Wiha, Wera (and Friends) Wednesday – What Hammer Should I Get

The hammer is probably one of the oldest tools known to man and most everybody has a hammer of some sort at home. Your typical hammer is probably used for a lot of jobs, including ones it wasn’t designed for. Who hasn’t used a claw hammer (or even a screwdriver) to hammer shut a paint can? Really, that sort of job should be done by a soft mallet to keep the lid from being damaged. This probably happens with all kinds of things around the home, and hammer misuse continues. So take a look at the world of hammers and consider if it might be worth getting the right hammer for stuff around the house or on the job.

Of course, the most common hammer is the claw hammer and we carry several varieties for different jobs like the Klein 807-18 Electrician’s hammer or the more conventional Klein 808-16 Heavy Duty Straight Claw. These would be used primarily for driving or removing nails of course. For different jobs where you might need to do some metalwork or rounding of metal edges, ball peen hammers are the way to go. We have several made by Klein, like the Klein 803-8. They come in different sizes and weights which will change depending on the job you need to do.

One of our most popular styles of hammer is the dead blow hammer. Deadblow hammers are made to have no bounce-back when striking and are primarily used in automotive, dent removal or other situations where you don’t want the hammer bouncing back. The head of the hammer is typically filled with lead shot, iron shot or some other material to add weight creating forward momentum while also minimizing or eliminating recoil.

Wiha is probably the most versatile brand in that there we carry a lot of replacement hammer faces and replacement wood handles. With Wiha they go from the Wiha 80025 which has a hickory handle and is lighter all the way up to the Wiha 80070 which is heavier. They also make dead blow hammers with steel handles from the Wiha 80225 up to the Wiha 80270 or the Wiha 80290 3-Pack. If you need one with a little more weight and power, the Wiha dead blow sledge should do the trick, available in 10 pound or 15 pounds. Should you go with the metal or the wood handle for your hammer? Really, it’s largely your preference, however there are a few things to consider. First, are you looking for less vibration when striking? Then wood would be best. Do you want something that is going to last longer and not be damaged by the elements? Then the steel handle may be best. Each has pros and cons, so be sure to do your homework or try each and see what you like better.

We also carry other brands of dead blow hammers like the Gedore 1605305 as well as a couple by Klein tools like the 811-16. Wera also makes a few different dead blow hammers with cellidor, nylon or urethane heads. All of those are German made or of German descent, and all are high quality. If you’re looking for something made in the USA, Klein Tools has a couple to choose from as well with the 811-16 and the 811-32, Klein also makes a lighter and heavier sledge hammer if you need more power and weight, though it isn’t a combo like the Wiha ones.

While those are the most common hammers, there are a few oddities in the family that bear mentioning. Klein’s 823-48 hand drilling hammer which is basically a smaller scale sledge used for driving stakes and of course you’d recognize from cartoons, chiseling. Next up is a hammer designed for safety. Klein’s non-sparking hammer will ensure risk of fire or explosion is reduced when working near flammable gas, fumes or dust. Then there’s the 5WHRG chipping hammer by Klein which removes slag from welds and also doubles as a geologist tool for extracting mineral samples.

Lastly, Gedore makes a few different hammers that are likely used for very special jobs. Gedore’s 21 F-500 light metal hammer, H-250 Copper hammer and the 22 H-500 copper hammer are all solid metal hammerheads. The copper hammers are likely used in a similar manner to the non-sparking one from Klein. Be sure to leave us some reviews on those if you’ve used them for a job, we’d love to hear your thoughts on them!

While the hammer itself seems to have existed before recorded history, it’s a tool that has changed more and more over the years, and like everything else, has undergone the most change during the 20^th century. It’s likely the hammer will continue to be a staple for centuries to come and will continue to get better with time.

Make sure to leave us product reviews for your favorites and tell us about your favorite hammer on Facebook or Instagram!