10 High-Quality Hammer Reviews – Swing Like a Pro in 2024

The designers behind this Estwing hammer combined the past with the present. This tool has an old-world feel thanks to the comfy leather grip but is designed drive, demolish and pull with the best of them.

The Estwing Ultra hammer is a 15-ounce hammer from the Ultra leather series. It’s built to be strong and light with a slim profile in the middle the company is famous for. It’s sturdy considering it’s forged from one piece of tool steel, so there are no weak spots or joints that can fail. You can pry away with this one, but that’s not all it can do.

Rip and Pull…

Hammers with a rip claw can tear through sheetrock or pry board apart with ease. They aren’t always ideal for nails however due to leverage, but the Estwing Ultra is an exception. It has a notch in the side of the head that provides a bit more torque than the backside claws. As for the handle, it’s not as comfy as others but is covered in leather, sanded and then lacquered which gives it a unique look.

This Estwing hammer is available with a milled or smooth face and is a good hammer for general use with only one real drawback. That lovely handle isn’t the best choice if you use your tool on a daily basis so this one is more for the garage than the job site. The hammer is made in the USA from American steel and has a solid if somewhat confusing warranty.

There is also a smooth face model with a shorter handle but all clock in at the same weight.  If you prefer a curved claw but still like the leather handle, check out this variant that’s available in 12, 16 or 20 ounces.

Features

• 15-ounce head
• Smooth or milled face
• Side nail puller
• Leather grip

Looking for a California framing hammer? Vaughan hammers has the solution with this rugged wooden handle hammer. It’s another tool that sports the Made in the USA tag, and one you should seriously consider if you want a traditional framing hammer that won’t break the bank.

Andrew Jackson would have been proud to own this hammer given its durability and the fine hickory handle. This old hickory handle has a large eye where the handle meets the head which adds to the overall strength of the tool. The design comes from the company’s Rig Builders hatchet, and that’s not the only thing the designers borrowed for this Vaughan framing hammer.

The head of this hammer is forged from high carbon steel and polished to perfection. The company gave it a triple zone heat treatment and an extra-large striking face. It’s modeled after the popular 999 rip hammer and powder coated to prevent rust. This particular model clocks in at 23 ounces and has a heavily milled face although other weights are available.

Just like with the rest of our picks, you won’t get a regular warranty with the Vaughan framing hammer, but they do cover their products for repair under regular use. While not a tool for the average Joe or Jane, it’s an excellent option for carpentry, framing and other heavy duty work.

Features

• 23 ounces
• Magnetic nail start
• Triple wedge eye
• Powder coating
• Computer designed and balanced

IRWIN Tools is another manufacturer consumers turn to when they want high-quality tools that won’t break the bank. Their General Purpose Fiberglass Claw Hammer certainly fits that bill, and while it isn’t fancy, it performs as advertised.

The highlight of this hammer is the price although it has a sturdy forged steel head. It’s not something you’d want to frame houses with for obvious reasons but is perfect for finish work thanks to the smooth face. Regardless of your prowess with a claw hammer, you won’t leave those nasty waffle marks behind.

As this is a two-piece tool, it’s not quite as durable as the rest. You can still pry nails and boards apart, but you’ll want to be careful with the latter. Fiberglas is strong, but not ideal when you really need to pull something apart. That’s not necessarily a negative with the 1954889 – just a general fact.

One advantage IRWIN Tools hammer has over others is in the comfort department. The handle is covered with a ProTouch no-slip grip, with a slight curve and hard end cap. It’s available in three weights as well in case you need something a little beefier. The 16 oz model has a fiberglass handle while the 20 oz hammer  has a one-piece design and magnetic nail holder. The 21 oz rip hammer is made for framing with a milled face, forged head, and curved hickory handle.

Features

• Forged steel head
• ProTouch grip
• Fiberglass handle
• Smooth face

Stilleto pulled out all the stops for the TBM14RMC. It’s made from titanium which is one reason it’s so pricey, but also why it will excel where others fail. Need pulling power? You’ll get it from this straight claw hammer although that’s far from the only trick up its sturdy sleeves.

While only 14 ounces, this Stiletto hammer has the power of a 24-ounce tool. It’s all about the face, which is made from steel and screws onto the head. Yup, you can actually swap heads out when one wears down, or you simply want to go from the stock milled face to one that’s a bit smoother.

Two other features we’re fans of are the magnetic nail starter and their patented side nail puller. The latter is a bit different from the rest as its set towards the bottom instead of the top and can remove a 16 penny nail with ease. The handle has ample padding as well to go along with a slight curve which makes it easier to use during those long days on the job.

Half pry bar, half hammer, the Stiletto TiBone Mini-14 is a beast and a rarity considering the quality and the fact you can swap faces out. The obvious downside is the price considering an experienced contractor can drive a nail just as well with a $50 hammer as one that cost a few hundred bucks. It also has a short warranty given its price, so you’ll only get a 1-year.

Features

• 14 ounces
• Titanium with removable head
• Side nail puller
• 1-year warranty

If you’re a professional, you may own a Dalluge hammer, but it’s a brand often overlooked by new builders. Well, that would be a mistake as they make some slick tools like this unique 16-ounce hammer that’s packed full of friendly features.

The Dalluge 7180 has a 16 oz titanium head with a serrated face to prevent slippage. It has a nail holder in the top of the head, but it’s a bit different from the rest. It can handle regular nails but also deals with Duplex nails which are difficult for other hammers. If you’re not familiar with the style, it’s like a temporary nail with a collar and very, very useful with construction or remodeling.

On the rear of this hammer lies a reinforced rip claw that’s straighter than others and quite compact. It can do some damage, and you won’t have to worry about a bad strike. The Dalluge titanium hammer has an overstrike guard that tapers down from the head into each side of the hickory handle. There’s also a side nail puller, and the company says the handle is shock absorbing although it’s wooden and sans a grip.

Sometimes you have to pay up for top quality tools, and that’s the case with the Dalluge titanium hammer. It’s pricey and in the pro class, but could be the last hammer you have to buy for a decade if you treat it with care. This particular model is available with your choice of a milled or smooth face, and all Dalluge hammers come with a warranty through Vaughan & Bushnell Mfg.

Features

• 16-ounce head
• Magnetic nail holder
• Overstrike protection
• Side nail puller

Ball pein hammers come in all shapes in sizes. That includes budget-friendly tools with fiberglass handles and a Stanley hammer like the Proto line. This set has tech that will make your job easier, and it’s hard to argue with their style…

Tools are supposed to be functional, not fancy although it’s safe to say nobody wants ugly tools in their box or bag. The Stanley Proto J1304AVPS Ball Pein Hammer set are the best-looking peens we’ve seen, and they will last twice as long as others given the build quality and design.

Proto went with a one-piece design for this steel hammer set, so there are no weak spots. The heads are heat-forged, and nickel plated with a rim tempered striking surface. This increases the durability while decreasing the chance at damage from a bad strike. They are Pro level tools and ones that won’t jar you with every strike.

Every hammer on our list has some form of vibration dampening tech – wooden handles aside. In this case, you’ll get a patented antivibration tech that dampens your delivery and keeps your arms fresh. You’ll be thankful for with as the biggest hammer has a 24-ounce head and weighs 2.5 pounds.

On that Note…

This set includes four tools with 8, 12, 16 and 24-ounce hammer heads. The 24-ounce hammer is 13-24/32” long while the 8-ounce hammer head has a total weight of 1.2 pounds and is 11 inches long. As with other branded sets, you can pick up matching hammers with a 4 or 32-ounce ball peen hammer.

If you’re serious about your trade, you need good tools, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a better set than this one. Sure, there are cheaper sets, but these are one-piece, and that anti-vibration tech is well worth the money. They are also warrantied for life although you shouldn’t ever need to put that to use given the build quality.

Features

• 8 to 24-ounce hammer set
• Heat forged heads
• One-piece design
• Antivibe tech
• Rim tempered striking surface

Our second Estwing hammer is just as outstanding as our first option – this one is only built for framing. The E3-25SM hails from their BIG BLUE lineup and sports all the features that made the company famous over the years.

From the forged head to the shock reduction grip, there is a lot to like about this framing hammer. It’s a one-piece hammer so you’ll never need to worry about the head flying off. You’ll also be able to tear through a variety of materials thanks to the big rip claw on the back. It’s not titanium, but prying won’t be an issue with this one.

The neck is slim and tapers down from the head before widening at the grip. At 25 ounces, it has plenty of weight so you’ll be thankful for the shock reduction grip at the end of the day. It’s said to reduce vibration impacts by 70%, and while that’s something we can’t test, I can attest to the fact it does cut things back considerably.

This Estwing framing hammer is 18 inches long, and while we chose the milled face, a smooth-faced variant is available as well. It’s made from high-quality materials in the USA just like the rest of the Estwing family and should be an option if you’re looking for the best framing hammer.

Features

• 25 ounces
• One-piece design
• Rip claw
• Made in the USA
• 18 inches

Our pick for the best dead blow hammer comes from a company called ABN. They may not have the name recognition of some of the brands on our list, but this mallet delivers accurate strikes at an affordable price.

ABN stands for Auto Body Now, so they definitely know a thing about dents and rubber hammers. This dead blow hammer doesn’t have a cutting-edge design, and it isn’t filled with exotic materials. Simple and effective are the first two words to come to mind with this one although you won’t be disappointed by its performance.

This hammer is non-marring and won’t set off any sparks with a thick rubber coating. It’s quiet due to the noise dampening design and durable as its unicast. The handle is covered in the same rubber but serrated so you can get a good grip. To color speaks for itself – you definitely won’t lose this hammer in the shop.

If you like the design, you’ll get a choice with this one with a set or individual hammers that range from 1 to 4 pounds each. Regardless of which size you choose, the hammers come with a 1-year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.

Features

• Non-marring soft face
• Serrated grip
• Unicast design
• 1-year warranty

nice price. That includes tools like this Stanley hammer which comes is built to make driving and pulling nails easy if you’re just getting started.

We’ll get to the variants soon enough, but we want to concentrate on the Stanley FatMax 51-403. It’s an Over-Strike framing hammer which is a great way of saying it’s perfect for beginners. It has a larger face which gives you more room for error while the rim-tempered face resists chipping from bad blows.

Getting nails started can be tricky when you’re new, but it won’t be an issue with this Stanley hammer. The FatMax 51-403 has a magnetic nail starter to lend a hand, and we dig the double wedge design between the head and wooden handle as well. It’s made from hickory, but that’s not what drew us to this hammer.

Overstrike Protection…

When you miss your nail, bad things happen – especially if you miss the surface entirely. It’s one of the quickest ways to break a hammer with a wooden or fiberglass handle, but not if you have additional protection. This hammer has just that with a slim steel plate beneath the head; another reason we love this hammer for beginners.

As for the variants, they do not vary the FatMax moniker, but may be worth a look depending on your needs. They include a 5-ounce tack hammer, 7 and 13-ounce general purpose hammers and a 16-ounce rip claw with a black head and hickory handle.

Features

• Large striking surface
• Rim-tempered face
• Magnetic nail starter
• Overstrike plate

As we said in our guide, it can be tough to find the right size ball pein hammer if you don’t know what you need. That’s where sets like the TEKTON 30409 come into play as you’ll get four forged head hammers for the price of one.

This 4-piece set has four ball pein hammers that range from 8 to 25 ounces. That’s a solid range that should cover most folks needs unless you’re beating hot metal, then you’ll want a blacksmith hammer. Each head is forged and polished to perfection from hardened steel with rounded ball ends for shaping your metal. Needless to say, they should hold up well.

But what about the handle?

Well, they went for fiberglass this time around so you’ll want to be careful with overstrikes. They are lighter however and have a poly jacket to help with impacts. The rubber grips are well made and of the non-slip variety. Consumers felt they were comfortable to use and we like the fact the grip is integrated into the handle as well.

TEKTON did a good job with the size to weight ratio on this ball peen hammer set as the 8-ounce hammer is only 11 inches long while the 25-ounce hammer clocks in at 13.75 inches. It’s a good range although you can pick up a 32 or 48-ounce matching hammers if you need something heavier or just want to add a hammer to your set.

A ball peen hammer doesn’t have to be fancy, and this set is rather basic, but that’s not a bad thing at all. If you just need an affordable set that should last for years, TEKTON’s hammers are well worth a look. They come with an “Always Guarantee” which claims to give you help and free replacement parts, but you’ll want to read the fine print as always. On the downside, there have been some reports of quality issues, so check your tools out of the box.

Features

• 8 to 25-ounce hammers
• Fiberglass handles
• Non-slip grip
• Always Guarantee