Most different types of hammers that are available on the market come in a wide variety of different handle lengths and head weights as well. There are hammer handles that are made out of ash or hickory, out of tubular steel, with rubber grips attacked, out of fiberglass and many other materials and these tend to be capable of absorbing shock well. They are also quite comfortable to hold and they are also excellent at providing you with a good grip.

The head of the hammer that you buy should be forged cleanly rather than cast, and it should be forged from high quality steel. The face of the hammer that is being used for general purposes should be smooth and it should have edges that are slightly beveled. A textured face is capable of clinging to nails and it is the best indicted hammer for long time nailing sessions. However, when you are dealing with a hammer with a textured face you are going to find that the work surface will be much more easily marred. A smooth face, like you would find on a ball peen hammer, a mallet or a sledge hammer is designed to strike a work surface or another tool such as a punch or a cold chisel without causing damage to it.

Claw Hammers

This is the basic household type of hammer. It is generally 16 ounces in weight and has a curved claw. For rough work in construction, you should be choosing a straight claw hammer that is 22 ounces instead of 16. This is known as a ripping hammer. For finish carpentry purposes you should be using a lighter hammer, at only around 12 ounces.

Peen Hammers

Rather than having a claw, peen hammers have an additional surface intended for striking, which is known as a peen. There is a peen hammer with a rounded ball on the back which is primarily used for bending and shaping softer metals. The hammer that is used by cabinetmakers on the other hand has a long and thin cross peen that is used to start brads, as well as a flat face that is intended for driving in nails. Bricklayers have hammers that have flat ends that settle masonry into the right place as well as a long and chisel-like face that is designed to score the bricks before they are cut.

Mallets and Sledgehammers

In order to strike woodworking chisels and to assemble multiple wood parts, you can use a carpenter's mallet. If you want to assemble other projects or to pound out dents in pieces of metal, then you should use a rubber mallet. Sledgehammers on the other hand have heads that are made of solid steel and are generally between 2 lbs and 28 lbs in weight.

Photo Credits: WilsonB

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Handy Man, Tools

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bricklayers, cabinetmakers, claw hammer, claw hammers, cold chisel, fiberglass, finish carpentry, flat face, household type, mallet, quality steel, rough work, rubber grips, sledge hammer, smooth face, textured face, tubular steel, types of hammers, weights, work surface