The Basic Toolkit: Choosing a Hammer
Ahh, the hammer- used for everything from hanging pictures to home defense. This tool is one of the MVPs of the basic toolkit. Back in the day, all hammers pretty much all looked the same. They had handles made of wood and heads made of steel. Nowadays, the hammer section at the hardware store has 30 different hammers to choose from. Well, I'm going to help you out by narrowing the field.
First, let's decide what type of hammer we want. There are really only three types of hammers that are well-suited for general carpentry, a claw hammer, a ripping hammer, and a finishing hammer. A claw hammer has a curved claw that is designed for nail pulling. A ripping hammer has a relatively straight claw that is useful for ripping wood apart. A finishing hammer is similar to a claw hammer, but smaller. The claw hammer is a good choice for most of us. If you plan on tearing stuff apart, get a ripping hammer. A finishing hammer is a bit petite for my liking, but I'm sure it's great for really light work (like nailing a toothpick into a stick of butter).
Next, let's pick a weight. Go with 16 oz. You can find a 10 oz. hammer and plenty of 20 oz. hammers, but 16 oz. is a great general purpose weight. Not too light, not too heavy.
Finally, we need to choose the type of handle that we want. Unless you are assembling a retro-themed toolkit, stay away from the wood handle. If you already have a hammer with a wooden handle, don't store it in your garage (the extreme temperatures cause the wood to expand/contract, possibly causing the head to come loose). Also, keep it away from beavers. Now, you could go with a steel handle. The benefit of steel is that the head and handle are forged as a single piece, making it strong and durable. The downside is that the steel handle does not absorb the shock of pounding the nail. The last type of handle is fiberglass. These handles are strong, light, and shock absorbing. Also, a fiberglass handle (as well as wood) is a good choice for someone working around electricity. No matter which material you choose, get a handle that is wrapped in rubber. This will increase shock absorbency and make the hammer less slippery when wet.
Most importantly, choose a hammer that feels comfortable in your hand.
Here are a couple of options:
Estwing #E16S 16oz Leather Steel Hammer
Estwing 16oz Curved Claw Hammer
Stanley 10oz Curved Claw Fiberglass Hammer
Jon
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