Type
—
Locksmith. One of the most popular varieties of hammers; most often, locksmith models are bought for domestic use, although such tools have a clear scope among professionals. The head of such a hammer usually has a square section, the striker is made slightly convex — which, in particular, is convenient when hitting a chisel, punch and other similar tools. The rear part has the form of a wedge, which can be used, in particular, for breaking and splitting various materials. Locksmith hammers are available in a wide variety of weights — from 100 g to 2 kg.
—
Carpenter. This category includes hammers for working with wooden parts — both carpentry and carpentry, designed for rougher work and greater effort. By design, these varieties are similar: the impact part has a flat surface, a round section and a characteristic refined "neck", and the toe can be made bifurcated, for use as a nail puller. However, there are also differences. Firstly, carpentry hammers are somewhat larger — from 300 g, while carpentry hammers start from 100 g. Secondly, carpentry tools can have a toe not only in the form of a dovetail, but also in the form of a wedge. Thirdly, the knurled head and nail fixing devices (see below for both) are found mainly in carpenter's hammers.
—
Sledgehammer. The largest and most massive type of hammers, which is sometimes even distinguished as a separ
...ate class of tools. Sledgehammers have a striker weight of 800 g (in the most massive models it can be 12 kg or even more), most often they involve holding with two hands and are used for the most rough and hard work that requires exceptional impact power. The head of such a tool most often has a square section and a symmetrical layout, with strikers on both sides; however, there are other options — in particular, sledgehammers with a toe in the form of a wedge, as in the carpentry hammers described above.
— Kiyanka. A specialized type of hammer equipped with hardwood or rubber heads. Such heads usually have rather large dimensions and a characteristic shape (rectangular or barrel-shaped), with flat heads on both sides. One of the most popular ways to use mallets is to work with chisels and chisels: due to the relatively soft material, the striker does not damage the handle of such a tool upon impact. In addition, this type of hammer is used when laying ceramic tiles — for similar reasons — as well as when processing sheet metal and roofing materials, in particular for straightening and folding.
— Leveling. Hammers designed primarily for straightening and leveling sheet metal and other similar materials. The design of such tools may be different. One of the most popular options is a double-sided cylindrical head; at the same time, strikers can be made from different materials — elastic (for example, polyurethane) and hard (such as nylon) — and allow replacement when worn (see "Replaceable striker"). In metal tools, a flat round head can be supplemented with a second head with a notch, a hemispherical toe or a spike for punching holes.
— Inertialess. Hammers of a special design, almost no rebound on impact. This is achieved due to the fact that the head is made hollow and inside there is a special hardware (most often metal shot), which dampens inertia. The need for such a tool is quite rare, but for some jobs it can be a real salvation. The shape of the head in inertialess hammers can be different, but most often it is barrel-shaped (cylindrical), with double-sided strikers.
— Roofer's hammer. Hammers designed for roofing. The classic roofer's hammer has a square-shaped head (often with notches for the convenience of driving roofing nails), and on the back of the head there is a specific design that resembles a broken carpenter's nail puller: two teeth, one of which is approximately half as long as the other. This design is used, in particular, for punching holes in roofing material and bending edges. In addition, nail fixation is often used in such tools (see below): it allows you to work with one hand, while the other holds on to a ladder or insurance. Also note that sometimes the so-called roofing is also referred to. slate nail hammers: they resemble carpentry hammers, but have a larger head, usually square, and differ in the design of the nail puller.
— Mason's hammer. Hammers designed for working with stone, brick and other similar materials. A distinctive feature of such models is the toe in the form of a rather thin and flat wedge, which works like a pickaxe and is capable of splitting stones, knocking down plaster and performing other similar functions. The striker is usually made flat and has a rectangular cross section. Also, hammers of a bricklayer are sometimes referred to as "buchards" — tools for applying a notch, with characteristic teeth on the striker.
— Tiler 's hammer. Specialized hammers used when laying ceramic tiles. In such work, it is not so much strength that is required as the accuracy of impact, which is taken into account in the design of such hammers. They are relatively small in size and weight, and the head is usually made elongated; on one side of it is the actual striker, on the other — a flat blade for chipping tiles. Note that the hammers of tilers are quite similar to the hammers of masons; often the difference between these two varieties is only in the name. However, masons' hammers have their own specifics — see above for details.
— Welder's hammer. A tool used in welding — mainly to remove scale and slag ("charge") formed in the process, and sometimes also to check the quality of the weld. In professional jargon, such a hammer is called a "cleaver" or "slag breaker". It usually has a double-sided head, one of the heads is made in the form of a chisel, and the second can have a different design: a second chisel perpendicular or parallel to the first, a pointed sting for cleaning hard-to-reach places, or even a curved Z-shaped cutting edge. Also note that some slag hammers are equipped with handles in the form of a twisted spring: such a spring dampens the recoil from the blow, and also dissipates heat if the hammer is used directly during the welding process or shortly after.Head weight
The weight of the striker in this case means the weight of the entire head — the working part of the hammer, put on the handle. The overall weight of the tool is also affected by the handle (sometimes quite significantly), but the performance is almost entirely determined by the weight of the head. Therefore, it is this indicator that is usually indicated in the characteristics and it is he who is meant when talking about the weight of the hammer as a whole.
Each type of hammer (see "Type") has its own weight range: for example, carpentry hammers are available in the weight category from
100 g to 1 kg, metalwork — up to
2 kg, and the weight of sledgehammers starts at about
1 kg and often exceeds
10 kg. In special sources, you can find detailed recommendations on the choice of weight depending on the type and planned features of the application. Here we note that, all other things being equal, a larger weight has a positive effect on the impact force, a smaller one contributes to accuracy and accuracy.
Length
The total length of the hammer. This parameter is selected by the manufacturer based on the type (see above) and the “weight category” of the tool, however, models that are similar in characteristics may have different lengths. In such cases, it is worth taking into account that longer hammers are more "sweeping", they provide more impact force; shorter ones, in turn, are better suited for precision work, and also weigh less. Detailed recommendations on choosing the optimal length for each specific case can be found in special sources.
Hammer face size
The size of the striker is actually the shock part of the head. For round strikers, the diameter is usually indicated, for square strikers, the length of the side of the square; there are also rectangular strikers (in particular, in mallets — see "Type") — for them the size is given in length and width.
The size of the striker is usually chosen in accordance with the type and weight of the tool, so most often this parameter is more of a reference than of practical significance. However, in some situations it is also worth paying attention to — for example, if we are talking about a straightening hammer or mallet used for the same purposes. In this application, a larger striker allows you to quickly deal with a large area, a smaller one provides better accuracy and accuracy.
Handle protection
The presence
of additional protection in the handle of the hammer.
Protection is found in models with handles made of wood or fibreglass (see "Handle Material"). It looks like a kind of "collar" — an additional metal sleeve at the junction of the handle with the head. The main function of such a device is to protect the handle from damage during misses and other flaws in the work, when the main blow falls not on the striker, but on the handle. In addition, it is at the junction of the handle and the head that the likelihood of cracks and breaks is highest, while the protection further strengthens this place.