Replies

1. 
   TMinor | May 05, 2005 04:41pm | #1

   Curved claw is usually found on a light weight finish hammer and is for pulling small finish nails out of your work with minimal to no damage to the material.

   The straight claw on hammers are for prying and is found on the heavier weighted hammers. These hammers give you more power to your punch. In order to pull nails with these you just rock the hammer on it's side after you grab the nail.

   -Chief of all sinners
1. 
   DanH | May 05, 2005 05:28pm | #2

   The straighter claw is also useful when you want to pry apart a couple of boards, and in a pinch it can be used for an axe (to create "clearance" for a bolt protruding from some device you're attaching to the framing, eg).

1. 
   CCI | May 05, 2005 06:49pm | #3

   I thought the difference was a claw hammer left a bruise on your forehead when it bounced of the nail and a rip hammer left a cut.

1. 
   DanH | May 05, 2005 11:37pm | #4

   No, that's the difference between smooth head and waffle head.

2. 
   Shep | May 06, 2005 12:32am | #5

   I was told that when my dad first started as an apprentice, he got himself good with a straight claw hammer.

   He got rid of it and used a curve claw the rest of his career.

2. 
   MikeSmith | May 06, 2005 01:25am | #7

   tools .. curved claw hammers are for everyday use.. they are much better at driving nails and pulling nails..

   a nice plumb 16 oz. hammer will last you your entire career..

   a straight claw is a for framing and rough work.. they are usually heavier  ( like 22 oz.. or 24 oz.)  they are better for driving spikes. they suck for roofing  or for trim and siding..  modern titanium hammers have changed the equation a little bit..

   you can get the same driving force from a 16oz titanium hammer than you can from a 24oz steel hammer..and your elbow will thank you

   i switch back and forth... but 75% of the time i carry my Plumb 16oz. curved claw...

   for heavy work i use my stilletto 16oz straight claw titanium

   then there are other variations.. like that strange looking thing in the stores .."forcve forward " or some such...

   and the japanese style hammer  with a longer head and adifferently curved claw

    Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

1. 
   EricPaulson | May 06, 2005 02:27am | #8

   a nice plumb 16 oz. hammer will last you your entire career..

   Now that's a good thing.

   EricI Love A Hand That Meets My Own,

   With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.

   [email protected]

2. 
   Toolsguy | May 06, 2005 11:29am | #11

   Mike, what a coincidence. The Plumb 16 oz. curved is what I went out and bought a day before I read your response. Thanks man.

   Larry

1. 
   MikeSmith | May 06, 2005 02:10pm | #12

   ackshally, larry.. keith c had it right.... it is a gurl's hammer..

    i bought it for my wife when we started building our first house in '72... i borrowed it one day and never gave it back...

   Roy, my lead carp... has one even older....it's the only one he uses... but he's got a pony-tail.. so .. go figger..

   here's wishing you as many happy years with yours as i have with mine....

    and that goes for the hammer as well as the wife

   Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

   Edited 5/6/2005 8:45 am ET by Mike Smith

1. 
   Sphere | May 06, 2005 05:53pm | #15

   The only hammer I ever had stolen was a red fiberglass handled Plumb 16 C claw.  Was doing a roof with a helper, he actually didn't have a hammer, so I loaned him mine. Never showed up the next day, and niether did my hammer..LOL 

   Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

   Tommy, can you hear me?

    

    

    

   Why look here?

3. 
   Piffin | May 06, 2005 02:34pm | #13

   my everyday hammer is a Plumb straight claw that I think is an 18oz weight. I was noticing a week or so ago that it might be getting time to retire it. The claws are short and dul, the edges of the head are rouning over, the face has dimples, the rubber handle paddings is full of "character"...And I rarely drive nails with it anymore since we got these new fangled things from paslode - but they don't have claws on them,straight or curved 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   Lenny | May 06, 2005 03:32pm | #14

   I like to duck tape a rock on a stick.  No need for a claw, just bend the nail over and drive another one.

   If you tape the stick to your hand, no need for that clumsy holster.

   Talk about efficiency.

1. 
   DanH | May 06, 2005 07:17pm | #16

   Nah, for a hammer you use the handle of a screwdriver. To drive screws you use the hammer.

2. 
   EricPaulson | May 06, 2005 10:23pm | #17

   my everyday hammer is a Plumb straight claw that I think is an 18oz weight. I was noticing a week or so ago that it might be getting time to retire it. The claws are short and dul, the edges of the head are rouning over, the face has dimples, the rubber handle paddings is full of "character"...

   Started out as a Twenty eh?

   EricI Love A Hand That Meets My Own,

   With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.

   [email protected]

1. 
   larryb | May 06, 2005 11:50pm | #18

   straight claw for taking apart. Curved claw for putting together.

     Larry

2. 
   Piffin | May 06, 2005 11:56pm | #19

   LOL, I can see where this conversation is going. Size reduction, clubs, aging... 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

2. 
   Sphere | May 06, 2005 01:08am | #6

   Rip claw is for safety on a roof...when ya start to take a ride, bury the claws in the sheathing..hang on.

   I only did that once..but it worked.

    

   Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

   Tommy, can you hear me?

    

    

    

   Why look here?

3. 
   DANL | May 06, 2005 02:58am | #9

   I was going to say what Sphere said about using the claw to stop you when you're sliding down a roof (kind of like a mountaineer's axe). Also works well for breaking the steel strapping on wood when it's delivered (or on trusses).

4. 
   BKCBUILDER | May 06, 2005 03:22am | #10

   Curved are for girls, rip claws are for men.

   I can't believe y'all are lying to this guy...grow up! Keith

5. 
   r_ignacki | May 07, 2005 01:43am | #20

   It has to do with age.

   You see, when your just startin out, you start out with a 28 oz straight rip claw hammer, except that you drive the nails with the claws.

   Yes, that's right, I said the claws. You start two nails at once exactly spaced the same distance as the claws. Think of end nailing a plate to a stud when the wall you are framing in laying down flat on the deck. You see, when you are a young buck, you have good eyesight, aim, coordination, your senses sre all together.  Now driving two nails at once is real efficiency.  In a few years as you get older, your eyesight will fail a little, thats when you have to turn the hammer around and use the round side to drive the nail. You don't have to be that accurate, because the round end is larger in diameter then the claw end, so your swing can be a little off, and still not miss the nail. When you get even older, you will eventually hit you head with the backswing of the hammer, probably even poking out one of your now useless eyes, so you use a curved claw hammer. The rounded claws of a curved claw hammer are a little safer. Some guys would put the claws of their estwing framing hammer in a vise to round them a little. That was real dangerouse. That would fatigue the metal alloy a little and it was a sure thing that one of the claws would break off, fly about the jobsite and hit someone, pobably poking out someones useless remainig eyeball.

   Now for the waffle head hammer. That was designed for the REALLY old timer on the job, someone so old he hasn't  any teeth. The waffle head if to tenderize the meat in your sandwich, so it would be more edible.