Reddit mentions: The best claw hammers

There are several tools on that list that could be brought used. I would look at vintage braces, drawknives, planes, spokeshaves and maybe saws.

New braces aren't even worth looking at, they're either crap, expensive or in most cases both. Vintage braces are a dime a dozen, you should be able to pick up a good one for $10-20. For general use a 10” brace is a good size. Brands to look at are Stanley, Millers Fall and North Bros. There are a few others as well but those are the most common. Here’s an in depth guide to restoring braces.

The rest of those have both good new or vintage options.

It’s not to hard to find a vintage drawknife for $10-$30. Just make sure the edge or handles aren’t severely damaged. Restoring is straightforward, just remove any rust, sharpen it and clean up the handles if needed. There seems to be a lot of medium priced new drawknives available but I haven't used any so I can't really comment on them.

Planes and spokeshaves are in the same boat. There’s plenty to choose from both new and used. In general when looking at these tools new the cheap ones are crap. Your much better off buying vintage tools and restoring them if you want save money here. Vintage planes are very easy to get. In general you want to look for planes made pre WW2. During and after the war the quality of hand tools started to diminish. Here’s a good site for dating Stanley planes. I won’t go into to much detail about restoring planes as there’s so much information on the subject online. Restoring planes is pretty much foolproof as long as you do some brief research. A decent Stanley No. 4 can be had for $20-40 quite easily. It might take a few hours of work to tune it up but once you do you’ll have a good plane.

The major brands for new planes are Woodriver, Veritas (Lee Valley and Lie Nielsen from lest expensive to most expensive. As you can see these planes are much more expensive than buying a vintage plane and restoring it. So what are you getting for all that extra money? All three brand’s planes will be ready to go out of the box except for honing the blade. They’re better quality than most of the commonly available vintage planes and in my opinion work better. I’m not saying vintage planes aren’t good, I just think that these planes are nicer to use. LN and Veritas are both very high quality but LN stuff is a bit more fancy. Both are manufactured in North America. Woodriver planes are made in China but are still good quality. I’m not sure about Woodriver but both LN and Veritas tools have a lifetime guarantee. If anything goes wrong with their tools they’ll replace or fix it no questions asked. I’ve even seen multiple examples of them fixing or replacing tools that were damaged due to user error. Both companies have top notch customer support as well, they’re always pleasant to deal with.

Spokeshaves are the same as planes. You can get some nice vintage spokeshaves cheap or opt for new ones but you going to pay a premium.

There’s not right or wrong way to go here. I suggest you get your hands on some their tools and give them a go. If you E-mail the companies I’m sure they will give you some info on where you can try them them out. Some woodwork retailers will have some out that you can have a play with.

Good vintage saws are a bit harder to find for good prices now. I’m not even sure if it’s worth it any more. The last few times I’ve look for vintages saw the prices were so high it made sense for me to buy new. I think the Vertias back saws are good value for money. They’re good quaility and are about half the price of any other decent back saws. You could also go for Japanese saws. I don’t really a fan of Japanese tools so I can't really make any suggestions there.

For most of the other tools on your list I'd new. I like the Narex chisels. They're cheap but good quality. For the hammer I would recommend a Estwing. It's well balanced, feels nice to use and is all steel so you dont have to worry about the handle coming loss.

For sharpening I'd recommend diamond plates. They're not to expensive, easy to use and last a long time.

You are right about it being mild steel, but it's not "just" mild steel, which is what I was sloppily saying. Sorry for the lack of clarity and I appreciate your point. This steel has roughly twice the yield strength of mild steel (50ksi vs 25ksi) and it is noticeably more resistant to the hammer.

Lots of my initial impressions of it were formed while the air temps were pretty cold, so my heats didn't last long, and it isn't as bad now, with temps in the 60-80F range, as it was in the 30-40F range. Not a surprise, really, but very interesting to experience those differences through hitting it. It's one thing to read something in a book and another to feel it.

My lightweight anvil definitely makes a difference. I was getting frustrated with this specific metal and started staging up to heavier hammers and was working for a while before I realized it felt like the anvil was bowing under my heavy hits. I don't think it was, it just felt like that, because I'd exceeded the hammer/anvil weight ratio and the efficiency of the energy return was dropping off as I hit it harder, which was functionally making it move less. I dropped hammer weights and the movement per hit went up.

The 900g Swedish pattern hammer is what I've been doing most of my smithing with, but I love my new little rounding hammer. It does make a noticeable difference in fullering and it's actually a touch lighter than the 900g (1.984 lb vs 1.75 lb) but I like the mass being close to the handle. [Here's](Anvil Brand 1-3/4 Lb. Rounding Hammer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012ECOOGC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_M2UezbR2P2G19) the rounding hammer I got. I might get a heavier rounding hammer once I try the new anvil. So excited!

Are you open to suggestions?

If you haven't already ripped the packaging off of it, my personal recommendation is to not use the Klein non-contact voltage tester (ticker). My experience with it was not good. It was unreliable and the on/off button is junk so the damn thing would never turn off, then it would sit and beep at me constantly while it was in my tool pouch. I finally got rid of it and bought the Santronics ticker. Easily one of the best purchases I've made as an electrician. It's always on, silent, and extremely reliable.

Also, for your hammer I would recommend one with a longer head on it like this one. The reason for this is because you will be doing a lot of work with deep 1900 boxes and 11bs (don't worry if you don't know what those are yet, you will find out soon) and if you're using fasteners that require pounding in with a hammer, you will need a different hammer than the one you have. If you're doing residential work and need to pound staples inbetween studs, you can just use the side of your hammer.

You can probably just return those gloves. You will (or should) be provided with work gloves (many, many pairs of them) at every jobsite you ever work at. You'll never have to buy another pair of work gloves in your life, I can promise you that.

As others have said, get the Klein multi-tool. The 32500 model is the one I use, along with some other commenters in this thread. They are cheap, you'll probably lose the tips every now and then, but it will easily be your most used tool, especially if you're doing a lot of devicing.

Another personal recommendation of mine would be the Ideal Tool Backpack for hauling your stuff around. Sometimes there's a lot of walking involved in getting to and from jobsites, and being able to carry your tools on your back is a lot nicer than carrying them in your hands. It's also nice having your hands free for carrying your lunch box around!

Congratulations on getting in! Keep up a good attitude and you'll do fine. Don't let anyone get on your nerves. 8 hours is 8 hours, make the best of it at all times.

I would stay away from getting tools like others mentioned. The cost will add up quickly, even if you get dirt cheap tools. There’s also no guarantee that he’ll even need the tools you get him. You can’t go wrong with a utility knife and a cheap framing hammer, though. Milwaukee knives and an inexpensive California style framing hammer are guaranteed to see plenty of use. Estwing also makes steel handled hammers which will pretty much never need a new handle, but those are pretty rough on the elbows and wrists compared to wood or fiberglass handles. Once he has experience, he’ll know what he needs for whatever job he’s doing.

Everything you mentioned sounds great. What I personally would appreciate most (outside of what you already mentioned) aren’t exactly cheap and may not be every carpenter’s cup of tea depending on what their job calls for. One thing that he’s sure to appreciate but may not be all that excited about right off the bat is wool socks or, if you’re willing to spend a lot of extra money, tactical socks, especially when breaking in a new pair of boots. Other than that, it really just depends on him and what his preferences are.

Well, Christmas is right around the corner. So you can start off with a nice pink toolbox

Here's one on Amazon

As for tools sized for kids, here's a 8oz pink handle hammer

Or you can go with a pink stubby tool set which is more sized for younger kids

I'd get a nice pink toolbox for now...and the pink stubby tools.

And maybe like a pink LED headlamp, some safety glasses, hearing protection

The pink tool sets are cool and all, but really she doesn't have any use for them. Whereas the glasses and hearing protection she could use while working with you. And the stubby tools she could use until she gets bigger. And the headlamp has a million uses as a kid. And as she gets older and she starts wanting to help more, you can identify what she needs.

Then, instead of getting a bunch of tools she doesn't have any use for now, you can start a new holiday tradition where you get her useful adult sized tools each year.

That way by the time she is going off to college and getting her own place, she's got a legit toolbox full of useful tools.

Plus...it will never get old watching her all excitedly open up a christmas present only to realize its wire strippers and an assortment of wire nuts instead of toys or things she asked for

I would start simple and work my way up. First thing I ever built was a bird house as a kid. I grew up building theater sets. And now I build about anything I set my mind to.


My tool box is huge due to other activities but last time I did a solely wood based project my tool box would have been something like this:
(I apologize if I am saying things you already know, I wrote the fallowing as if the reader has no tool knowledge)

20-oz hammer
>a heavy hammer is always good for driving nails, making bolts fit and generally hitting things as needed. I carry a 20-OZ husky.

Utility Knife
>Utility Knifes are much different then regular knifes, I prefer these retractable's over folders, but that is probably just because it is what I grew up with.

pliers and a wrench

Ratchet set
>Ratchet Sets are nice to have but not necessarily a "Must have" Ratchets make the job of a wrench and pliers easier.

Power Drill
>Linked is the drill I own. This charger will put the battery 0-30% in 10 min and fully charge from dead in 30 min.
>You can also also buy saw and sander attachments for the drill along with many others. I have the jigsaw and the sander and the jigsaw gets tons of use.

Drill Bit Set
>the set linked will let you do just about anything you may need to do with a drill. Drill holes, drive screws, ext.



This list as it stands is $270. I think you will find that as you do projects and continue to learn your tool collection will expand. Tools like air guns/compressors, table saws, miter saws, circular saws, drill presses, ext. are all useful in time, but slightly more expensive... and large..


TD;DR: Really the answer is simply this: You shouldn't buy tools then go looking for a project. Find a project you want to do, then find the tools to do the job.

Hey, FYI, the link you shared contains Amazon Referral tags, that will associate anyone who clicks it with you.

You shared this URL:

> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LPIT470/?coliid=I8TY3BLO5227M&colid=2V77J81YB3FSS&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

But all we needed was this part:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LPIT470/

AutoModerator auto-removes threads & comments that contain referral links or tags to help maintain anonymity and prevent anyone from profiting from links/clicks/views.

Please clean the tags from future Amazon URLs.

Thanks.

Thank you for extending it another day, I haven't had the chance to sit down and look through my lists yet!

How about 133 $.15 Amazon gift cards? ;-) I know, that counts as digital, I'm just bein' silly.

Really though, I have to start with this, to keep my darn cat from tracking litter all through the bathroom and the rest of the apartment! (On this list)

Next, these tools would make cooking just a liiiittle easier; it's hard to get pasta out of a pot with a fork. (On this list)

This will make things just a bit easier when it comes to hanging up my nail polish rack. (On this list)

Currently that takes us to $19.81, all with Prime shipping! Gifting is fun! :-D

This reminds me of all the medicines that say they should not be taken during pregnancy purely because it has not been tested.

However, who is going to submit all this testing to be done? Which mother and which child?

Men are seen as more disposable and this is one of the few advantages....things to prevent early disposing are designed for those who are most disposable.

The complaints about generic designs being in favor of male hands and body types are simply targeting their main audience.

So when do we get more egalitarian designs for Thunder from Down Under, Twilight, Rom Coms and such that are designed for women?

Maybe this is a new business opportunity! Start marketing those designs! Oh wait...these already exist!

You can quickly see proactive thing like this: https://www.murseworld.com/

They have nursing uniforms and design for men only. Seems like a more niche but good market........

...which is the same for many things discussed in the article! Like this: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Neck-21001-Essentials-Fiberglass/dp/B003VPAF10/?tag=toolguyd-20

There are ergonomically designed tools for women out there.

It seems like this article was poorly researched and was simply created to try and get outrage clicks. I find this to be fairly common from The Guardian.

The zombies ate my brains yet I was able to come up with a couple items:

• Cricket Bat - not necessarily unusual thanks to Shawn of the Dead, but unusual to own in the US. Would be great for smashing heads.
  
• Sickle - not quite as good for range, but would be good for beheading.
  
• A Spear would be good to keep them at range and run less risk of a bite.
  
• You could be a badass like Tyrese in the Walking Dead comic and use a regular old Claw Hammer
  
• Some leather forearm guards would be good for reducing your chance of a bite while using any melee weapons.
  
• You could also go all Dead Rising and carry around a stack of traffic cones to slap on their heads...
  
  Gotta get back to work, but thanks for this it was amusing...

Good question, and it pains me a bit that I have a small box of unused tools that were purchased when I began. I'm sure I missed a few things, but here you go:

• Lamp I love this thing, and it's silly how much it improved my craft.
  
• Utility knife (Stanley) with many replacement blades. I flip then toss these frequently.
  
• Shovel knife
  
• Beveler
  
• Burnishers
  
• Microfiber clothes
  
• Granite block
  
• Stitching pony (handmade and based upon http://www.instructables.com/id/3rd-Hand-Leather-Stitching-Clamp/)
  
• Awl
  
• Diamond Awl
  
• Wing Divider
  
• Pliers
  
• Craft scissors
  
• Thread snips
  
• Bone folder
  
• Mallet
  
• Cobbler hammer
  
• Ruler
  
• Cutting mat
  
• Detail brushes
  
• Needles
  
• Tokonole
  
• Glue
  
• Glue brushes
  
• 50/50 neatsfoot oil and beeswax (double-boiled)
  
• Heat gun
  
• Ritza Tiger thread
  
• Chisels I use these as pricking irons because they leave a massive hole
  
• Dremel
  
• Bulldog clips
  
  If links weren't provided then I already had the item.

Here's what I would personally recommend for a decent minimum starter set, assuming you're just looking for general homeowner/handywork tools:

• 5-in-1 screwdriver
  
• 16 oz. claw hammer
  
• 6 in. adjustable wrench
  
• Measuring tape
  
• Allen wrenches
  
• Pliers
  
  Those are all solid quality tools that I've personally used in the past. There's obviously tons of other stuff you'll need along the way if you're into fixing things but that's a great starting point.

Yeah those are awesome. Like this: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Way-Tools-6-In-1-Screwdriver/dp/B000BQM0E2

Unfortunately I can't see why the top would be threaded though.

This and this. Condoms and lube are relatable to hammers. Yes, even squeaky ones. How you ask?

Well, there's some really kinky motherfuckers out there, who are suddenly in the mood for some hot, sexy, ANAL PENETRATION! But alas, they're to poor to afford a top-of-the-line Rear Penetration Fucking Machine. :(

So what do they do?? They run down to the nearest hardware store of course! Depending on their mood, they either buy a small Tekton 3016 hammer, or a massive Cold Steel Warhammer. Then they go home, slip a rubber on the hammer of their choice, lube it up nice and slippery, then they slide that big ol hammer right up their poop chute.

And that, my friends, is how condoms and lube are relatable to hammers.

I swear to puppies I'm going to throw a psychotic fit.

I love this hammer, I have two now, the corners are great for toenails


Vaughan 13030/V5 V5 Hammer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012YNDY8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ZckCCbHP253DM

if you're going to use a hammer, i'd suggest a framing hammer over a ball peen, which has 2 faces, a 'half ball' and a 'flat'. the framing hammer also has a claw, designed to pull nails, but would work well when you want to penetrate a skull...

http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-51-168-24-Ounce-AntiVibe-Framing/dp/B000I1KH90/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1251936764&sr=8-16

one tool that's always mentioned is the crowbar, something that i'm not a fan of. have you ever tried to strike something with one? the grip is tenuous at best and would be horrible covered in gore. if the only choice i had was a crowbar, this would be my pick...

http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-FatMax-Xtreme-55-120-FuBar/dp/B000VSSG3O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1251937333&sr=1-3

They reduce some of the vibration. I use that hammer with a wood handle for most things and I use this one for jobs that need a more durable hammer, like concrete work https://www.amazon.com/Stiletto-TB15MC-15-Ounce-Titanium-Milled-Face/dp/B00079R1YM 200 bucks is a lot cheaper than shoulder surgery which I will be needing in the near future.

The weight is a bigger issue for you joints with how they are engineering hammers now. Titanium is denser than steel so you get the same swinging power with less weight.

Martinez tools made a 16oz titanium handled hammer with a steel head so you get the best of both worlds.

Spend the money now on good hammers so you don't have spend it on repairing your body in the future.

/hammer rant

Under $50? Oy, so many choices.

Opinel knives. Any of them. Sharp as hell, thin blades, cheap enough that if you break one, you don't care.

Nemosine Singularity $20, but a simple and nearly bulletproof fountain pen. Makes my life much easier and my hands hurt much less after a long day writing.

Old Hickory kitchen knives. They're carbon steel and will rust if you don't clean and dry them after each use, but the thin blades and good geometry made a $12 butcher my favorite knife in the block. Mine took some work with a file to get the point sharp, but for $10 it was worth it.

Estwing tools. My hammer has kept grinning through 15 years of work, and still is in excellent shape. One reviewer complains of a ringing noise- never heard it.

This is the one I use, and I really like it. Seems to be holding up pretty well.

https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Tools-HD54017-Utility-Pouch/dp/B00KX3BYFO

https://www.amazon.com/Douglas-Tool-DFI-18-18-Ounce-14-Inch/dp/B00008BFRF

Douglas 18oz Finish Hammer. Don't make them like that any more.. but they are starting back up production soon.. Had it for about 8 years now, best hammer I've ever used.

Kitchen knife? Henckels international classic paring knife?

https://smile.amazon.com/J-Henckels-International-CLASSIC-Utility/dp/B00004RFMO/

I might not say that it'll last half a century but I'm happy with my atactical a1.

https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Steel-Bushman-Sheath-95BUSKZ/dp/B00BD4W54Q/

https://smile.amazon.com/Kershaw-Toughness-Durability-Edge-Holding-Capabilities/dp/B00AU6BFDK/

https://smile.amazon.com/Kershaw-Modified-SpeedSafe-Reversible-Glass-Filled/dp/B06XR8XTJP/

https://smile.amazon.com/Bondhus-20199-Balldriver-L-Wrench-1-5-10mm/dp/B00012Y38W/

https://smile.amazon.com/Estwing-Hammer-Straight-Smooth-Reduction/dp/B0000224VG/

Some wiha screwdrivers

Lifetime warranty https://smile.amazon.com/Fiskars-8-Inch-Forged-Scissors/dp/B00114LTMC/

I recommend you go with the iFixit 54 Driver Kit its $35 dollars on amazon and will open up almost every you will need in the electronic department, and I would go for something more like Ryobi HP44L for you electric screwdriver, the Flipout you had post does seem too comfortable to use if you plan to do a lot with it. The ryobi and a 68 piece driver set on amazon is only $54 between that kit and the iFixit kit (which is the kit that your Vastar kit is copying) you should be about to do anything for common stuff around your apartment to all the electronic work you could think of. iFixit Ryobi Driver Ryobi Set


I just posted my "Basic Tool Kit" but I don't think you really need all that for what you want to do, pick up these key item as you get extra money or as you can to up grade what you have, Channellock Pliers Set, Estwing Hammer, Wera Screw Set, Milwaukee Tape Measure, and Milwaukee Utilty Knife. With all of this I can't think of anything that could slow you down in an apartment setting.

EDIT: grammar and Format

Thanks for this. I'm going to buy my Dad one this week just for the hell of it. He and I used to frame houses together and he still works out in the shop a lot. I bet he'd love to have a cool hammer like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Vaughan-13030-V5-Hammer/dp/B0012YNDY8/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=vaughn+hammer&qid=1550903875&s=gateway&sr=8-2

I'm a carpenter by trade and my hammer is so much my baby that I have one hanging from my belt and one in the truck.

The reason I bought a Titanium hammer is because every time I'd have to pry forms off of the concrete I'd snap my hammer in half. I bought this bad girl in hopes that it wouldn't break, it still hasn't and you're in luck, they're about half the price they were when I bought mine 4 years ago.

http://www.amazon.com/Stiletto-TB15MC-15-Ounce-Titanium-Milled-Face/dp/B00079R1YM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417527795&sr=8-1&keywords=Tibone+2+hammer

you should get yourself a tibone. Like a $300 hammer but they feel like feathers and hit like lightning. Plus lifetime warranty on the removeable head. Might be more to it, but i cant remember.

Anyway, you'd be putting up houses so fast, the housing market would crash.

Canadian Amazon link to the interested.



It's matching the ultimate tool with the ultimate skill.

>a nice tool for his work

Came here to say that. I'd recommend an Estwing Hammer.

Fiberglass handles are actually quite cheap:

http://smile.amazon.com/Stanley-51-621-16-Ounce-Fiberglass-Hammer/dp/B000VSMJCS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397854919&sr=8-1&keywords=perfect+hammer

I personally use a smaller version of that.

I honestly don't remember what brand the hammer was, but http://gearpatrol.com/2013/07/03/nailed-it-5-best-hammers/2/ is probably a starting point. There's also custom hammers like https://www.fine-tools.com/ham7.htm.

Obligatory Estwing shoutout. Best and last hammer I'll ever buy.

id go for the 14-16 ounce stiletto. if you wanna stay around that price point. the tb15 is the single best hammer on this earth it does everything you need and more.
https://www.amazon.ca/Stiletto-TB15MC-15-Ounce-Titanium-Milled-Face/dp/B00079R1YM

A tool like this will let you fit this into a standard mobo pci-e slot.

I used to carry that same model hammer, but then I found this beauty. Much better for EDC, leaves me tons of room for other essentials.

http://www.amazon.com/Stiletto-TB15MC-15-Ounce-Titanium-Milled-Face/dp/B00079R1YM

Amazon link to it if anyone's interested.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LPIT470/

That the one you are referring to? Do you know if there are any solid reviews on it or if it's been updated at all or anything else more about it? I've been looking at these types of backpacks and this one seemed like the best design of the ones I've found, but it also has some questionable reviews on Amazon but also I couldn't find any really solid/good reviews on it anywhere else.

Biggest concern for me is quality and if it will actually hold up for a long time considering the price of it.

I was thinking of something like this

Eastwing makes a good hammer that is cheap. DO NOT go with this som bitch! http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-51-621-16-Ounce-Fiberglass-Hammer/dp/B000VSMJCS it will snap and send fiberglass all in your hands and it sucks!

Dat Stiletto framing hammer. HRNGH. SO LIGHT.

http://www.amazon.com/Stiletto-TB15MC-15-Ounce-Titanium-Milled-Face/dp/B00079R1YM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1451866711&sr=8-3&keywords=stiletto+framing+hammer

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Way-Tools-6-In-1-Screwdriver/dp/B000BQM0E2

levels
https://www.amazon.com/Stabila-37524-Promo-Level-37424/dp/B0007Y69G8/ref=sr_1_6?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1475088228&sr=1-6&keywords=stabila+levels

hammer
https://www.amazon.com/Stiletto-TB15MC-15-Ounce-Titanium-Milled-Face/dp/B00079R1YM

The new estwing cooler

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000224VG/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1468885539&sr=1-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=hammer&dpPl=1&dpID=31ZTujPkvvL&ref=plSrch

Pick your size and call it a day. Don't overthink it.

Eswing hammer or nothing. This is the only hammer you need for the rest of your life.

This: http://yfrog.com/h62biaaj which was my grandfather's 1937 model of this: http://www.amazon.com/Estwing-E16S-16-Ounce-Straight-Leather/dp/B0000224VE

Nah, I'd say go with this one