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Titanium Hammers

Posted by 141drew Posted onFeb 24, 2009 at 11:20 AM and filed under Reviews & Features
Updated onUpdated on May 28, 2021 at 11:37 AM


I thought this was rad… Stiletto Tools is a company with a passion for a very light and very strong material – titanium. They make traditional hammers, pry bars, and all kinds of crazy contraptions that while are pretty spendy, they aren’t quite as expensive as I thought they would be.

Check it out.


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Mike83

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$80 for the one I saw. Yikes!

However, I've heard that if you are framing all day they are nice to have.
 
H

HolisticPerformance

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Isn't the idea to usually make hammers heavier? And as far as strength goes, I think lots of us have seen the "exploding hammer" episode of Mythbusters.
 
R

rsanter

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have you guys ever seen the titanium shovel heads?
I guess the deal was that there was a restriction on the export of titanium from the former soviet union. so a company was stamping the titanium into shovel heads and exporting them as shovels (farm tools) which was OK to do
most were remelted when they got to their destination but a few were sidelined as souveneers

bob
 
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R

Ryan

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admittedly, I haven't bought a hammer in a decade or so... So, I'm not familiar with what a top of the liner hammer costs...

I have, however, bought lots of titanium for various small projects. Given how much I've paid for silly **** like titanium split rings, I was actually pretty impressed that the hammers were under $100.
 
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Frank Elson

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My last two hammers cost 50 pence for the pair at a car boot sale.
I doubt I'll find a titanium one in the places I shop any time soon.
 
K

kythri

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I'm not really in the market for another hammer, but when I buy one, I think I'm gonna go with those Stanley FatMax Anti-Vibe jobs. I love my FuBars.
 
J

JimmyMc

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They feel nice. I saw them at a show in Vegas last week or so. The idea is that stell will "bounce" more than the titanium thus put more of your force thru to the nail.

JJ
 
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PeteW

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I used a stilleto titanium hammer when I was framing houses all day and it sunk nails just as well as a 20oz steal hammer. It, however, was not nearly as successful at persuading walls when straitening them or sucking them together for tight corners.

I the part of the reason it worked really well on nails was that I was able to flick my wrist a lot more during the swing and that allowed me to generate a lot more head speed which would hit the nail with a higher velocity and force.
 
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ImportTuner

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PeteW said:
I used a stilleto titanium hammer when I was framing houses all day and it sunk nails just as well as a 20oz steal hammer. It, however, was not nearly as successful at persuading walls when straitening them or sucking them together for tight corners.

I the part of the reason it worked really well on nails was that I was able to flick my wrist a lot more during the swing and that allowed me to generate a lot more head speed which would hit the nail with a higher velocity and force.
Click to expand...

So, PeteW, would you recommend buying a titanium hammer over a regular steel hammer, even though the titanium one cost more?
 
U

Uncle Buck

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That is the framing hammer my brother in law swears by. It is a bad *** hammer to be sure. Worth every penny for true nail drivers I am sure.
 
B

Bull

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I saw these on that show on the DIY Network, Cool Tools. Saw how they were made and a demo of them being used. Drove nails well in the demo. The inventor is a guy that used to swing a heavy hammer all day and it took a toll on his joints over the years. So, if it saves you some physical pain over the course of a career as a carpenter, I'd look at it as an investment. I think it also has one of those nifty slots to hold a nail in the head and drive it into the wood with one stroke, so no more busted thumbs.

It's lipstick on a pig for me, though...my weekend warrior status means I just have Craftsman and Stanley framing hammers.
 
D

Danglerb

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With a hammer I have to just go with whatever works, and how it feels when I use it. If I have a lot of whacking to do, I wear decent gloves, pay attention, and stop if I get too sloppy. Never had a problem with anything from junk box hammers to estwing.
 
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Danglerb

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Commercial hammer users lose more hammers than any other tool user, so I have my doubts about many of them spending serious bucks on a hammer. Maybe they could chain it to their belt?
 
B

Bull

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The saddest hammer I ever used was one I found in my basement or shed, can't remember. Was obviously from my grandfather, and obviously lived a hard life. The handle had disintegrated, so he wrapped it with twine. It was very rusty, and noticeably bent. But, I put a new asphalt roof w/plywood underlayment on an old chicken coop with it.

In the end, if you aren't pro, a hammer is a hammer.
 
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8

87ELC2

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PeteW said:
I used a stilleto titanium hammer when I was framing houses all day and it sunk nails just as well as a 20oz steal hammer. It, however, was not nearly as successful at persuading walls when straitening them or sucking them together for tight corners.

I the part of the reason it worked really well on nails was that I was able to flick my wrist a lot more during the swing and that allowed me to generate a lot more head speed which would hit the nail with a higher velocity and force.
Click to expand...

My experience was similar. The Stiletto 14 oz. drove 16d nails just as well as my 23 oz. Vaughan steel hammer. The Stiletto had a different feel for me, in a good way - like less vibration or something, and the balance was great. Also it didn't make a high-pitched ringing sound when it struck nails.

Unfortunately, the handle gave out while I was trying to separate a door jamb from the framing. I've since found several reviews that said Stiletto's handles are prone to cracking. For the record, I've never had a Vaughan or Hart wood handle snap under similar use.
 
S

speed bump

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There are alot of tempting hammers out there but personally I like my Vaughn 24 or 26 Oz framer the best. Almost bought one of the steel handle framers the other day but I don't like the feel of it.
 
G

goodfellow

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speed bump said:
There are alot of tempting hammers out there but personally I like my Vaughn 24 or 26 Oz framer the best. Almost bought one of the steel handle framers the other day but I don't like the feel of it.
Click to expand...

+1 on Vaughan Hammers. I've used others, but always come back to Vaughan. Craftsman/Vaughan are a great value. Most swap meet sellers never know that many of their older Craftsman hammers were Vaughan sourced.
 
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wildlife447

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The Stilletto's are amazing, Titanium packs a punch. They are worth every penny IF you are using the hammer alot for framing, and swinging alot. if quality tools mean something to you, try one before you rush out and buy one. i was looking at a Stanley fatmax 20oz but settled for a new Plumb 20oz with the magnetic nail slot, and a sweet grip!

That being my first EVER NEW hammer purchase.
 
V

voetsek

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I have a stiletto that I used for framing with a full titanium head and handle. They are great for throwing nails all day long. On mine they get the needed force by lengthening the handle around 2". The face on mine is also cushioned and replaceable. New faces are available for when the old one is worn out or they are interchangeable between waffle and smooth faced. Great hammer that I would buy again in a heartbeat, but they do not pry all that well. The rear tines bend when prying sideways with the tips. Kinda like if you imagined two of your fingers going up and down if you stuck you fingers in a crack and moved your wrist in a turning motion. Pulls nails out fine though. (Force is directed the proper way)
 
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wildlife447

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If its your business swinging a hammer, take note, the weight advantage is amazing, and the pure driving power is awesome. Excellent tools for excellent jobs they say, and of course it is SO much nicer swinging a lighter hammer that really packs a wallop. I couldn't afford one when I needed one so I settled on a new Plumb 20oz with a magnetic nail strip on the head over the Stanley, and I loved it till some dude showed up with a Stilletto, damn thats a sweet hammer!
 
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danski0224

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russlaferrera said:
I have to say, I am having trouble digesting a lightweight hammer principle. Bigger hammer = more force. That I understand.
Click to expand...

You can accelerate a titanium hammer faster than a comparably sized steel one. Faster speed = more force (well, I think the proper term is kinetic energy... I'm sure someone will set it straight).

The titanium may be stronger in some aspects than steel, but it is more elastic (again, maybe not the correct term). That's why the faces of the hammers mushroom easily or why the nail removal end will bend if you pry in the wrong direction. The give of the metal transmits less force to human joints, which is a good thing.

If you swing a hammer for a living, your body will like the titanium... but you will have bad habits to break that will damage the hammer.
 
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Stuey

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danski0224 said:
You can accelerate a titanium hammer faster than a comparably sized steel one. Faster speed = more force (well, I think the proper term is kinetic energy... I'm sure someone will set it straight).

The titanium may be stronger in some aspects than steel, but it is more elastic (again, maybe not the correct term). That's why the faces of the hammers mushroom easily or why the nail removal end will bend if you pry in the wrong direction. The give of the metal transmits less force to human joints, which is a good thing.

If you swing a hammer for a living, your body will like the titanium... but you will have bad habits to break that will damage the hammer.
Click to expand...
You don't want to expel much energy in accelerating a hammer, you want to let gravity do the work for you. If you use your strength to swing a hammer, you will tire very quickly.
 
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W

Wood

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Stuey said:
You don't want to expel much energy in accelerating a hammer, you want to let gravtiy do the work for you. If you use your strength to swing a hammer, you will tire very quickly.
Click to expand...

I kind of agree with this. When I was in school I worked for a carpenter during summers and we would always get the heavier hammers for framing so the hammer could do the work for us. I believe that's also specifically why framing hammers are made heavier, so they drive the nail better. It's not lie you couldn't easily design a framing style hammer head that only used ~14 oz of steel instead of the standard 20 to 22 oz.

Someone else mentioned that the titanium doesn't rebound as much and therefore delivers more of the inertia to the nail (similar to the principle behind a dead-blow hammer). If that's true then I could see how it might make sense to go with titanium.

Or maybe the light weight would be an advantage if you knew you were going to be hammering overhead for the next couple of hours like when you're nailing in a bunch of joist hangers.
 
X

X1 Mike

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Stuey said:
You don't want to expel much energy in accelerating a hammer, you want to let gravtiy do the work for you. If you use your strength to swing a hammer, you will tire very quickly.
Click to expand...

If thats the case why even have a handle? Just hold on to the head and let gravity work. It's all about the acceleration. A lighter hammer will take equal energy and transfer it into more speed and force. If I swung a hammer for a living I would buy one of those bad mofo's.
 
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bimmer1980

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danski-- hit the nail on the head with his description. I couldn't resist. Yes, from an engineering stand-point, it is all about the energy. Similar to a bullet--you can fire a heavier bullet or fire it faster and have similar results.....at least from an energy stand point. this is all based on velocity and mass. So if you increase either/or, you will increase the energy. more energy equals driving the nail in faster. Therefore, the weight of the hammer can be reduced, and net an increase in "speed" or velocity and result with driving the nail faster.

Mass of hammer * velocity of hammer = mass of nail * velocity of nail

law of conservation of energy....

This same law also applies to hitting billiards. The cue ball imparts some or all of it's energy to the ball it contacts.... There are some other equations that play into this as well, but I forgot them...college was a few years ago....

now that you are all bored to tears... go pound some nails!!

time is money!!!
 
B

back2class

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bimmer1980 said:
danski-- hit the nail on the head with his description. I couldn't resist. Yes, from an engineering stand-point, it is all about the energy. Similar to a bullet--you can fire a heavier bullet or fire it faster and have similar results.....at least from an energy stand point. this is all based on velocity and mass. So if you increase either/or, you will increase the energy. more energy equals driving the nail in faster. Therefore, the weight of the hammer can be reduced, and net an increase in "speed" or velocity and result with driving the nail faster.

Mass of hammer * velocity of hammer = mass of nail * velocity of nail

law of conservation of energy....

This same law also applies to hitting billiards. The cue ball imparts some or all of it's energy to the ball it contacts.... There are some other equations that play into this as well, but I forgot them...college was a few years ago....

now that you are all bored to tears... go pound some nails!!

time is money!!!
Click to expand...

Yes, but would that translate to a zero net gain in driving power? The ******* would still need to transmit the same amount of energy to the nail. Perhaps the energy is conserved on the backstroke of the lighter would be the difference, but then the gravity on the downforce with heavier would cancel that out.
 
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seber

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I wonder how much of that advantage is due to the longer handle. Might be interesting to try a light weight steel hammer with the longer handle.
 
T

The Tool Tyrant

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Well, back when I was framing every day (before the advent of nail guns) I had tried most waffle faced hammers and my all time favorite was a Plumb framing axe...absolutely the best balanced striking tool ever. I had one that lasted at least 5 years before I broke the handle (I don't recommend pulling nails with them!) I about cried as I had shaped the handle just to my liking. I would use my die grinder with a thin cut-off disc to freshen up the corrugation when needed.
I tried the Stiletto when they first came out and it just couldn't hang with my axe. The corrugation was too soft and was useless in no time. I did however LOVE the magnetic nail holder, which is great for starting those 'out of reach' nails.
 
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will335i

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It also depends on what grade of titanium they are using. If it is a higher grade and has a higher hardness than the typical steel used in hammers, then more of the energy will be transferred from the hammer to the nail. Thus, requiring less force to generate the same about of work.

Edit: Ignore me, looks like they are using a replaceable steel face on their hammers. So I guess the biggest benefit is fatigue management.
 
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