Estwing 26oz framing hammer review
to...@merlin.cobb.ziff.com
Hey there!
I bought an Estwing 26oz framing hammer a few days ago. It has a steel head
with a checkered face. The haft, also solid steel, is quite long and either
artfully welded to the head or perhaps they were forged as one. The haft
has a comfy blue grip. The claw is nearly straight.
Kids, this hammer is tremendous. I am not a carpenter, but wifey has me
building dog runs. I have driven 200 3" nails through pressure treated 2x4's
into P.T. 4x4s. The hammer is well balanced and the checkered face has kept me
from bending over any nails. Yup, 200 nails driven and not one bent over.
Pretty good for me. And I was wacking them hard, not taking well-aimed taps.
The hammer has the mass and the leverage from the long haft to really sink some
nails.
If you have "outside" work to do, I recommend you buy this hammer and
save your finish hammer for inside work. Because the face is checkered, it
will just _do_ a surface if you miss a nail or drive it below the surface.
So don't use this hammer on your original Duncan Phyfe (sp) furniture.
Oh yeah - I have a 16oz Estwing finish hammer, also. Excellent.
I have no ties to the Estwing company except as a happy customer.
--
** to...@merlin.cobb.ziff.com | (502) 491-1900 x401 | All opinions my own **
The preacher said a prayer / Save every single hair on his head / He's dead
The minister of hate / had just arrived too late to be spared / Who cared?
- Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, _Tarkus_
Ike Bottema
>Hey there!
>I bought an Estwing 26oz framing hammer a few days ago. It has a steel head
>with a checkered face. The haft, also solid steel, is quite long and either
>artfully welded to the head or perhaps they were forged as one. The haft
>has a comfy blue grip. The claw is nearly straight.
This hammer has been on the market for at least 25 years. That's how long
ago I got mine - and it still works great once I get the rhythm. The hammer
is made of one solid piece of steel, and it can't be broken even when used
as a pry bar. The claw is great. Not just for pulling nails but also as
a makeshift adze or splitting axe! Once the grip hardens with age you can
use it as a "soft face" hammer to prevent marring finished surfaces. Just
strike the surface with the butt end allowing the "business end" to provide
the inertia. Takes a bit of practice to keep the hammer perpendicular to
the direction of the blow. BTW, this hammer is exactly 16" long which means
it's also a handy ruler for finding the next stud or joist hidden behind that
blasted sheathing.
Paid the royal sum of 20 bucks if I recollect correctly. This hammer owes
me nothing.
>Kids, this hammer is tremendous. I am not a carpenter, but wifey has me
>building dog runs. I have driven 200 3" nails through pressure treated 2x4's
>into P.T. 4x4s. The hammer is well balanced and the checkered face has kept me
>from bending over any nails. Yup, 200 nails driven and not one bent over.
>Pretty good for me. And I was wacking them hard, not taking well-aimed taps.
>The hammer has the mass and the leverage from the long haft to really sink some
>nails.
Just don't miss the nail when you set it! You'll have a severely tenderized
thumb. :-) Yes, you could use this baby as a meat tenderizer.
>If you have "outside" work to do, I recommend you buy this hammer and
>save your finish hammer for inside work. Because the face is checkered, it
>will just _do_ a surface if you miss a nail or drive it below the surface.
>So don't use this hammer on your original Duncan Phyfe (sp) furniture.
My 26er (hammer that is, the other 26er (ie micky) we kept handy for those
cold winter mornings to freshen up the coffee ;-) ) has the smooth face.
Last time I looked at an Estwing display the smooth hammer face was still
available.
Ike "it's not a just a hammer, it's a toolkit" Bottema
Dan Musca
|> ago I got mine - and it still works great once I get the rhythm. The hammer
|> is made of one solid piece of steel, and it can't be broken even when used
|> as a pry bar. The claw is great. Not just for pulling nails but also as
|> a makeshift adze or splitting axe!
I've bent it trying to pull nails out of rather old framing. You're right
though, it didn't break and I did manage to staighten it out and rebalance
it. It is a very nice hammer...but you'll never know the difference until
you actually try one out.
Dan
--
to...@merlin.cobb.ziff.com
>
>
>>Hey there!
>
>>I bought an Estwing 26oz framing hammer a few days ago.
> This hammer has been on the market for at least 25 years. That's how long
> ago I got mine - and it still works great once I get the rhythm.
Yup, and it takes a few nails to get used to the extra length. I really
zapped my friend's fence a few times while making repairs. Glad it wasn't
my fence :^)
Brock Hannibal
The fact that these Estwing hammers are made from steel is what keeps
professional framers from using them. Most pro framers I know use Vaughn
claw hammers with wooden handles to prevent some of the shock from transferring
to their elbows. I used both and can attest that after a hard days work of
framing my elbow hurt less with the wooden handle. For normal sort of
occasional use it should not matter. I particularly like the balance of
my Estwing roofing and masonry hammers but prefer my Vaughn finish and framing
hammers.
Brock
Ike Bottema
>The fact that these Estwing hammers are made from steel is what keeps
>professional framers from using them. Most pro framers I know use Vaughn
>claw hammers with wooden handles to prevent some of the shock from transferring
>to their elbows. I used both and can attest that after a hard days work of
>framing my elbow hurt less with the wooden handle. For normal sort of
>occasional use it should not matter. I particularly like the balance of
>my Estwing roofing and masonry hammers but prefer my Vaughn finish and framing
>hammers.
Well back when I was a pro framer (too long ago than I care to remember)
Estwings were used most often. Things must have changed over the years.
I found the "hammer" forearm syndrome to be a problem until I learned how
to swing the hammer properly. The trick is to use good wrist action to
raise hammer speed and just before impact to relax muscle force. And of
course it helps to hit the nail in the hammer's "sweet spot". That's
what worked for me but it still takes me a while to get the "rhythm" back
after several months of not swinging the beast.
Ike "sort of like golfing?" Bottema
ken korona
to...@merlin.cobb.ziff.com writes:
>> This hammer has been on the market for at least 25 years. That's how
long
>> ago I got mine - and it still works great once I get the rhythm.
You need to be careful when buying an Estwing though. Recently I bought
one for my father who's been a carpenter for 45 years. He gave it back
to me because he had so much trouble with it. Turns out that the face of
the head was beveled back towards the handle. To strike a nail squarely
you're knuckles scrape the surface of the material you're nailing into.
I've never seen this problem with any other brand before. To be fair, I
have an Estwing and know 2 others who have them too. We have no
complaints.
-- ken --
ken_k...@tahiti.bellcore.com
Paul Houtz
----------
Well, I used to own an Estwing, and I coudn't drive a nail straight
with it. I have used others on occasion, and had the same experience.
As far as I am concerned, I will *never* use one or buy one again.
I have several other hammers, including a couple of real cheap
wooden-handled hammers, and I can drive nails nice and straight with
all of them. I left the estwing under the house a couple of years
and I don't mind if they find it there when they tear my house down.
Terry Emery
>
>Hey there!
>
>I bought an Estwing 26oz framing hammer a few days ago. It has a steel head
>with a checkered face. The haft, also solid steel, is quite long and either
>artfully welded to the head or perhaps they were forged as one. The haft
>has a comfy blue grip. The claw is nearly straight.
checkered face.
>If you have "outside" work to do, I recommend you buy this hammer and
>save your finish hammer for inside work. Because the face is checkered, it
>will just _do_ a surface if you miss a nail or drive it below the surface.
the surface.
Done it once.......once.
Terry
Ike Bottema
> Well, I used to own an Estwing, and I coudn't drive a nail straight
> with it. I have used others on occasion, and had the same experience.
> As far as I am concerned, I will *never* use one or buy one again.
>
> I have several other hammers, including a couple of real cheap
> wooden-handled hammers, and I can drive nails nice and straight with
> all of them. I left the estwing under the house a couple of years
> and I don't mind if they find it there when they tear my house down.
This post reminds me (again) of the golf analogy. It's never the golfer
it's his clubs. :-)
Ike Bottema
Paul Houtz
Ike, did you read the second paragraph? I said I can drive nails nice
and straight and with my other hammers.
So, how does your analogy fit? I don't get it.
Ike Bottema
Sorry I couldn't resist the opportunity to make light of your problem.
In my own defense you'll notice that I didn't attempt to take your comments
out of context.
The analogy comes from my observation that many golfers, (myself included)
have a very personal attachment to their clubs and it seems to me that the
same is true for carpenters and their hammers. For instance, I have this
wooden-handled hammer kicking around and I couldn't drive a nail straight
with it if my life depended on it.
Ike "of course it's the hammer's fault" Bottema
jrst...@delphi.com
I can't speak for the 26 oz. Estwing but I have a regular size (16 oz.?) and it
has a habit some of my co workers did not like.
It sings. Strike a nail and it produces a nice vibration like a tuning
fork. I like it but, one guy threatened me if I did not stop the
"singing". Still, all in all, I wouldn't go with any other kind.
I have no trouble dirving nails or skinning my knuckles.