Estwing hammers

[Mattton]

This message is a reply to an archived post by Bret4207 on March 29, 2009 at 06:47:32.
The original subject was "Estwing hammers".

I work at estwing. Email me at [email protected]

 

[Sean Feeney]

better late then never

 

[Mule Meat]

I own many Estwing hammers, axes and hatchets.

The only one that I would not reccomend to highly is their long steel handled camp ax.

Yes it is a very good ax and holds a sharp edge for a very long time. Only problem is the design. It is slightly unblanced toward the handle end which causes it to deflect off of harder woods. Came close many times sticking the business end into my shin when it would ricochet off of a log or branch.

 

[kneedeep]

I agree about the Camp Axe.
I prefer Estwing over any other hammer any weight or style. The axe does not perform as well as framing hammers drive sinkers.
Mine now is in UTV toolbox for emergency use. :?

 

[unc]

I know this was a shout out, but I just have to say I like Estwing tools. I have several leather grip hammers, and a rubber grip shingling hatchet. It seems like they were designed by people who like nice tools. unc

 

[Moonlite37]

For Christmas 1951 while in grade school, my mother bought me the finest, and perhaps most costly Estwing 16 oz.Leather handle hammer for $3.00 when she could have bought a good wood handle hammer for about $2.00, I have replaced the leather by cutting small pieces of leather , driving the pieces into place and shaping with a sanding drum. I have retired it from heavy work and keep it in the house for household repairs.

 

[4520BW]

Nothing better than a waffle head Estwing hammer to drive polebarn nail and smash thumbs!

 

[oldsarge]

SORRY,didn't really care for the ones I tried. Vaughn & Bushnell for me!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ultradog MN]

I have two of these.
20 oz, straight claw, smooth face.
Estwings are the best!

 

[Scott 730]

They are nearly indestructible. I used one when doing concrete form work, but when it came to pounding nails all day long I much preferred my 24 oz wood handled Vaughan. Much better on my forearms when nailing all day, every day. The only Estwing I have ever seen broken was when the operator left his laying on the outrigger of the rough terrain crane. Hammer handle didn't fare too well when he retracted the out riggers to move the crane.

 

[Bret4207]

Holy smokes! A 10 year old post and a guy that works for Estwing contacts me to help! Wow! Well, I couldn't find that post, but it's likely my complaining about Estwing not honoring their "lifetime" warranty on their leather handled hammers. I don't think I even have any of the hammers anymore. I'm tempted to contact him just to see what he says!

 

[Bruce from Can.]

That?s the Estwing hammer I like best too. Darn good hammer if you are driving 2 1/2 or 3 inch ardox spikes.

 

[K Effective]

I have two Estwings- 16oz curved claw and 36oz(?) framing hammer. I think it is 36, whatever their biggest one was. That thing will make you wish your arms fell off at the shoulder the next morning...

When Dad was starting to show the effects of his cancer, he was still "puttering". He took the big hammer into the feedlot ro repair a wooden hay rack, dropped it, then forgot to tell me or look for it. The next spring I tried to send it through the manure spreader. Six to nine months in the manure pile took all the plating off the metal, and swelled the handle just a bit where it meets the metal.

About an hour on the wire wheel and it's almost good as new, just not shiny. But, I think of him every time I see it.

 

[M-MAN]

Son loved the estwings. Never figured out why cause I thought they were the most uncomfortable hammer I ever picked up. To each their own.

 

[MarkB_MI]

Bret, here's your original post. I still remember it; we were pretty rough on you.

Easy to google: "estwing site:yesterdaystractors.com"
Everybody piles on Bret

 

[Bret4207]

(reply to post at 07:28:44 06/20/19)

Yep, that's the one. I see I lost my temper and resorted to bad language. For that I apologize to anyone subjected to such stupid behavior on my part.

The point was that a company I swore by for decades took my trust, and money, and left me high and dry. I would gladly have paid to have the hammer my Dad used rehandled. It was having his hammer that mattered. They wouldn't even do that. I just looked at some of these same hammers in a feed store the other day. Over $45.00 now. Great hammers, but if you actually use them over time, in all sorts of weather they need repair. That was my beef.

What did I end up doing? The old Estwings, I think, might be way back under the bench someplace, if they are still here at all. I have a Kobalt, several Plumbs ($9.00 at TSC) and a whole mess of wood handled hammers I put new handles on. I'd love to have those beautiful Estwings back, but I'm not spending north of $45.00 on a hammer.

BTW- I just welded the handle back on my Estwing campers axe that I got in 1978. Must be I abused that too......

 

[MarkB_MI]

> Yep, that's the one. I see I lost my temper and resorted to bad language. For that I apologize to anyone subjected to such stupid behavior on my part.

Well Bret, I can't say you didn't have any reason to be PO'd. I think we're all a bit mellower ten years later. Could be age, could be the legalized cannabis.

 

[Hammer house]

I read your post on Estwing hammers. Very interesting, as I am A hammer collected. I have been collecting hammers A long time. I find them at flea market, garage sale, estate sales, or any where I can. I like to get U S made hammers, but lots of them are not U S made. When I get them I clean them up, see if it has A name on it. Then I put A number on it, name, where I got it, weight, and all.
I have 524 hanging up in my shop now. I will send A pic. if it will send.
I have some Estwing hammers too.

Email me. [email protected]

 

[kcm.MN]

I have one very much like the one Ultradog posted, but a waffle head. It's OK, but not my favorite.

My absolute all-time favorite hammer was my Stanley AntiVibe, but ONLY the model pictured here (lower hammer). Unfortunately, it went missing a number of years ago. I keep sampling hammers in the tool stores, but none fit my hand the way that Stanley did. And while it wasn't "totally" vibration free, the perfect balance and fit more than made up for the very minor vibrations. Mine was also a smooth face. Never cared much for waffle faced heads.

By the way, while trying to find an image of my hammer, I went through thousands of images before finding the exact hammer. Mine had that clear neck around the steel, and the thumb grip on top of the rubber. Can't seem to find any more pics of that hammer.

....One more thing....is it my imagination, or are the faces of smooth-faced framing hammers getting smaller?

 

[Bret4207]

(quoted from post at 13:11:07 06/20/19) > Yep, that's the one. I see I lost my temper and resorted to bad language. For that I apologize to anyone subjected to such stupid behavior on my part.

Well Bret, I can't say you didn't have any reason to be PO'd. I think we're all a bit mellower ten years later. Could be age, could be the legalized cannabis.

I can absolutely guarantee you any mellowing I've experienced has nothing whatsoever to do with pot.

 

[whereswaldo]

Amen, Old Sarge. 20 oz. rip claw Vaughan #999. Best balance hammer ever. I got real good at replacing handles, too. Have three of them-oldest is over 50 years old and Vaughan & Bushnell STILL make them. Learned early on that a leather or rubber handle was NOT a good choice to swing all day.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

IIRC Jimmy Diresta did a video on rehandling an old leather handled Estwing hammer on Youtube a couple years ago.