I absoultly agree that a wooden handle is much better for you elbow wrists and everything else involved. I use an Estwing because I bought it 12yrs ago when I was young dumb and full of well you know....anyway I am just so use to it I cant change, or at least thats what I tell myself. When my estwing was new It had a waffle face now its smooth, the handle is rounded off at the bottom and It just fits right ya know.....

 

I use a 22-24oz wooden handle hammer(waffle faced)....and I love it. Its very good on the arm and elbow, and also swings hard. I guess, the only thing I don't use it for(if I can help it....and grab my big estwing) is for prying/demolition type work. I don't like to pry hard with a wooden handle.

Oh, and I'm 22......so I guess that makes me young and just full of ........so I skip the dumb part?? hahaaha.....

 

I use a 30 oz and 28 oz Waffle Estwing, I actually started with a Vaughn CF years ago, but after snapping my first handle I picked up the Estwing. This was 15+ years ago and now I have just grown to accustomed to my estwings. I own a ****load of hammers and ~80% of them are estwing.

 

Vaughan Wooden handle framing hatchet (rig axe) People think I'm still insane using them. "Aren't you afraid you'll hit yourself with that blade?"

Yeah, one hole is better than two I tell them.:laughing:

28oz feels like 22oz. Balanced and nobody messes with me!

 

20oz wood California style handle that used to be a waffle face, although not much of the waffle face is left anymore.

I prefer wood handles, even if they do break, although I treat the one I've got right now as rough as you can imagion, and it stands up to it.
Even if it breaks here in a few years, it paid for it's self many times over, so I couldn't be happier.

I usually prefer smooth face since it doesn't leave as big of an ugly mark as a waffle print if it is something that shows. On the other hand, most of the time I'm doing framing that shows, the wood is rough cut, and a smooth hammer leaves a more noticable dent.

 

I have been using the traditional Vaughan 999 28oz wooden handle framing hammer for almost 30 years. My wife uses a Vaughan 23oz California framer with the hatchet style straight handle. Both are waffle faced. We use Vaughan 20oz 999's with smooth face for outside trim. barge, rake boards, etc.

999

California

I have never been able to get used to a hatchet style handle, and probably because I have been using the normal rounded handle for so many years. But I can see why the hatchet handle is better for a lot of people. Being that the handle is more of a flat oval shape it doesn't twist in the hand as easy, so they are able to keep hitting straighter and it does have a more natural feel in the hand. This has been the case with my wife and many people I have trained through the years.

 

Thanks Fellas

Pretty much what I expected, I have never owned a full steel hammer, and I see that most of us agree that when it comes to driving nails the wood handle is best, as well as the steel estwing comes into its own when the really heavy demo work starts, way stronger for most types of demo, though you can bend those steel shafts if you aren't careful. When I team up my CF with a ginsu type puller it is pretty hard to beat, its just using the right tool for the job, I prefer to drive nails not pull em, relates back to the KISS method , ya know, "KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID!".

Just talked to my protege, he was griping all week, someone stole his 28# Estwing, he used my CF a couple times, griped about that too, so today he went shopping for a new one and wound up with a 24 Vaughn CF, so he is gonna give a wood handle a try, I guess maybe you can teach a new dog old tricks, LOL.

 

Those estwings last forever, literally it will still be around when you're dead, but I agree it's not good for the elbow...

The best hands down hammer I have ever had and still have is a "California Woody" it has a metal piece that extends down into the wood handle area with square waffle head that can be re-waffled... It's about $60 but worth every penny...

I was able to get it from a co-worker for a case of beer about 8 years ago and it's still in good condition... what a deal!

 

I'm a titanium convert.

I have a 14 oz. Stilleto that looks just like my 24 oz. death stick/ Hart Cali Framer.

When I started framing, I had an estwing 22 oz. It was given to me.

I moved out to Cali on an invite from a old friend at 18, both of us were framing. His boss hired me on and everyone was using those Harts. I'd never seen them in Texas. They looked and felt much better than the steel.

So I got the 24 oz. axe handle. Moved back to Texas and used that or a craftman copy for years, until I got a deathstick. The skulls and attitude just fit me.

I started hearing about the titanium hammers, spotted one on Ebay, gave it a try, and the rest is history.

It takes a while to get used to, but when you use that POP, shoulder,elbow, and wrist in unison, and strike a board or a nail, it feels good. The results are the same. impact = velocity squared, so the faster the swing, the more PSI on contact.

And they are much easier on the wrist and elbow, which is a moot point for those of us who use heavy guns and saws more than the hammers. Just trust me on this, a titanium hammer flies out of it's holder and into the target effortlessly. I pound cut nails into concrete with it all day, faster than anyone on my crew can with any other hammer. It's a fact. Try one, and don't be fooled by the lack of heft.

John

 

I still use my dad's basic hammer, it has an octaganal wooden handle. Mostly I use Estwings. The weight-forward is my favorite.

 

Hey Ya'll, I just have to pass this story on, it is High-larry us--

I've been poundin' nails for most of my 42 years, I've had lots of hammers, some I've been very attached to, as strange as it sounds. Anyway a few months back, I went into Farm and Fleet and saw they had Dead On framing hammers on sale, having had a Hart Cali- framer years ago (It was stolen) I decided to try another axe handle framer. So I bought one. I get back to my place, (I'm a rancher, also, gotta have a day job that pays) and I pounded 2 and I mean 2 20d nails in, and then went to pull out a 16d and the handle snapped off right at the head!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I took it back to F&F and the guy tells me-- get this-- what are you doing trying to pull a nail out with the hammer??? WTF-- I thought he was kidding, but he was as serious as a heart attack, he didn't want to exchange it!!!! He tells me that the split is for balance??? I think he's just f*ing around, my wife is standing there waiting for me to lose it, so I stood my ground and asked him how he could say such a ridiculous thing and he proceeds to tell me he's a carpenter, so he knows! Ha Ha Ha!!! The manager comes by and I tell him what this moron just said and he just looks at him like he's NUTS!! Even the manager knew better. I got a new hammer and a gift card, the idiot got a pink slip!!!!!!!!!!!! There's more horses asses than there are horses!!!!!!!

 

I'm 19 and love my California hammer way more than my 22 oz Estwing. Like you said, it IS much easier on the arm and elbow. I, however, can't for the life of me convice the older fella's on my crew that. They use the 22 oz Estwings. They also think I use the California hammer because Im weak... haha.

 

The only problem with wooden handles is if you sweat a lot, and especially this time of year they tend to go flying out of your hand. And if your not sweating, why the hell not?

 

No matter what, I'm going to buy a few hammers.
A Hart California Framer 24oz, an Estwing Builder's 28oz, and a Stilleto 14oz.

Haven't banged a nail with the Titanium 14oz, but if felt great when I got my hands on one. The Hart is just a work of art and it feels great. The Estwing all steel 28ozer is a newer model of their straight claw hammers.

I had a 30oz Estwing...what a machine that thing was. It was stolen. Had it about 8 years.

I'll probably use the new Estwing for demo and one of the wooden handled framers for carpentry work (waffle faced/ax handled of course).

I've been a roofer for over 24 years and nobody banged more nails than us. On any given day, I could swing my roofing hatchet (Estwing steel handled) 10,000 times a day easy for production shingling (before I discovered guns).

Estwings are bulletproof when it comes to demo work and basic framing, but for finessing a piece, wood is good. I'll probably end up using the Stilleto most of the time. But every Carpenter/Roofer/Builder should have a steel handled Estwing at least 22oz for heavy work. You dont want to use your wood framer to blow throw a wall or to break up some small concrete in your way.

You don't buy an Estwing...you marry one.