Years ago, Stiletto created a premium niche in the hammer market with its titanium hammers. Applying basic physics, Stiletto proved to framers that a lightweight hammer could hit just as hard as a heavy one, simply because it could be swung faster. But a $265 price tag is a hard sell. DeWalt now has an even lighter hammer, for less money ($60), that it claims is stronger, too.

Like any cast-metal product, titanium hammers have an inherent weakness: porosity. This, in fact, is the reason that Stiletto attaches a separate, more impact-resistant steel face to its titanium hammers. To add strength and to reduce cost, DeWalt builds its hammer from three pieces of forged steel, joined in a process called MIG (metal inert gas) welding. Although it’s 1-1⁄2-in. shorter, doesn’t have a side nail puller, and looks cruder than a Stiletto, the DeWalt has the kind of industrial aesthetic that feels right at home on a job site.

In use, the straight-handle, rip-claw hammer swings like an extension of your arm, and the oversize milled strike face seems to maximize the sweet spot that sinks the nail into the lumber like a hot knife through butter. It’s too early to tell how the new tool will hold up over a long life of use, but the relatively low price for this premium hammer is reasonable enough to justify giving it a try.