So what hammer do you use?
My crew and I have this ongoing discussion . They carry all metal w/rubber/plastic handled hammers, I used to carry a “good” wooden handled hammer. My reasoning being that a wooden handled hammer was a lot more comfortable to use ect. If you wanted a crowbar then go to the tool box. But in our work environment ( mostly major remodeling and large additions ) with all of our air nailers and screwguns that the hammer was as much for prying as hammering. So after 3 broken handles I finally broke down and bought a crowbar/hammer.
Replies
I use a 28 oz Vaughn. Ok, I'm old fashoned, but I love the way it drives nails!! I've also got an old 32 oz...but geeeezzzzz
You're right...if I pry with the claws, the neck will break...guarenteed....so I carry a short bar
A 9-1/2" pair of Kleins mostly. Having two handles they are easier to hang on to and these were able to hold and start a nail long before it became fashionable to put magnets and grooves on top of the heads.
I do keep a 16oz Eswing, a 21oz Hart framer and a 3 lbs Plumb engineers hammer handy for certain jobs but 90% of the time they stay on the truck.
I have no less than 6 claw hammers that I've acquired over 30 some odd years, some wooden, some metal but I prefer the metal for everyday use. I have two identical 16 oz Stanleys all metal with rubber grips, don't ask me why but one just feels "right" when I hold it. I can tell the difference in the dark, so you can guess which one I carry at all times. As for pulling nails, if the head bottoms out before the nail is out then it's time to get the "bar". Hammers were designed for striking no pulling, the claw was someone's bright afterthought, probably some manufacturer figured the more handles broken, the more hammers sold. Anyway the "right hammer" is the one that feel comfortable in your hand.
That reminds me of an old retired indian guy I use to work with. He told me that a good hammer was smooth and fit your hand perfect like the inside of a woman's thigh.Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
As an interesting coincidence, the National Post (Canadian newspaper) had an article today bemoaning the fact that the framing hammer seems to have come and gone in a generation. Framing as a specialty didn't come along until the '60s, so until them, vitually everyone used the ubiquitous 16 oz hammer; during the '80s, there were over 20 different brands of framing hammers stocked in our area; today, according to this author, only two brands of framing hammers are on the shelves, but there are 1/2 dozen brands of pneumatic nailers in the big box store.
Me: 12 oz Warrington, 16 oz Stanley, 22 oz Eastwing, 8 oz and 32 oz Stanley ballpeins
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
I have different hammers for different things.
Big honkin' 32oz Hart for framing. If you can hit anything with it, it moves. Great for pole barn nails and framing walls on the deck. A big hammer like this is worthless if you don't have a lot of room to swing it.
22oz Estwing for general use. Works well in tight spaces.
16oz wood handled hammer for shingles. Just don't need anything bigger.
12oz for wire staples and trim nails. Keep it in the toolbox most of the time so no one makes fun of it.........(-:
Have you ever seen a toad sitting on a toadstool?
estwing, there's some wood handles ones somewhereno turn left unstoned
Just bought a 'Woody' by Hart. Best hammer I've ever used.
This is the true Woody- you may have it for $500.00
the one I actually use is 8 years old and still poundin strong.Bob
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Pro Deck...
How do you like the Douglas Hammer. I'm thinking about getting the 20oz but at $60, I can always get some Estwings locally.
jsoto-Todd Douglas Coonrad invented the original Hart Woody, and has spun off as Douglas Tool Co. I think it is a great hammer but the second generation is steel and not Stainless. I hope he will come out with a stainless head soon.He has gone from three head screws to two and has finally done away with the grommets under the screw heads. The sharp edges on the handle still need work.Bob
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
This is kinda veering off topic but for all you titanium hammer users out there......notice any major difference.
My neighbor has one of those 14 oz Stilettos. I checked it out. What would have taken 1 swing on a regular steel took 3 or 4 swings with the Titanium to do the same thing. Maybe I wasn't swinging fast enough on the Titanium but they both seemed to used the same amount of spent energy to drive the nail home.
used a 16 Plumb since 1972.. then i bought a 24 steel plumb... finally this 16 oz Ti Stilletto with a composite handle... and of course the yamaguchi nail puller which replaced my old cats-paw...Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Mike- can ya show me your bags - do you have hammer loops for all them hammers? heheBob
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
17oz. Bakuma. Great hammer, more like a wand. 16 inch fiberglass handle, real thin grip. Whole lot more striking power than I expected, I think because of the long arc the head takes as you swing it. I think I've tried every hammer mentioned in this thread except the titaniums, and that crazy looking Bakuma is the one for me. One serious nail drivin mofo.
I had a 16 oz, Blue Grass that a coworker brought me back from a trip to Kentucky maybe 20 years ago. Liked using it okay, really was attached sentimentally to it. Last time this subject came up I went to send it to a guy who said he had loved his and it had been stolen...if you can imagine the brass it takes to steal a man's favorite hammer...but couldn't find it. Good hammer. I never really liked wooden handles much, though.
Brinkmann for president in '04
I used a 20 oz estwing for years, as do most here, until the steel handle started playing merry hell with my elbow. After many dramas and much hassle I got 2 Harts sent over.
An 18 oz deck hammer and a 25 oz waffle faced framer. Man can those hammers hit!
Nice wooden handles meant painless elbows. The sad thing is I rarely get to use the framer. The deck hammer too doesnt see so much use now as I do a lot of demo work. I dont want to wreck the handle. A cats paw is next on the list.
Those woodies look like the ultimate weapon. Do they mind pulling nails? and how much do they cost?
Wood Hoon
Here is the line up of the Hart Woody from left to right
1. Original Hart Woody designed by Todd Douglas Coonrad http://www.douglastool.com
2. Lame copy of Hart Woody by Hart
3. 22oz. by Douglas
4. 20oz. by Douglas
Bob
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Thanks heaps for the pics and the link. I am thinking I really really need one of those douglas hammers. I mean REALLY need one.
One thing I am curious about, does the 'inverted traction face' thingy mash the daylights out of tools that get hit with it?.........the Hart framer i have chews the hell out of chisel handles. ( this is my beater chisel, not a good one )
If it does I will get the smooth face one.
Wood Hoon
AJinnz- That inverted traction head probably does save chisel handles, I would buy it over the smooth head only because I need the traction so I don't slip off the nail and hit the purty wood.Bob
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
When I checked out the new Douglas Woodies at the Lowes store, they didn't have the cool side puller that the old Woodies used to have. I'd rather swing a Stiletto than the Woody, myself.
Bob- you didn't check out the Douglas woody at home depot you checked out the Hart woody because the Douglas woody does have the side puller.Bob
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
I use a 16 oz straight claw Estwing hammer i dont even want to think about how old
that puppy is..lol
Jim it looked like you were swinging a castspaw when I saw you using that Bakuma- "nothing but a blur" Here is one you Estwing lovers might try- the "Striker" found at http://www.spencerproducts.com They make four styles of this hammer. this is the hatchet handle, serrated face.Bob
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
"This is the Goods" 1994 Hart Woody Bob
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Hiya, Bob-
Gotta know, ya just gotta tell me- how many hammers in the collection now?
Ken Hill
Only 27 now - here is a picture of 22 of them when I had to take them down to paint the office. Bob
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Where's the T-Bone?
Dang, Bob, always the great pics! And so tastefully arranged. Martha
Stewart has nothin' on ya!
Ken Hill
Ken....cept jail time......lol
Be well
Namaste'
Andy It's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Keith- sorry I missed your post- first of all it is called the Ti-Bone although the name is probably derived from the T-Bone steak appearance and the fact that it is made from Titanium. Anyway, here it is, and to think you have to pick it up and swing it for $200. bucks.Bob
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Oh ,...I know how it's spelled, mine is in my tool belt... I was just wanting to see yours in the "ring of hammers". My guys know mine as " the 200 dollar hammer" like as when we drop the tool belts to go out for lunch, and I say, "everything can stay except for my 200 dollar hammer".
I have a 400 dollar hammer. It's called a Senco.
I cut my teeth in the cauldron of Sacramento Valley production framing in the 60's, 70's and 80's. We was hand nailing fools!!! I used a Plumb red handle/ black grip straight claw 22oz for years. My hand would be pretty beaten up by Friday afternoon and would barely recover by the end of the weekend. Wood handles solved all my problems with hand soreness and fatigue.
Wood handled users need to learn a little finesse when pulling nails. I bend nails as much or more than anyone I know. To pull with a wood handle I start it with a pussypaw to where I can get the claw under it. Then I use my current favorite, a 19oz Vaughn Blue Max grid face straight claw. With the claw under the nail I push the handle away from me to back the nail out about an inch using the end of the claw as the lever. Pulling the nail while using the head as the fulcrum point can break the handle. I go side to side to finish the pulling.
The rectangular X-section wood handles at the head don't hold up well no matter how you pull the nail. The X-section is a wing like an ax handle but the handle is a normal oval grip on my new Vaughn. The Vaughn is the best I have found for pulling nails sideways. My old favorite framing hammer was the Vaughn "California Framer" The claw seems to grab a nail with the edges much better on the Vaughns. I have used Harts and Dalluges and both claws sucked for pulling nails sideways.
The prize for the best "feel" or balance for a wood handle hammer while driving nails,(The most important consideration.) was the Dalluge. For handle longevity,(Not a big consideration.) the Plumb and the Estwing are still hanging in there.
When replacing handles, I do the usual fitting and then slather a bunch of PL400 over all surfaces inside and out. The PL also greases the wedge to help get it tight and prevents the handle from loosening in this extremely dry climate. I have used epoxy with success too.
We may be slow, But we're expensive.
Edited 8/6/2002 1:36:09 AM ET by Myci
Prodeck, you wuz robbed. That pricey hammer of yours has got most of the head missing!
It would take a week to bash a nail in using the cheek in a tight spot.
I call hammer bash marks 'smiles'. Had a boy on a job a few weeks ago helping us put down some T+G flooring. You could tell where he had been cos there was more smiles than nails. <G>
I agree with the Harts being useless for pulling nails sideways, the damn claw just wont grab. ggrrrrrrr
Wood Hoon
I had my teenage son and his cousin helping me with a 5/4 x 4 cedar deck, and when it came to nailing off the field, I took some simpson tie plates about 4" x 6" and drilled a 1/4" hole in the center. They could nail the 12d finish nails thru that hole and get it real close to flush without risk to the boards, then finish it off with one whack. Those tie plates were banged up pretty good by the end of the job but the deck looked great.
OH, and I've had a 20oz estwing for 25 yrs. Seems to work pretty well for nearly everything, and in my remodel work I pry apart as much as I nail. (And having a full set of nail guns takes a lot of the work away from the hammer too).
That plate as nailing shield is the best idea I have heard in a long time. It is definitely worthy of "methods of work" in FH.
With a little relief channel cut out of it, it would work for full heads as well. You could probably rig up a simple little nail holder and save those fingers as well.
Does anyone know a good source for Hart replacement handles? I refuse to part with mine just because it has no handle.
Stingray,
Hartville Hardware in Hartville Oh sells replacement handles for ahrt hammers.Don't have their phone handy but you can get it thru information. It is a 330 area code.
Mark
I got myself a new hammer a few weeks ago after seeing the wonderful pics of Prodeks, Douglas.
Those things are the best hammers I have ever used. Nice side pull claw, shaped head for getting into the wee spaces, hits like a ton of bricks. THE BEST
Only thing I use my estwing for now is the really really gungy work and putting in drywall nails cos it leaves a nice dimple.
I got the 20 oz smooth face. The service at Douglas is also excellent.
Thanks Prodek
Wood Hoon
What I really hate is getting a new guy workin' for me and we have a cedar deck job or worse yet.....clapboard siding job and when I walk away for five minutes and come back and see the ....as I call it..."FRIGGIN DENTS"I wanna kill! What are people thinking???????? But anyway...my Estwing....specially the leather handle one pretty much rocks..Looks cool too....and we wont talk about my $200 Titanium overpriced hammer.
BE well
Namaste'
AndyIt's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
I've heard hammer marks called "union stamps", as in "...that's the way to put the union stamp on it!".
No offense to you union carpenters out there, we're all in this together. I just always got a chuckle out of that one.
Brinkmann for president in '04
In high school shop ,if you had the hammer tracks on your project you became a member of the Half Moon Club. We wernt union yet.
The proper name is "pecker tracks" for all you afficianados of bad carpentry...of which I am the biggest:)
Pecker tracks, yes indeed. I waited about a week to hear that one. I saw a real good looking, good feeling hammer the other day at the lumberyard. A Bob Hart framer. Titanium head, like a Stiletto, but had the old target head on it. Felt real good and I know I'm going to own one. The Douglas Woody felt real clumsy in comparison.
We always called them California Rosettes.
My favorite hammers are a 16oz. Hart and a 24oz. Death Stick. I tried to use the Estwings when I first started, but as many times as I have broken my elbow, about 4-6 hrs. with one is all I can stand.TCW Specialists in Custom Remodeling.
"My old favorite framing hammer was the Vaughn "California Framer" The claw seems to grab a nail with the edges much better on the Vaughns. "
This is the hammer that I use. I really like the curved handle.
no.... i don't carry my hammers, i have a hammer bearer..
"son! gimme the big one.....no, wait !.. gimme the red one"Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Mike-
Time to take a file to the mushroom on the yamaguchi. (Just cleaned mine up last week).No problems, only opportunities.
Bee.
I was a finish carpenter for 37 yrs,and was always told that if your hammer was not filed or ground to fit your swing that you would never do well with any hammer .
was told this is why the hammer heads was always smooth in early years .-----it worked great for me !!
I have been using a 22 oz. Plumb with a Red Fiberglass handle, For about 18 years.
I've gone thru a few. I broke my first one prying . I was much stronger back then. I have a 16 oz. finisher. I end up using the 22 more often because its already in my pouch.
My reason for chosing the plumb ? I Started working in the trades as an electricians Helper, 18 years ago. My boss told me, if i was going to work for him I had to have the right tools. I spent my first 2 week paycheck on Hand tools. I still have and use some of them. The plumb had the Fiberglass handle. Not a conductor. I never changed. Now I do carpentry work, but I still use it.
Has anybody used those new hammers at home Depot ? Orange and Grey. They have an Ergonomic handle. Basically a bump in the grip , which supports the palm of your hand. I almost bought one once.
Edited 7/28/2002 11:14:58 AM ET by Edgar76b
Still have several red fiberglass hammers from days past...All still in good condition. I have to agree about grinding the heads down flat once in a while. I know for a fact it makes for a better contact with thy nail head. Less slippage. My newest hammer (past ten years..lol) is my 16, 18, and 26 oz Estwingers....my leather grip onesthe best for all around work besides framing. My fav of all is my new "TITANIUM" $200 hammer given to me as a present. HAve to say that that thing really cranks...Don't think its worth the $$$ but hey......I've spent more then that at flip flop joints in the past.....wink wink : ) Dont lie.....so have you guys. Priorities priorities priorities.....
Be well
Namaste'
Andy
It's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Up to now, my primary framing hammer has been a 22oz. Estwing. My son recently gave me a titanium Stiletto for my 50th b'day and I really like it. The other hammer that I use a lot, especially for any demo and nail pulling, is my old True Temper Rocket- had that since I was 18 yrs. old, stepfather gave it to me when I first started in the trades working for him. The Rocket is getting thread-bare on the grip, but the damn thing feels good and has sentimental value to me.
Ken Hill
I'm with you Andy, I received a Titanium hammer as a gift and wouldn't give it up for any other hammer on the market. Didn't think I'd like it when I first picked it up "what the heck am I supposed to do with this" I thought.
Since nailers do most of the work these days it's a much better traveling companion in my tool belt and it swings real nice too when needed.
Scott R.
Anyone still swinging a Bluegrass out there? I've got two 24oz waffle heads for framing and nobody gets to borrow these! As far as I know, the brand has been gone for years.
Al
Al
Blue Grass was the house brand name for Belknap Hardware, Lousiville, Ky.
Belknap was a major wholeseller to hardware stores and country general stores. They have been out of business for 15 - 20 years.
I have a collection of Blue Grass hammers, from 13 to 28oz, mostly curved claw,mostly nostalgia, never liked working with them that much, though I still use the 13 oz trimmer...I even have a Blue Grass miter box from my first trim job...you'd better have cut it right the first time, shaving was a b i t c h...
I first learned of the nostalgia of Bluegrass/ Belknap tools here in this forum. Latley I've been searching the fleamarket tables and might have to start stopping at yard sales to seek them out. Since I live in the Louisville metro area where they originated I should have a better chance of catching a good deal then someone in wyoming for instance. I did come across a rare find a couple of months ago while running survelliance cameras at a local country club the maintenance man had a peg board full of Bluegrass tools,levels, hammers, planes etc.... everything he needed. He was off that day so I never got a chance to ask him about them. I assume they were bought new whenever the club was opened and have just been handed down. But it was neat to see.
Gunner, Was Bluegrass a particular hardware store brand from KY?Did someone already mention that? I'm in North Carolina now and was in Virginia when I started collecting, mostly 'cause they were laying around every place I ever lived in...has anyone got a straight claw Blugrass hammer? I've never seen one...and pulling nails with wooden handles, I've had best luck going side to side to side to side to side to side...face to claw can make for snappage I have seen Bluegrass hammers with fiberglass handles and rubbery grips...anybody want my miter box? I'll put a plug on it...
BS Billy
My late step dad retired from Belknap. It was a major whole distributor to hardware stores and country stories. I know that they had hunting and fishing equipment along with furniture and rugs. Even jewelry and furs at one time. And of course hardware and tools.
Blue Grass was one of the house brands.
Here is a history http://www.thckk.org/belknap-bluegrass-hist.html
Look at the "silent salesman" display.
http://www.thesharegallery.co.uk/1951_belknap_hardware_manufacturing.htm
However, I don't know the territory that they served. I know that it was Kentucky, Indian, and Ohio. But I think that it was much broader. Maybe east of the Mississippi except for the Northeast.
I don't know if they made a straight claw but if I find one I'll let you know. When I got out of school in 81 and started working around town the common saying was. "Go to Belknap they'll have it." Sly Stallone used the bulding to promote his movie where he was an explosives expert. It just so happened that he was releasing his movie at the same time they were going to implode the massive building. So MTV did a big promo for him playing it up. The building went down at one p.m. and MTV showed it at six p.m. playing it off as if it were live.
Bee,
View Image
16oz Estwing for trimming......21oz Estwing for most everything else.....
32(?) oz Calif Framer for framing.......
Estwing roofing hammer for roofing......some wood handeled drywall hammer for walling......
Mostly the 21oz Estwing........
or the Senco Finish gun or Paslode framer.
does the butt end of what ever tool's handy count?? Jeff She's exotic ,but not foreign, like an old Cadillac......she's a knockout!
For framing, I use a 22 oz. Estwing with wooden handle, and my other hammer is a 20(?)oz. straight claw my dad picked up at an auction. I also have a Douglass Woody, but haven't used it as of yet(it's just so darned pretty).
Stiletto wood handle for hammerin'
Stiletto T-Bone for hammerin' and pryin'.
Hart 16oz. trimmer for tinkerin'.
Straight Claws:
12 oz Hart, 16 oz Estwing, 16oz Hart (current favorite), 20 and 22 oz Estwing, 22 oz Hart, plus 2 Graphite Stanley's that hurt my hands
Curved Claws:
16 oz Craftsman, 20 oz Estwing
For everything else:
Senco or Bostich nailguns.
Try the new stillito ti bone ..expensive$ 178.00 at marathon tools.com but after 10 yeats of swinging a 28 ounce this old man like titanium! I dont go thru all the handles as well as I did with a wooden handle(which is still really my favorite handle)
I can't stand the ring so I will not swing an Estwing. I used mostly plumb fg handled hammers and a few Vaungh but I like the wood handle best. don't have to worry about the hammer slipping out of the rubber grip (vaungh) and it just feels better.
Tools with Scarey names
http://eshop.msn.com/marketplace.aspx?pmpType=1&pcId=1540&catId=333we used to call those frameing hammers with the scored face Meat Grinders
Edited 7/28/2002 9:41:54 PM ET by Edgar76b
Edited 7/28/2002 10:06:12 PM ET by Edgar76b
If not for this discussion, I wouldn't have known there were other hammers. My left thumb likes my Estwings. 16-22-32oz.If the claw is sharp, who needs a saw?
the first thing I do with a new "meat grinder" face hammer is find an old concrete column or granite buolder and beat on it for while....takes down the spikes but still leaves some grip for nails, your thumb will thank you !
Este
My thumb thanks me all the time.
Because I keep it out from under the hammer head...Quittin' Time
Grinding the face of a hammer flat! First job I had, I did that, I blamed the curved face of the hammer for slipping off and making all thoses duck's puddles...then the boss said how you gonna set a nail flush and not smash the trim if the hammer face ain't curved...that even made sense to a collitch boy...estwings for all purpose anf harts for trimmin'...bang a gong...
B.S.Billy-
Re: Your reference to missin' the nail and makin' duck's puddles. Never heard that one. The name that I had learned for those marks was Charlie Olsens.
Ken Hill
Ken- We call those "elephant tracks"Bob
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Everyone knows they are properly called donkey tracks.
That depends on who's swingin the hammerBob
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
I always just called them dimples.Quittin' Time
Dimples. Sounds kind of cute. Call them beauty marks and you could charge extra for them. This could become like the hand hammered copper of the craftsman movement. A regular fashion statement to pay more for. Does your woodwork have enough beauty marks?
I have been using Craftsman wood handled 28 oz. framing hammers. They last about 6 months and I take it back and get ane one. I pry, cut , demolish, pull ,drive as a wedge, and generally abuse them.
Andyz2
A hammer becomes part of a real builder......TAKE IT BACK???????? YIKES!!
Be well
Namaste'
AndyIt's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Anyone use the new "woody" Douglas hammer ? Thinking about getting this one.....
22oz. Vaughn w/ a 16" wood handle. Smooth face for finish, milled face for framin`. Still aint found a better balanced hammer. If ya rock side to side when pulling nails, the handle wont break. In fact the only time one of my hammer handles has broken, is when someone else was using it. I too hate the "ping" of the Estwing.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
An old 20 oz Plumb with the red fiberglass handle, and curved claws. Use it for everything. Have a 16 oz plumb trimmer, but I'm more comfortable with the 20, probably because of the way the grip has worn to fit my hand. Also have a 22 oz Plumb straight claw, smooth face framer, it's nice, but the claws sing like a tuning fork , when driving nails. That gets annoying, so it stays in the shop. Always used smooth face, the old timer I learned from hated hammer marks, especially the waffle kind!
Brudoggie
Vaughn is the only way to go if your cool.
Wood handles for shop work and metal for site work. Years ago I wrapped the non striking parts of a claw head with duct tape to not mar a finish surface that had to be tacked and removed. Next day discovered that the ping had gone out of the hammer -- the claw had acted as a tuning fork. All my hammers are now muzzled with a tape wrap on the non striking faces (yes, I'll use the cheek) and they are much better companions for my ears in tight echoing alcoves and bays. Current favorites, Stanley curved 16oz and straight 20oz. (Also, a 3lb mini-sledge in the box). Shall we start a string on nail sets?
Speaking of nail sets I think it might be prudent to add those to the list of multiples you keep around in different locations in your tools to make sure of quick access when needed. Kinda like hammers and tape rules and utility knives and...Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
I have about 16 hammers for various applications, including a 28oz. Vaughn (wood handle), but for general all around use I use a 24oz, Estwing w/ a straight claw(steel handle). I use the straight claw a lot in demo work for levering sideways, something it's hard to do with a crowbar. I also have a 32oz. Estwing that I use in concrete forming, as nothing drives concrete nails as well, and can be used to replace a 2lb maul for driving rebar, stakes, etc... I started my career with that same 28oz. Vaughn, 27 years ago. I've replaced the handle 6 times, and the head 4 times, same hammer!
How does a carpenter (woodworker) use anything but and wooden handle. Okay, I love the feel but practicality tells me to use an Estwing metal shaft.