I was looking at the Stilleto hammer, 14oz with rubber grip all titanium> Anyone have any feedback on it. I want to ask before I drop 269 bucks on it. I have this ulnar nerve thing in my elbow and thought this may take the edge off.
Thanks fellas, Lou C
As the twig bends- So grows the tree!!
Edited 12/20/2008 6:06 am ET by loucarabasi
Replies
$269?!! I paid something like $100 for mine maybe 3 years ago. Mine is the wood ax handle 14 oz, & I wrapped tennis racket tape around it.
Anyhow, I love it. It will absolutely reduce the fatigue. Also, if you trim a lot, the 10 oz is worth it. That hammer has become my favorite and most used hand tool.
Lou,
I've never used a Stiletto hammer so I could be wrong on this but for $269 I'm assuming that it jumps out of your hammer sling, grabs a nail out of your pouch and puts it in all by itself?
I'll bet that when you buy it, a little bell goes off in a board room somewhere and all the board members start smiling and laughing.
Vince Carbone
Riverside Builders
Franklin,NY
I paid about $120 for mine 7 years ago.. don't buy anything except the wooden handle one with the hatchet handle!
it's soooooooo sweet I had bad tennis elbow and it solved it.. cheaper than a doctor!
the handle is still original and if it should break they sell replacements at & corners hardware.. http://www.7corners.com (they also sell the hammer there where I got mine).
i have the 14 oz straight Handel and the 10 oz trim which i made a straight Handel for and love them both i think i paid in the $90 range and found when i bought them that Duluth trading had the best prices i also recently bought the deluge titanium and it is awesome but has a waffle face so it doesn't get as much play
You must be talking about the Mini Ti-bone?
I have that hammer and it's everything everybody says it is. The best thing about it is that it is indestructable and you can replace the steel striking face, or the rubber grip.
Why pay 100$ plus for a ti hammer with a milled ti face that will soon be mushed flat and smooth by using it? The replaceable steel face is more durable, and can replaced with new--or a new smooth face any time you like.
THe only problem with a ti hammer is that it doesn't have the mass behind it to 'move' around a 'house item' like a heavy steel hammer can.
Look around on ebay. I found mine new from a seller @ 159$.
What kind of work do you do? We use the 15oz Tibone hammers and have since '02. I wouldn't trade mine for anything.
About once a year I have to put more loktite on the bolt and tighten it. One thing to keep in mind, is that the warranty will not cover striking metal objects like a nai puller. However, I do that all the time (you know to fix other guys mistakes :-)) and the head becomes loose, so I tighten the bolt like I said above.
A friend of mine bought the mini Tibone and we were demo'ing a floor a few weeks ago and he was beating on a metal prybar and split the face of his hammer in half. He was pretty bugged, but that was his fault. The mini Tibone has a thinner face than the 15oz.
You can get the hammer for under $200 http://www.google.com/products?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS286&q=Stiletto+Tibone+II+15oz&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title
Make sure you get the Tibone II with the side nail puller. I use that quite a bit. Let me know if you have any questions.
I have the 15, wish I had bought the 14. Glad to hear I'm not the only one carrying loctite in the toolbox.
Here's 16 of 'em for less than 269$
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&from=R40&dfsp=32&satitle=stiletto+hammer+mini&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sadis=200&fpos=97402&sabfmts=1&saobfmts=insif&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=32%26fsoo%3D2&fgtp=
I paid around $270 for a brand new Hitachi 90AE framing nailer!
Pretty heavy in your hammer loop tho ey?
;-)
I bought an old stilleto off of a guy at work for $60. I loved it so much, I refused to take it to work for fear that I might scratch it or something. I finally got over that, and loved it even more when it took the place on my loop previously reserved for my estwing. 6 or 7oz. doesn't seem like alot, but when you are wearing it on your hip all day the difference is very obvious. If my stilleto ever needs replacing, vaughan sells titanium hammers at sears for under $100 bucks. In my opinion, there is titanium, and then there is everything else.
All the replies to your post piqued my curiousity so I looked at the amazon reviews.
The part that surprised me was the claim that it is only the head that weighs 15 ounces and the entire hammer weighs 33 ounces.
Here is that review for what it is worth.
Karl
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
Stiletto Tibone close, but no Cigar, May 28, 2006
By Frameallday (Midwest) - See all my reviews
I've been a framer for a lot of years. This review is for any carpenter that wants the truth about this Stiletto Tibone hammer.
I finally decided to pay the big bucks and get one of these Tibone hammers because of all the reviews I read.
Actually, I prefer wood handle hammers, but we all know that they don't last as long. Anyhow, all the hype I read made me go ahead and get this titanium from Stiletto Tools.
Here's what I've found using this hammer.
The actual weight of the hammer is not 15 ounces. The head may weigh in at 15 ounces, but the hammer actually weighs in at 33.1 ounces. Suddenly, my 22, 24, and 28 oz framers don't seem so heavy now.
The handle is wrapped with a rubber material that makes it nice to hold on to. But, the handle end has a curved bump-out that makes it almost impossible to get in and out of your steel hammer loop. And, if you use a leather loop, forget about getting this hammer in at all.
The replaceable face is 1 1/2". That's ok I guess for some, but most of the guys that I work with don't need that big a head to hit nails. Anyhow, it is replaceable, but I sure don't have time to make the necessary adjustments to keep the bolt holding it in place secure.
The picture you see advertised has a inverted triangle to "pull those 16's with ease." I actually think it's easier to just keep on using the claw to bend over those 16's.
The side of the face you don't see is open. I didn't like that at all, especially if I want to use the side of the head to start a nail in tight spaces.
I'm not one that likes to slam anyone, or anything. But, I'm really doubting that this Tibone "15oz" hammer has the driving force of a 24oz framer. But, again, I'm a carpenter, not a test engineer.
Also, I'm no doctor either, so I can't pretend to verify if this hammer makes my elbow feel any better. Actually, this hammer doesn't do anything either way to make my elbow hurt worse or less because I'm already used to a 28oz framer. As far as I'm concerned, the only thing this Tibone hammer has going for it is the advertising hype. As for my new Stiletto Tibone, it's off to the Ebay auction to recoup a few bucks back from the outrageous price I payed for this hammer.
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I disagree with that review.
First of all, pick up a 28oz hammer and compare it to the 15oz. There is a difference. I switched from a 24oz Dalluge steel hammer to the Tibone and there was an immediate difference in how my nail bags felt.
Second, the titanium does cushion the vibration, just take your hammer and pound on concrete and you won't feel the vibration in your elbow.
I have used my hammer with two different rigs, two Diamondback rigs (but both were the same style) and Occidentals. One had the nylon hammer loop and the Occi's have the leather. It was a pain at first pulling the hammer out. But like everything else, you just develp a technique subconsciously and the problem goes away.
I don't have any problem taking my hammer out of my bags or putting it back.
I like the larger striking face, but that is a west coast thing I think. The old California framing hammers all had larger faces.
The side nail puller is a great feature and I use it all the time. I should mention that my hammer is the straight handle. I've heard that they sell a lot more axe handle hammers. I think Joel at Stiletto told me that at a tradeshow.
I should mention that we had a couple of hammers that the grip wore out, it goe spongy and loose feeling. I sent them to Stiletto and they replaced them with hammers that had that same wear, but new grips.
Just thought I'd post my opinion vs the Amazon reviewer.
Thanks for rebutting that review on amazon. Do you think it is possible that the entire hammer actually does weigh 31 ounces as the reviewer claims?Karl
Could be that it weighs that much. I can only say that in my nail bags, it felt much lighter than the 24oz steel hammer I used to use (which I broke 2 or 3 handles in the first few months).
So the dude says the Ti-bone is heavier than his 28 oz., and then later says it doesn't have the driving force because it's not as heavy?
I actually like the curved handle. I'm pretty sure straight handle is available as well. I've had no trouble getting in my belt.
The head is bigger... may not be necessary.. but why not? I like it.
The side nail puller is pretty slick. Try holding a short lenght of 2x... about 2 feet or so, and pull a 16d that is sunk about 3/4 deep. To use claw you'll need to stand on the board to hold it down and you still may have trouble. The side puller will pop it right out as you hold the board in one hand and hammer in the other. Just watch out, the nail will pop out like a rocket once it pops loose.
The only negative is the price... and the tendency to "baby" the hammer... kind of like getting a nice new 4x4 pickup and not wanting to take it out in the woods. I don't feel good when striking a pry bar or trying to pursuade something heavy. It doesn't pursuade walls and such quite as good as a 28 oz. steel hammer, anyway... so I usually have my 28 oz. estwing nearby when I'll be doing that sort of thing.
To each their own--here's my take
The actual weight of the hammer is not 15 ounces. The head may weigh in at 15 ounces, but the hammer actually weighs in at 33.1 ounces. Suddenly, my 22, 24, and 28 oz framers don't seem so heavy now. I thought all hammers we're weighted by the head--not the whole hammer??
The handle is wrapped with a rubber material that makes it nice to hold on to. But, the handle end has a curved bump-out that makes it almost impossible to get in and out of your steel hammer loop. And, if you use a leather loop, forget about getting this hammer in at all. Guy must not have occidental bags. My ti-bone fits right in the leather hammer holder, or the metal one.
The replaceable face is 1 1/2". That's ok I guess for some, but most of the guys that I work with don't need that big a head to hit nails. Anyhow, it is replaceable, but I sure don't have time to make the necessary adjustments to keep the bolt holding it in place secure. What necessary adjustments? I tightened mine 1x when I got it, hit everything with it and it's still tight.
The picture you see advertised has a inverted triangle to "pull those 16's with ease." I actually think it's easier to just keep on using the claw to bend over those 16's. I use the side puller all the time--like when you're trying to yank a galvanized 16 out of fascia while leaning way out over your ladder and don't want to yank yourself off into space. Eases it out nice.
The side of the face you don't see is open. I didn't like that at all, especially if I want to use the side of the head to start a nail in tight spaces. This is true--but you can use the other side of the hammer to hit sideways.
I'm not one that likes to slam anyone, or anything. But, I'm really doubting that this Tibone "15oz" hammer has the driving force of a 24oz framer. But, again, I'm a carpenter, not a test engineer. Right, it pounds nails like a big hammer, but doesn't have the mass to move things around.
Also, I'm no doctor either, so I can't pretend to verify if this hammer makes my elbow feel any better. Actually, this hammer doesn't do anything either way to make my elbow hurt worse or less because I'm already used to a 28oz framer. As far as I'm concerned, the only thing this Tibone hammer has going for it is the advertising hype. As for my new Stiletto Tibone, it's off to the Ebay auction to recoup a few bucks back from the outrageous price I payed for this hammer. If you don't have elbow or wrist problems--or don't have a problem with that much weight around your waist, you're right, it's not worth it.
Pat
lou... i have a very unusual Stilletto... mine is a titanium 16 oz framer, waffle head with a composite framer's handle
paid $69....and yes it makes a difference on my elbow
I was looking at the Stilleto hammer, 14oz with rubber grip all titanium> Anyone have any feedback on it. I want to ask before I drop 269 bucks on it. I have this ulnar nerve thing in my elbow and thought this may take the edge off.
@@@
The Ti hammers really do work. I think I have 11 of them, but I keep losing count.
You are looking at a very expensive model and the price is way high. It is an elegant hammer. I have the 15 oz. version in curved handle.
You can do a basic model for under $100.
Check out the prices at Amazon. Lot less for the solid Ti models, etc.
These are good prices.
<http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_hi_0_5?url=search-alias%3Dtools&field-keywords=titanium+hammer&sprefix=titan>
The ToolBear
"You can't save the Earth unless you are willing to make other people sacrifice." Dogbert
I'd be tempted to try a cheaper hammer myself first, like this one. http://www.amazon.com/Dalluge-DDT16-Ounce-Titanium-Hammer/dp/B0014DO594/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=hiqid=1229865482&sr=1-17
I'd be tempted to try a cheaper hammer myself first, like this one. http://www.amazon.com/Dalluge-DDT16-Ounce-Titanium-Hammer/dp/B0014DO594/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=hiqid=1229865482&sr=1-17
@@@Nice hammer. I liked my enough that I bought the smooth face version for fascia and trim work. No more waffle marks. Just smooth depressions. See the price is down - at least at Amazon. I got one in the spring at Western Tool for more.The ToolBear
"You can't save the Earth unless you are willing to make other people sacrifice." Dogbert
I think it depends on home much you will be using your hammer. Are you on a framing crew that frames day after day? I went with the wooden 14oz stilleto a couple years ago from an estwing and never regretted paying $90 bucks for it. The reduction of weight on my belt and when swinging was well worth it. I work for a small company that does everything so I'm not framing all day, day after day. I like the feel of wood but would gladly pay that much for a hammer if it was lighter and reduced fatigue.