ClawHammers?

A

Able_walker

Joined
Jul 16, 2015
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The vintage ones seem to go cheap....5-6 Bucks or so.I imagine like everything else "Made in USA" is becoming less common.
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[/URL][/IMG] Anything to look for in an older vintage hammer?
 
Able_walker said:
The vintage ones seem to go cheap....5-6 Bucks or so.I imagine like everything else "Made in USA" is becoming less common.
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[/URL][/IMG] Anything to look for in an older vintage hammer?
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Obviously condition matters, but you should make sure the claws are even and look for chips in the face which are a bad sign.
Look for your brands.IMHO Vaughan is the best ever made hands down 👌, craftsman, plumb , Hart , and if you see plomb ( it will look like plvmb ) snatch it up instantly as they're pretty rare because they were only allowed to keep their very similar name as long as they didn't make the same types of tools as plumb. If you see a Stanley with black paint , lots of seems, and the name only on the handle then it's a modern one that is still decent just not as good or very refined and you should pay less for it.
Another one to swipe up instantly would be anything in Vaughn's 999 series because they are just perfect .
 
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Able_walker said:
The vintage ones seem to go cheap....5-6 Bucks or so.I imagine like everything else "Made in USA" is becoming less common.

Good looking Stanley, I hope you own it. I pick up most American made wooden handle hammers and heads whether claw, rip, ball pien and cross pien not to mention axes and hatchets. My thoughts are that if if I didn't, they would be lost forever or worse than that abused and thrown away.
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No unfortunately I don't own that one it was such a nice example with the old label on the handle I couldn't help but post it. There is one second hand shop I go to that has a bunch of old claw hammers but I can't really see any marks that stand out so I'm a bit in the dark about what to look for.They are in good condition of various weights and styles with maybe a loose handle or two so just seeking a couple of pointers on what to look for.Maybe I can post a couple of pics.
 
No unfortunately I don't own that one it was such a nice example with the old label on the handle I couldn't help but post it. There is one second hand shop I go to that has a bunch of old claw hammers but I can't really see any marks that stand out so I'm a bit in the dark about what to look for.They are in good condition of various weights and styles with maybe a loose handle or two so just seeking a couple of pointers on what to look for.Maybe I can post a couple of pics.
 
In clawhammers, I keep an eye for the more obscure but still a professional grade tool. Maybe they were big names in their heyday, but now basically unknown at least as clawhammer makers.
Pexto, Maydole, Channelock, Zenith, there are dozens...
 
I love old claw hammers, and pick good ones up when I find them, though, the early 80's Estwing's can't be beat. They are the best ever made!
 
quinton said:
I love old claw hammers, and pick good ones up when I find them, though, the early 80's Estwing's can't be beat. They are the best ever made!
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Estwings are about as good as an all steel hammer could be, but the problem with all steel hammers is the grips eventually going bad which is something that's not exactly replaceable like a hickory haft is. people have glued new leather washers to them, but if it had a vinyl grip your gonna have some figgerin' to do 😉
I can't count how many Stanley steelmaster,all steel true temper , craftsman, and estwing hammers I've seen wrapped in duct tape from missing grips ( the tape is always dried out and it's easy to see that the grips are shot and weren't just wrapped for comfort ) It would be cool if someone made a generic grip replacement that way hammers like this can be saved.
 
The thing is hammers don't really have the mystique of other tools. They were made to beat things with. In fact some people call them beaters and treat them as such. But that's a good thing for people that have a soft spot for them.
 
I picked up a red handled Stanley hammer recently. With cool design at the bottom / \ / \ . Sorry at work no pic. Any help on how old? The Stanley is engraved sideways on the handle

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BamaDADx3 said:
I picked up a red handled Stanley hammer recently. With cool design at the bottom / \ / \ . Sorry at work no pic. Any help on how old? The Stanley is engraved sideways on the handle

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Does it say Stanley on the head or just the handle ?
 
I know it does on the handle cant remember on the head. Ill post a picture when I get home this evening.
 
Mibro clawhammer.....Drop Forged. Figured I would post a couple of pics as I couldn't find another one online anywhere. Used to be a German tool company named Mibro that used a different font in their logo and there is a Canadian company that these days only does Taps and Dies and drill bits and stuff but say they have been in the tool biz for 65 years so it's anyone's guess. Only 6 bucks...It had surface rust and the handle was dry but a little wax on the handle and WD-40 with a wire wheel on the head and it looks and feels very nice...seems to have done a fair amount of work in it's life and it's in excellent shape a nice "beater" that will get years more use.

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My favorite claw hammers are all Vaughans. The 'Pro-16' straight claw ripping hammer ia my favorite. The 20 oz rip is nice. And I like their 24oz framer. For concrete form work I use a 20oz Estwing straight claw.
 
I used Estwings for form work. I used to use TT, the handles were hollow, not solid steel. They were more comfortable to use than Estwing - I ended up breaking a couple of them and went to Estwing full time. Still have my Hart 25 framer - liked it better than Vaughan. I have been careful with the Hart - still have the original handle. That being said, the Vaughan(24 oz)is a great hammer. I also have a little Hart trim hammer that is pretty much perfect for trim work. I wish they still made that line.
 
stevewest said:
I used Estwings for form work. I used to use TT, the handles were hollow, not solid steel. They were more comfortable to use than Estwing - I ended up breaking a couple of them and went to Estwing full time. Still have my Hart 25 framer - liked it better than Vaughan. I have been careful with the Hart - still have the original handle. That being said, the Vaughan(24 oz)is a great hammer. I also have a little Hart trim hammer that is pretty much perfect for trim work. I wish they still made that line.
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I love my Hart 25

And here's my 2 favorites a 20oz Vaughan 999ml ( the perfect hammer )and a craftsman hammertooth made by Vaughan in the 50's which is basically a 999 at heart.
 
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