Hammer time!
- Thread starter Outlawmws
- Start date
Hi, Outlaw,
If you wanted to start a 'tool trivial thread about ball-pein hammers, how about trying to make up a list of American hammer makers, or the various brand-names on hammers?
For no good reason, I've saved up some quantity of hammers, whenever I'd see one at the flea market or a garage sale, but of any 'different' make or brand name I didn't already have......vaguely like stamp collectors saving stamps, I suppose, except they are useful when reconned, and having a hammer of 'just right' weight and balance for any specific bit of work one may be doing is a worthwhile convenience.
(this, along with making one's own pin punches, gets really serious, if one should be working of some rich collector's' old Parker or Ithica double gun, or even a 'collectible' old Winchester, and the least slip of a tool could leave a scar in their precious pet.
(I got a fairly large boxful of old hammer handles at the flea market, years ago, apparently some stray old hardware store stock from the '40's, so, just purely for idle amusement, I collected broken hammers when cheap....I found a couple of those 3 and 4lb. hammers, and reconned them, but they were way too heavy to be useful for me, so they became presents for mechanic friends.)
Now, the large number of brand names on hammers are a somewhat interesting curiosity.
I'd have a suspicion that there were actually relatively few hammer making plants in this country, who sub-contracted hammers for the various tool companies, and marked them as requested. Its easy to see the forging die similarity of hammer heads with quite a few different name markings, but with varying grades of finish deburrng/polishing.
If we stick with American-made ones the 'pre-import era', how many brand names can we find on common ball-pein hammers?
'Plumb', 'Stanley' (Stanley-Atha), and 'Heller' would be the most common, I'd guess, with "Paschall', 'Maydole', and 'American Fork and Hoe'. being less so.
So......how about a new 'trivia fad' for the folks here.....how many brand-names of hammers do the folks here have? (yes, I'll be the first to admit that trying to collect all the different 'makes' or 'brands' of hammers for a 'collection' is purely silly amusement but, I suppose, they are a teeny-tiny bit of American industrial history, 'in microcosm' so to speak, and so worth a 'hammer trivia' thread, just from curiosity.
If you think the idea amusing, list out the makes you have, and I'd go through the drawers here, and list out the twenty-ish or so makes I've got here........or whatever I've got left, anyway, after giving some to friends.
cheers
Carla
If you wanted to start a 'tool trivial thread about ball-pein hammers, how about trying to make up a list of American hammer makers, or the various brand-names on hammers?
For no good reason, I've saved up some quantity of hammers, whenever I'd see one at the flea market or a garage sale, but of any 'different' make or brand name I didn't already have......vaguely like stamp collectors saving stamps, I suppose, except they are useful when reconned, and having a hammer of 'just right' weight and balance for any specific bit of work one may be doing is a worthwhile convenience.
(this, along with making one's own pin punches, gets really serious, if one should be working of some rich collector's' old Parker or Ithica double gun, or even a 'collectible' old Winchester, and the least slip of a tool could leave a scar in their precious pet.
(I got a fairly large boxful of old hammer handles at the flea market, years ago, apparently some stray old hardware store stock from the '40's, so, just purely for idle amusement, I collected broken hammers when cheap....I found a couple of those 3 and 4lb. hammers, and reconned them, but they were way too heavy to be useful for me, so they became presents for mechanic friends.)
Now, the large number of brand names on hammers are a somewhat interesting curiosity.
I'd have a suspicion that there were actually relatively few hammer making plants in this country, who sub-contracted hammers for the various tool companies, and marked them as requested. Its easy to see the forging die similarity of hammer heads with quite a few different name markings, but with varying grades of finish deburrng/polishing.
If we stick with American-made ones the 'pre-import era', how many brand names can we find on common ball-pein hammers?
'Plumb', 'Stanley' (Stanley-Atha), and 'Heller' would be the most common, I'd guess, with "Paschall', 'Maydole', and 'American Fork and Hoe'. being less so.
So......how about a new 'trivia fad' for the folks here.....how many brand-names of hammers do the folks here have? (yes, I'll be the first to admit that trying to collect all the different 'makes' or 'brands' of hammers for a 'collection' is purely silly amusement but, I suppose, they are a teeny-tiny bit of American industrial history, 'in microcosm' so to speak, and so worth a 'hammer trivia' thread, just from curiosity.
If you think the idea amusing, list out the makes you have, and I'd go through the drawers here, and list out the twenty-ish or so makes I've got here........or whatever I've got left, anyway, after giving some to friends.
cheers
Carla
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Hi Carla, I'm game!
The brands I can get pretty quickly, as that part of my inventory is all caught up
I believe you are right about a lower than realized number of manufacturers, as I seriously doubt companies like MAC or Channellock for example, made the ones with their name on them. rarely will a company go out of their comfort zone
There are two primary head designs from my experience. I'll get a few and post pics later to show what I mean. certainly there are variations on those two themes, but most follow it.
My BP mfg list and QT of each:
Armstrong 2
Blue Point 1
Bonney 1
Brown & Sharp 1
Champion 1
Channelock 2
Collins 1
Craftsman 3
Easco 1
Everkeen, 1
Germantown 1
Hand Made 1
MAC 1
Maddox 1
New Britain 1
plomb 1
Proto 1
Plumb 5
Stanley 3
Stilleto 2
True Temper 2
Vaughn 2
Vulcan 1
Western Giant 1
Westcraft 1
Williams 2
Wizard 1
These are ALL BP's I have other brands in other hammers and striking tools but not quickly documented.
The brands I can get pretty quickly, as that part of my inventory is all caught up
I believe you are right about a lower than realized number of manufacturers, as I seriously doubt companies like MAC or Channellock for example, made the ones with their name on them. rarely will a company go out of their comfort zone
There are two primary head designs from my experience. I'll get a few and post pics later to show what I mean. certainly there are variations on those two themes, but most follow it.
My BP mfg list and QT of each:
Armstrong 2
Blue Point 1
Bonney 1
Brown & Sharp 1
Champion 1
Channelock 2
Collins 1
Craftsman 3
Easco 1
Everkeen, 1
Germantown 1
Hand Made 1
MAC 1
Maddox 1
New Britain 1
plomb 1
Proto 1
Plumb 5
Stanley 3
Stilleto 2
True Temper 2
Vaughn 2
Vulcan 1
Western Giant 1
Westcraft 1
Williams 2
Wizard 1
These are ALL BP's I have other brands in other hammers and striking tools but not quickly documented.
And some quick pics:
I see quite a few of this style:
Channellock, Champion DeArment, and another CL, then Stanley & MAC and the far right is marked "Hand Made"
With a mostly round side boss, Craftsman Vaughn Plumb. I suspect Vaughn made the Craftsman.
And another (newer?) Plumb somewhat different; a Maddox and a No Name all odd variants on the theme. I see a lot of very rough heads finish wise with the completely round side boss and no name on them.
Another variation had smaller that std eye in the head and a VERY thin handle. this gives a lot of flex in the handle in the swing but also prevents a really hard swing, (unless you like replacing handles.) sort of a hammer governor.
I see quite a few of this style:
Channellock, Champion DeArment, and another CL, then Stanley & MAC and the far right is marked "Hand Made"
With a mostly round side boss, Craftsman Vaughn Plumb. I suspect Vaughn made the Craftsman.
And another (newer?) Plumb somewhat different; a Maddox and a No Name all odd variants on the theme. I see a lot of very rough heads finish wise with the completely round side boss and no name on them.
Another variation had smaller that std eye in the head and a VERY thin handle. this gives a lot of flex in the handle in the swing but also prevents a really hard swing, (unless you like replacing handles.) sort of a hammer governor.
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d.mcfarland
Well-known member
House Handle has that style. Never ordered one, but saw them available.
senlow
Well-known member
Hey Outlaw,
Could you post a pic of the Brown & Sharpe hammer? Tools from Brown & Sharpe, Starrett, Lufkin etc. always get my attention.
GINIK
Well-known member
Why wouldn't Channellock have made their own?
When they were Champion DeArment, before they patented the Channellock plier, and before they officially changed their name to Channellock in the early 1960s, hammers were one of their first and most important products.
My list of ball peen hammer brands is shorter than yours, but I've got four brands you don't have, so here goes:
Atha (later owned by Stanley)
Champion DeArment
Channelock
Craftsman
Indestro
MAC
Pexto
Plumb
Proto
Stanley
Starrett
Stilleto
True Temper
Vaughan
Williams
Plus several no-name ball peens.
I'll see if I can round it up tonight
Mostly the side panel. compare pic one with pic two. certainly the transition between the faces and the body can go round, hex or octagonal, and that's a difference also.
That could be, especially in the early days, or they may have spun that part off and focused on pliers and such, but it's far from their mainstay these days.
Look at pic one however: The Stanley, MAC and Champion DeArment heads in particular are about as identical as it gets. Even to the slight scalloping into the face sides, compared to the later CL, which have no scalloping, but do have the hex/octagonal
Nice List! I'm envious of the PEXTO!
OK, I managed to find the B&S hammer:
Nothing to spectacular, pretty ordinary. Under all the abuse is "The B & S Co. and a "B" in an isosceles triangle.
Hi, Outlaw,
Actually, the B&S marking, along with a 'B' in a triangle, were trade-marks of the Billings & Spencer Co., an early producer of drop-forged tools, who were also well-known for their extensive line of high quality wrenches, as well as hammers and other drop-forged steel products.
cheers
Carla
toolmaven
Well-known member
What about the Starrett tool maker's hammer with the magnifier! It is almost too nice to use.
About Channellock hammers: I toured their plant a few years ago and had the opportunity to ask. They had "excess capacity" in their forging department and went into hammers. When that product dropped off and plier demand went up, they dropped the line. They were forged in-house The eye is a little smallish, but every one I have is perfectly heat treated.
For heavy hammers, Warwood still rocks, and their old, extinct rivals Leetonia and Woodings- Verona were good, too. I cherish my Grandpa's True Temper Rocket light nail hammer.
About Channellock hammers: I toured their plant a few years ago and had the opportunity to ask. They had "excess capacity" in their forging department and went into hammers. When that product dropped off and plier demand went up, they dropped the line. They were forged in-house The eye is a little smallish, but every one I have is perfectly heat treated.
For heavy hammers, Warwood still rocks, and their old, extinct rivals Leetonia and Woodings- Verona were good, too. I cherish my Grandpa's True Temper Rocket light nail hammer.
Hello again, Outlaw,
Well, you've certainly saved up far more hammers than I have.
I've only kept 20-ish of various sizes/weights for my own use, and even that is more than I really have any actual need for.
For years, I'd save rusty/broken hammers, when I'd get them for bupkis at the flea market, garage sales, etc, I'd glass-blast the rust away, then nicely polish/refinish them, fitting them with new handles from the box of old-stock handles I also found at the flea market, to be presents for mechanic friends.
Its surprisingly easy to replicate the octagonal handle shape used by Plumb and Proto, just going over a common handle with a little air disc-sander, then sanding smoothly, and doing a nice stain/varnish finish, just to 'look pretty'.
Bringing out the head to a high polish, then sealing it with clear varnish, and 'ebonising' the handle, will turn a common hammer into a nice 'presentation piece'.....the sort of 'occasion present' one cannot just buy for someone. Granted, as an art-form, its exceedingly low-order art......but its a useful tool, as well as being 'pretty', for literally a life-time of service, with reasonable care.
(one might think that a fancily refinished/restored hammer would be a 'silly' present, but they were surprisingly popular, as a good hammer is something a mechanic will seldom take the trouble to do up for himself....and they are a tool every one really needs)
I can add only very few 'makes' or 'brand names' to your list.....'P&C', 'American Fork & Hoe', Heller', 'Paschall', 'Maydole', and 'Evansville'.
cheers
Carla
Well, you've certainly saved up far more hammers than I have.
I've only kept 20-ish of various sizes/weights for my own use, and even that is more than I really have any actual need for.
For years, I'd save rusty/broken hammers, when I'd get them for bupkis at the flea market, garage sales, etc, I'd glass-blast the rust away, then nicely polish/refinish them, fitting them with new handles from the box of old-stock handles I also found at the flea market, to be presents for mechanic friends.
Its surprisingly easy to replicate the octagonal handle shape used by Plumb and Proto, just going over a common handle with a little air disc-sander, then sanding smoothly, and doing a nice stain/varnish finish, just to 'look pretty'.
Bringing out the head to a high polish, then sealing it with clear varnish, and 'ebonising' the handle, will turn a common hammer into a nice 'presentation piece'.....the sort of 'occasion present' one cannot just buy for someone. Granted, as an art-form, its exceedingly low-order art......but its a useful tool, as well as being 'pretty', for literally a life-time of service, with reasonable care.
(one might think that a fancily refinished/restored hammer would be a 'silly' present, but they were surprisingly popular, as a good hammer is something a mechanic will seldom take the trouble to do up for himself....and they are a tool every one really needs)
I can add only very few 'makes' or 'brand names' to your list.....'P&C', 'American Fork & Hoe', Heller', 'Paschall', 'Maydole', and 'Evansville'.
cheers
Carla
Yes, they made quite a line of wrenches and other small tools just marked 'Billings'.
Those were one of the common 'industrial brands', sold by industrial supply houses, along with the Williams and Armstrong lines. I'd guess that there was quite an issue of 'sales territories' amongst the sales firms, hence quite a few makes of essentially the same product items competing for the purchasers' $$$.
An industrial purchaser had a choice of thick, rather clumsy, black painted wrenches, which were less likely to be taken home by workers, or the rather elegant, nicely finished, chrome-plated tools, which were higher in first cost ,but much nicer to use. They all claimed some sort of proprietary 'alloy steel' for their 'premium' lines.....and they were, indeed, good steel.
As far as I know, there was no meaningful functional or aesthetic difference between those different makes of small tools, the only exceptions being that one or another firm might make some 'less common' or 'specialty' varieties which another did not, and, of course, they'd have the 'recognition feature' of the varying distinctive patterns of the socket wrench ratchets....some of which, indeed, might seem a little nicer than others, a matter of personal preference for the purchaser.
cheers
Carla
senlow
Well-known member
Thanks for posting the B&S hammer pic. It was still worth posting. I also learned something new from the subsequent posts.
Thanks for your informative posts Carla.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
WWII, Carla and Outlaw: thanks for all the hammer companies information. I know my hammer inventory has grown immensely since joining GJ so I'll have to see how many of those I own.
Here's one that might not be on the list and I seems like it has rolled up paper inserts.can't post pics from cell so will post in a bit when I get to laptop.
Here's one that might not be on the list and I seems like it has rolled up paper inserts.can't post pics from cell so will post in a bit when I get to laptop.
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Surreal001
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2014
- Messages
- 105
A Bell Systems hammer I picked up at a yard sale. Rehandled it with a longer handle more appropriate for a head of its weight.
Apologies if I already posted these. I know I posted them on one thread or another...
Apologies if I already posted these. I know I posted them on one thread or another...
drivesitfar
Well-known member
drivesitfar
Well-known member
You have the 'common or garden variety' of the 'Garland' make of soft hammer, for which the tips were rolled tough rawhide. There were a few other makes of those rawhide hammers, also,.some of which used two-piece heads to clamp the rawhide inserts.
These were a very common machine shop tool, used to move steel parts without marring them, and usually just called a 'precision adjustment tool'.
You may be able to find replacement tips for it as 'new-old-stock on the internet somewhere......it wasn't all that many years ago when they were a common 'off-the-shelf' item at any good supply house.
I turned some nylon and delrin replacement tips for mine, which seem to work well.
cheers
Carla
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sdguy55
Well-known member
What's the general consensus of these hammers? I have only had them a week or so but I really like them a lot. From left to right they are 8 lb, 2.5lb, 24 oz. The 2.5 feels really well balanced.
Geurt
Well-known member
I had a similar sort of hammer not to long ago. I heard it was a forging hammer for blacksmiths. In smaller sizes also used by jewelery makers.I found this one at a yard sale today. Not sure if its a custom, or made for a purpose. very odd shape, but I suspect it is either:
A specialized chipping hammer, or
A sheet metal forming hammer for corners.
Anyone know?
Gerut, I estimate the head weight to be about 12 oz. (340 Grams) Too light for forging by a smith, and probably too heavy for most jeweler work.
It HAS been used hard, as the edges are slightly rounded over and about equally too, so whoever used it, used both ends about the same amount.
It HAS been used hard, as the edges are slightly rounded over and about equally too, so whoever used it, used both ends about the same amount.
PBCampbell
Well-known member
Could that be some type of cobblers hammer or maybe caulking? It looks like it's use would be more towards stuffing something in between something else. I say this not just because of the not sharp ends but also because the cheeks on one side look like they're made to clear a surface.
GINIK
Well-known member
I found this one at a yard sale today. Not sure if its a custom, or made for a purpose. very odd shape, but I suspect it is either:
A specialized chipping hammer, or
A sheet metal forming hammer for corners.
Anyone know?
Cornice makers hammer?
toomanytoyzz
Well-known member
My father-in-law scored these at the local flea market last weekend for 2 bucks a pop. Anyone heard of the brand and know what the exact use was intended for? He and I restore vehicles as a hobby so we will repurpose them for auto bodywork. The engraving says either CD or GD, and they were made in Germany.
