a strong commitment to veterans and donate 3% of our proceeds to veteran and first responder causes.

Best Practices for Using a Hammer

Many injuries are caused by a lack of simple know-how when it comes to hammer use. Indeed, nearly 120,000 injuries occur each year in the U.S. due to improper workshop manual tool use, and experts estimate that about 30,000 of these are due to hammer accidents specifically. Follow the best practices outlined below to avoid becoming a part of this statistic.

How to Use a Hammer

Here are some general best practices for hammer use:

• Before getting started using a hammer, ensure it is suitable for work. If the tool has obvious signs of degradation, such as a loose head, patches of rust, or splintering wood, do not continue to use it — it may break on impact and cause injuries.
• Be sure to invest in some safety eyewear. While it may seem unlikely, it’s not uncommon for nails or other objects to fly toward you while you are hammering. 
• When you are using a hammer, stay absolutely focused on the task at hand. Multitasking is off-limits. If you become distracted during work, you may cause damage to property or to yourself. 

Let’s discuss how you should swing a hammer. First, look over your shoulder to ensure that no person or object will be endangered when you start working. Next, wrap your hand around the grip of the hammer, positioning your thumb on top of it; this gives you greater control over your swings. Keep a firm grip on the tool so that it will not fly out of your hand, then line up the hammer with the item you’re hitting. Start with a gentle tap, then increase your power once the item is set in place. You should be able to drive the item with moderate force. Our line of hammers feature a ballistically balanced design for maximum striking power and a bi-material shock-absorbing grip for ultimate control and vibration reduction to help lessen the impact on joints over time.

Note that how you swing your hammer will vary slightly from type to type, but these are some general concepts that you should remember, regardless of which hammer you’re using.

How to Properly Store Hammers

If you want to make the most of your investment into your new tools, you must store them properly. Tool degradation can be largely avoided by using a proper storage solution. 

Keep your hammers on a hammer rack or in a toolbox in an area with limited moisture, as this may lead to rust. A dehumidifier can also be used to remove moisture and preserve your tools for as long as possible. You can also use moisture-absorbing silica gel packs to keep moisture at a minimum.