New TEKTON German Made Hammers

[Fedwrench]

The latest Tekton additions are German made hammers. You can get your choice of Ball Peen, Cross Peen, or Mining Sledge Hammers in various weights if you're in the mood to beat something but, want the feel of a hickory handle. I might pick up a cross peen version to try to figure out why they're so popular in Europe. Interesting handle wedge design to retain the hammer head.

25 oz. Ball Peen Hammer | TEKTON

The 25 oz. ball peen hammer has a flat round face that spreads force evenly and a ball peen that concentrates force at a small point of impact. HMA51125.

www.tekton.com

28 oz. Cross Peen Hammer | TEKTON

The 28 oz. cross peen hammer has a flat octagonal face and a cross peen face for use across forging, metalwork, masonry, carpentry, and light demolition. HMA21128.

www.tekton.com

35 oz. Mining Sledge Hammer | TEKTON

The 35 oz. mining sledge hammer has large, flat faces that deliver heavy strikes for pounding stakes, chisels, and wedges. HSH11035.

www.tekton.com

 

[Buckgnarly]

That mining sledge looks small and handy!

 

[seber]

Call me cheap but $50 for a mundane hammer is outrageous.

 

[Fedwrench]

Call me cheap but $50 for a mundane hammer is outrageous.

Although they have some unique features, I thought they were pricy too.

 

[bigfunwmu]

Are these in addition to or a replacement of the Trusty Cook hammers they have carried for a few years now?

 

[CJM8515]

i think they are a bit pricey at 50/ea, at 35 i could live with it, but 50 is pushing it

 

[neophyte]

Are these in addition to or a replacement of the Trusty Cook hammers they have carried for a few years now?

These are solid hammers, not dead blow hammers.

 

[dnschmidt]

The latest Tekton additions are German made hammers. You can get your choice of Ball Peen, Cross Peen, or Mining Sledge Hammers in various weights if you're in the mood to beat something but, want the feel of a hickory handle. I might pick up a cross peen version to try to figure out why they're so popular in Europe. Interesting handle wedge design to retain the hammer head.

25 oz. Ball Peen Hammer | TEKTON

The 25 oz. ball peen hammer has a flat round face that spreads force evenly and a ball peen that concentrates force at a small point of impact. HMA51125.

www.tekton.com

28 oz. Cross Peen Hammer | TEKTON

The 28 oz. cross peen hammer has a flat octagonal face and a cross peen face for use across forging, metalwork, masonry, carpentry, and light demolition. HMA21128.

www.tekton.com

35 oz. Mining Sledge Hammer | TEKTON

The 35 oz. mining sledge hammer has large, flat faces that deliver heavy strikes for pounding stakes, chisels, and wedges. HSH11035.

www.tekton.com

I agree with both of your points Fed. One these prices are outrageous and secondly why do the Euros love cross peen hammers so much. I've always wondered if the cross peen were made for bricklayers to chop bricks in half. Wonder what Monte's view on cross peens is as he lives there.

 

[Kscardsfan]

The latest Tekton additions are German made hammers. You can get your choice of Ball Peen, Cross Peen, or Mining Sledge Hammers in various weights if you're in the mood to beat something but, want the feel of a hickory handle. I might pick up a cross peen version to try to figure out why they're so popular in Europe. Interesting handle wedge design to retain the hammer head.

25 oz. Ball Peen Hammer | TEKTON

The 25 oz. ball peen hammer has a flat round face that spreads force evenly and a ball peen that concentrates force at a small point of impact. HMA51125.

www.tekton.com

28 oz. Cross Peen Hammer | TEKTON

The 28 oz. cross peen hammer has a flat octagonal face and a cross peen face for use across forging, metalwork, masonry, carpentry, and light demolition. HMA21128.

www.tekton.com

35 oz. Mining Sledge Hammer | TEKTON

The 35 oz. mining sledge hammer has large, flat faces that deliver heavy strikes for pounding stakes, chisels, and wedges. HSH11035.

www.tekton.com

Speaking as an amateur blacksmith, a cross pein is great for working and drawing out hot metal. You can do a lot of work with one hammer with a cross pein. Beyond that I have no idea what the draw would be for anyone else.

 

[Wamsutta]

Call me cheap but $50 for a mundane hammer is outrageous.

I like hearing Tekton and 'outrageous' in the same sentence for a change.

 

[tarbellb]

Picard or Halder?

 

[sk farmer]

seeing as nobody has one of these yet none of us should be allowed to comment. at least that is what i hear.

if i did own one though, i would probably wonder why i didn't just buy an estwing, council or vaughn hammer.

 

[Hakeem]

If the handles are included under warranty I guess it might make some sense but yeah I’m with everyone else, those are steep prices. I’m wondering why Tekton didn’t just go with a US forge?

 

[cody1325]

Definitely getting the 8 oz. as I've needed a small one for setting knife assembly pins for quite some time as I've been trying to get into repairing and modifying old pocketknives.

Looks like I've got a sizeable Tekton order next month with a couple hammers, a few Witte screwdrivers, and the NWS 125mm Cobra rebrands.

 

[neophyte]

I agree with both of your points Fed. One these prices are outrageous and secondly why do the Euros love cross peen hammers so much. I've always wondered if the cross peen were made for bricklayers to chop bricks in half. Wonder what Monte's view on cross peens is as he lives there.

There are a number of brick or masonry hammer designs, but most are fairly different from a basic German style crosspeen hammer.
The “chisel” end of brick hammers is made to cut and shape bricks, and is usually much pointier and sharper.
A masonry sledge hammer for harder materials would usually have the peen ground sharp, even if a similar for to the standard German cross peen.
Cooper’s, the “barrel makers” sometimes use similar hammers for setting hoops on barrels, but the hammer designs vary, some looking like adzes or brick hammers, on which the cutting edge has bern flattened.
The cross peen however could be used for stretching the steel/iron strips used for barrel hoops which Coopers used yo make in site to size, also punching and riveting the hoops to the right diameter.
For riveting, you might just do two separate peening blows crosswise, to expand the rivet, before flattening the rivet with the larger hammer face, or driving a punch to dome the rivet.
Standard blacksmithing hammers are routinely round faced, with one face slightly domed, or a hammer similar to these German cross peen hammers, with one square or rectangular flat face, and one cross peen face.
It may just be regional differences and preferences.

 

[liliysdad]

if i did own one though, i would probably wonder why i didn't just buy an estwing, council or vaughn hammer.

I’m wondering why Tekton didn’t just go with a US forge?

That big “Made in the US” ship they built and paraded around seems to have sailed.

I’m John Amash, the CEO of Tekton, and I wanted to share exciting developments about our US manufacturing efforts.

More and more of our tools are now made in the US, through a combination of our in-house manufacturing operations and partnerships with some of the best contract manufacturers in the country.

The percentage of USA-made products in Tekton’s lineup is now over 20 percent, including angle wrenches, crowfoot wrenches, dead blow hammers, groove joint pliers, hard-handle screwdrivers, high-torque screwdrivers and nut drivers, pick and hook sets, and several tool storage products. Our next USA-made category will be flare nut crowfoot wrenches.

Our in-house manufacturing capabilities include CNC machining, broaching, laser engraving, vibratory polishing, and pressing. Although we maintain strict control over the materials, processes, and specifications everywhere we make our tools, we believe there’s no substitute for working in our own plant with our own equipment. So we’re working hard to expand our in-house manufacturing capacity.

I’ll never not post this each time they choose an offshore source for their tools, or the next time they discontinue a US made product for an offshore option.

Aged like milk…

 

[dnschmidt]

That big “Made in the US” ship they built and paraded around seems to have sailed.




I’ll never not post this each time they choose an offshore source for their tools, or the next time they discontinue a US made product for an offshore option.

Aged like milk…

I will admit to being agnostic with respect to tools. Don't care where they come from as long as they're the best in their class. TEKTON is trying to pull a Harbor Freight ICON move by moving upscale in quality. There are several possible reasons they have gone to Germany for their latest products. 1) They may not be able to find domestic manufacturing of equal quality - I do know for a fact that their new Witte screwdrivers are vastly superior to the Mayhew wedges (that Mayhew claims to be screwdrivers) they previously sold.

There is no domestic equivalent to the NWS pliers wrench whereas in Germany there are several including the original Knipex.
Nice hickory handled hammers are becoming rare in America and these, though overpriced, seem to be of excellent quality.

Tekton does use Trusty Cook for their deadblows and do their own domestic manufacturing of some of their wrenches. The are trying but just like the Fireball Vise costing twice as much for the American version making something in America is going to be a problem if it cost twice as much as an equal quality Taiwanese tool. I didn't kill American manufacturing Wall Street did.

 

[d.mcfarland]

I've said this before and got into it with people on the reddit tools sub about how Tekton has completely changed from what made them popular. I don't understand why they (as a company) are trying to build a premium brand by selling high priced rebranded tools. We live in a time when there is access to the original manufacturer, why the need to buy the rebrand? Warranty? So Tekton wants to be the warranty company? They keep trying to find their niche.

 

[JeepYJ]

That big “Made in the US” ship they built and paraded around seems to have sailed.




I’ll never not post this each time they choose an offshore source for their tools, or the next time they discontinue a US made product for an offshore option.

Aged like milk…

Are there wood handled hammers made in the USA? Menards sells wood handled German hammers too, and they’re not inexpensive.

 

[CJM8515]

I've said this before and got into it with people on the reddit tools sub about how Tekton has completely changed from what made them popular. I don't understand why they (as a company) are trying to build a premium brand by selling high priced rebranded tools. We live in a time when there is access to the original manufacturer, why the need to buy the rebrand? Warranty? So Tekton wants to be the warranty company? They keep trying to find their niche.

they built themselves up by being midranged affordable tools, over the last few years they started charging way more than most of the stuff was worth.

2 years ago i bought a really nice long handled sledgehammer direct from their site for like 25 bucks. they dont even carry the same one anymore and if they did i doubt it would be 25 bucks

 

[d.mcfarland]

they built themselves up by being midranged affordable tools, over the last few years they started charging way more than most of the stuff was worth.

Yes, agreed. They were mid range tools at low(er) range prices. The warranty was/is easy and hassle free.

To be fair I've never had trouble with Snap On or Astro. Stanley Black and Decker brands are a pain in the *** and one reason why I shy away from their stuff.

 

[Callelle]

Yes, agreed. They were mid range tools at low(er) range prices. The warranty was/is easy and hassle free.

To be fair I've never had trouble with Snap On or Astro. Stanley Black and Decker brands are a pain in the *** and one reason why I shy away from their stuff.

I've never had an issue with SB&D, my Mac guy will ask if I have dull bits and break them, even Crapsman replaced old ratchets I got in a garage sale with new V-Series ones. The only companies I've ever had issues with warrantying anything was Ares and Gearwrench.

 

[CJM8515]

Yes, agreed. They were mid range tools at low(er) range prices. The warranty was/is easy and hassle free.

To be fair I've never had trouble with Snap On or Astro. Stanley Black and Decker brands are a pain in the *** and one reason why I shy away from their stuff.

honestly ive never had an issue with SBD for hand tools, I warrantied a hex socket and they sent me a proto b/c they didnt make that line anymore. same with sunex and capri. i will say i was a bit disappointed with capri and a 1/2 flex ratchet with selector that was garbage but they sent me a new one..same issue but they didnt overnight it.

tektons whole issue as I see it now was they were supposed to be affordable and mid priced. but they are pricing themselves out of that market. I aint paying 200+ bucks for a 3/8 impact socket set when sunex is 20-50 less and has 1.5-2x the piece count

 

[KnurledNut]

Picard or Halder?

The SecuTec patent belongs to Picard.
Catalog: https://www.picard-hammer.de/fileadmin/documents/PICARD_SecuTec_Falzflyer_EN.pdf
This innovation is available on the riveting (cross peen), joiners (french pattern), and mining sledge hammers.
Looks like the ball peen version is not a standard offering and may be a Tekton exclusive?

Picard offers some sizes that Tekton doesn’t carry:
-none of the french pattern line
-44oz mining sledge
-14oz, 21oz, 53oz, 70oz cross peen

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Tekton is confusing as a brand; the majority of their hard line tools are Asian imports, yet they have some domestically sourced tools as well as very high end imports (tool boxes, Hammers, screwdrivers, etc.)

I embrace most German made products, yet these hammers don't make sense to me. A 32oz Vaughn (made in USA) ball peen is $25 at Home Depot, whereas the Tekton is $60. I'm sure the Tekton are top notch as the Germans produce absolute quality, yet my Vaughns have been perfect for 20yrs and they keep Americans employed.

 

[KnurledNut]

I might pick up a cross peen version to try to figure out why they're so popular in Europe.

If I am using a cross peen, its for general sheet metal work like setting flanges and closing pittsburgh seams, creating flanged edges, hemming, and other common techniques in the field. The flat sides of the hammer get used a lot too. If you anticipate ever knockin’ tin or just doing any fab work, I highly recommend the USA-made Malco setting hammer. I prefer the extra weight and curved tail over their straight riveting hammer. Having an all metal hammer just works better and lasts longer for this application.

 

[neophyte]

Are there wood handled hammers made in the USA? Menards sells wood handled German hammers too, and they’re not inexpensive.

Vaughan, now owned by Marshalltown.
Some general purpose hammers like ball peens, and a lot of carpenter’s gammers.
Martin, for limited types, mostly for mechanic sheet metal use.
CS Osborne makes a number of specialty types for niche applications.
There are a bunch of different makers of blacksmithing hammers such as Nordic Forge, and Big BLU, and dome high end makers of farrier hammers.
There are also specialty manufacturers of niche hammers with limited range for specialty tasks.
There is no real alternative to the range and some of the types of hammers Picard makes in Germany though.

 

[neophyte]

Vaughan, now owned by Marshalltown.
Some general purpose hammers like ball peens, and a lot of carpenter’s gammers.
Martin, for limited types, mostly for mechanic sheet metal use.
CS Osborne makes a number of specialty types for niche applications.
There are a bunch of different makers of blacksmithing hammers such as Nordic Forge, and Big BLU, and dome high end makers of farrier hammers.
There are also specialty manufacturers of niche hammers with limited range for specialty tasks.
There is no real alternative to the range and some of the types of hammers Picard makes in Germany though.

There may also be some higher end hammer lines made for jeweler’s doing fine small sheet metal work, that are made in the USA now, but I’m not as familiar with the COO of these.

 

[Hakeem]

I’ll say that a cross peen has been a bit more useful for general use than a ball peen, just because the angled head lets you sneak into tight corners and spaces. The only use I’ve personally found for the ball end is for setting on the divot on kingpins and hitting the other end with a hammer.

 

[Shoreline_]

Tekton is confusing as a brand; the majority of their hard line tools are Asian imports, yet they have some domestically sourced tools as well as very high end imports (tool boxes, Hammers, screwdrivers, etc.)

I embrace most German made products, yet these hammers don't make sense to me. A 32oz Vaughn (made in USA) ball peen is $25 at Home Depot, whereas the Tekton is $60. I'm sure the Tekton are top notch as the Germans produce absolute quality, yet my Vaughns have been perfect for 20yrs and they keep Americans employed.

They used to be the in house store brand for Meijer. I remember seeing their stuff in Meijer when I would visit friends in Detroit. It was typical like Walmart quality stuff for 2010. I dont think their product lineup reflects any of those products anymore.

 

[KnurledNut]

The only use I’ve personally found for the ball end is for setting on the divot on kingpins and hitting the other end with a hammer.

The ball end is great for making sheet gaskets. Marking/cutting bolt holes and curves. Its actually quite enjoyable to do.

 

[Callelle]

I used the ball end for breaking up rust scale in areas where I can't use my needle scaler.

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

I’ve owned those hammers under several other German brands. They are fantastic quality. Easily better than my Vaughans and Estwings. I didn’t like the handles though as they are skinnier and lighter than the aforementioned brands. I use ball peen hammers all the time as a machinist. I’m not going to bag on Tekton. Frankly speaking, my German-made tools have far surpassed my US-made tools in longevity and quality.

 

[Vercingetorix]

Without a 40%? tariff these would be a good deal.

 

[Firebrick43]

I agree with both of your points Fed. One these prices are outrageous and secondly why do the Euros love cross peen hammers so much. I've always wondered if the cross peen were made for bricklayers to chop bricks in half. Wonder what Monte's view on cross peens is as he lives there.

I tend to like cross peen and square hammer faces better. Easier to get into corners and other tight clearance areas. I nearly always reach for a cross peen in the 16 or 20 oz sizes that I do 90% of my hammer work in. I don’t know if it’s from sharpening a scythe or blacksmithing which cross peen is always an integral part of.

The only time I use a ball peen anymore is a small 8 or 10 oz one for cutting replacement gaskets with.

 

[lardy1]

I was just comparing prices of the ball peen hammers to "premium" brands (Proto, Nupla, etc.) on Amazon. They seem to be in the same price range.

 

[allinon72]

Tekton is following the old school Craftsman model, I welcome the throwback. Quality tools, decent prices, good warranty. They have some USA stuff but aren't afraid to rebrand some high end euro brands. Craftsman did the same thing, some of the OGs around here may remember the Craftsman branded Knipex Cobras we all went nuts for.

 

[Kurt4440]

I was just comparing prices of the ball peen hammers to "premium" brands (Proto, Nupla, etc.) on Amazon. They seem to be in the same price range.

Correct. See below
If you really want quality hammers for pennies on the dollar, yard sales and flea markets are probably the best bet. It is not like hammers don't get dinged up and handles are easy to replace.

 

[d.mcfarland]

I was just comparing prices of the ball peen hammers to "premium" brands (Proto, Nupla, etc.) on Amazon. They seem to be in the same price range.

No about they did the research and priced them accordingly, but what is the brand's goal? Rebrand everything and just be a distributor? Plenty of companies like that already.

 

[d.mcfarland]

See below (Snap On ball peen hammer pic removed)

Why would Tekton, who did a big MADE IN USA push, not try to domestically source a hammer manufacturer then? Now screwdriver and hammers have been outsourced internationally.