I found this peculiar (to me) little hammer in some passed down
items from a former rockhound (among other pursuits). He was a full
fledged craftsman, for sure.
I plan to clean it up and add it to my texturing hammer collection,
but still would love to know it’s original purpose.
To my eyes, which aren’t all that educated yet, the deep-ish divot
in the center of one head, and the very deep underside groove on the
same side both ‘look’ like they were part of the original design. The
small cutout on the top of the hammer, breaking the surface above the
deep groove seems to look like an after-market adaptation. I’m just
guessing at all of that, however!
I’ve attached a few pictures - excuse the quality, I snapped them
with my phone just now. The only side not pictured is the other head,
which, though worn, is a typical flat square face.
Cheers!
Becky
Total Side Note and Off Topic: I mention him as a rockhound first,
because this particular hammer was in the same box as one rough cut
rock (5-8+lbs), and several smaller cuts of beautifully rich dark
red jasper. (I’m not a lapidary, at all, but I’ll be taking the stone
to my local gem/mineral society, in hopes to trade the rough in for
cabs?)
Note From Ganoksin Staff:
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This is an upholsterer’s tack hammer. The slot at the top is for
pulling tacks, like the claw of a carpenter’s claw hammer. It’s a
little broken out so not obvious as to its original function. The
round opening at the end originally held a magnet used when starting
a tack. The magnet held the tack so you could use your other hand to
keep the fabric taut while setting the tack in place. Those were
ferrite magnets, so rather brittle and had a tendency to chip and
eventually fall out.
It’s a magnetic tack hammer also called upholstery hammer. You are
missing the magnetic plug in the end that picks up tacks, the
elongated hole is for removing tacks. Dinah
It’s a tack hammer. The round hole would have held a small magnet to
pick upsmall steel pins and tacks from the bench. The oval slot is
for pulling outtacks after raising the head from the surface of the
wood, probably with a small forked pry bar. It was probably used by
an upholsterer.
Well that’s the verdict from the UK anyway - hope it helps!
I found this peculiar (to me) little hammer in some passed down
items from a former rockhound (among other pursuits). He was a
full
who knows what your rockhound used it for. But you could probably
find another at your local hardware store. It’s a hammer more used by
a carpenter or upholsterer (not quite sure. I’d go with carpenter
first). Called, I think, a tack hammer. The depression in the one
face is where you put a tack or nail’s head, and the hammer holds it.
Some of these are magnetized to make that more positive. Allows you
to set in the nail just hitting the hammer against intended spot,
without needing to hold the nail with your other hand, or risk
missing the nail and hitting your finger. It would not go in quite
the whole way, due to the depression, and the other face would then,
if needed, drive it the rest of the way. The vertical opening in the
head is there to let you pull out nails, like the claws on a larger
carpenters claw hammer would do with larger nails. The nail or tack
head goes in the wide side of that tapered opening, you slide the
hammer so the nail’s shank is in the narrower part and the head is
then trapped.
rock the hammer over to pull the nail. Just like with a standard
claw hammer.
Just a guess, is the end with the divot and cut out magnetized? That
being the case, an upholsterer may have used it. Small tacks where
held in the hammer magnetically and started, then driven with the
solid end. The cut out is tapered and may have been used to remove a
tack or small nail. Rob
No doubt others will know more, but this looks to me like an
upholstery hammer. The slit is for pulling nails, the divot allows
you to hammer in domed decorative tracks without flattening them.
YUP, Looks like an upholstery hammer to me too. I wonder if the
hollow in the head might have been used to protect a dome headed
decorative tack while it was being driven. If so, it would have had
some sort of a lining to cushion it from being scratched, I would
think. Why don’t you take it to the gem and mineral club also and
they can tell you if they modify this for rocks. Also, is it
magnetic on the other end now
I grew up playing with hammers like that in my garage. My mom had an
upholstery shop and those were the tack hammers she used. I used to
sit in the pile of foam for cutting cushions in the corner of the
garage and read books while she worked. Years later my first paying
job after high school was working in her factory making van and RV
seating. I used some like that every day.
I bet if you went to any upholstery shop, you would see some.
The depression in the one face is where you put a tack or nail's
head, and the hammer holds it.
Some of these are magnetized to make that more positive.......It
would not go in quite the whole way, due to the depression, and the
other face would then, if needed, drive it the rest of the way
Many years ago I bought one of these for some task or other that I
cannot now remember. It was new, from the store, and had that hole
there, not a magnet.
Always seemed odd, as it does again reading my description of how
it’s used. Now I understand there was supposed to be a magnet there,
and the store sold me a defective hammer. Store is long gone, so I
don’t think I can take it back.
Also not sure I know where it is any more…
Bought defective hammer long ago.
Used it all wrong, not knowing better supplied wrong description of
it’s use based on old memory…
Wow, so many knowledgeable folks! Thanks for filling me in on the
original life of this little fellow - soon to be given another life
as a texture hammer!
Cheers,
Becky
Note From Ganoksin Staff:
Looking for a hammer for your jewelry projects? We recommend:
