Customer Reviews

Shark Corp 20-2160 24-Ounce -InchDuck-Inch Waffle Face Hammer

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been through a lot of framing hammers over the past 20 years, and this is my all time favorite. Shark Corp. always makes great nail pullers and great Japanese hand saws, so I was willing to give this a try, even though it looks weird. The balance is incredible, perfect for driving 16 penny nails, the milled face is very precise and really grips so it doesn't slide once you've made contact. My favorite all around hammer to keep in my tool belt.

Wierd to say the least. The claws are only good for pulling nails. You beter be accurate with your strikes. If an when you do hit the nail it does it's job quickly. Definitely not a framing hammer replacement.

Definitely the hammer you want to use when the nails need firm persuasion. Momentum and following power are great! Good balance and feel, but weight contra-indicates use by wimps. If you repair watches or build miniature models, this is not the tool to use! If, however, you want to drive spikes hard and fast in 2 by's & 4 by's, the Duck is the critter for the job!

I've used and really liked Estwing's outstanding framing hammers, but I think I like this one a little better. It hits nails like a bomb, and really drives them through pressure-treated studs, etc. The manufacturers say that the head design puts a lot of energy "beyond" the nail which jibes with my experience, since the nails seem to jump into the wood at the end of the strike. The longer "duckbill" style hammer face lets you hit nails in narrower areas when you're building walls, etc. The hammer is also very low-shock, with only a minor amount of vibration conducted through the handle. The "cat's paw" style claw pulls 16d nails out of studs easily (one easy pull) without any blocking under the hammer head, which shows how well-designed it is. The hammer also has a nice nail set feature (using the claw and a little divot on the hammer)which lets you set nails higher up than you can reach with both hands.

On the down side, the balance of the hammer is fairly head-heavy, so if you want to use the 24 oz. version bear that in mind. Maybe not so good for people with smaller or weaker hands. Also, the fairly sharp edge of the hammer face can mar wood if you're not careful when toenailing, etc., but this isn't a finish hammer anyway. The odd duck shape of the hammer also makes me laugh. Overall, my favorite framing hammer.

I'm biased in the first place because I swear by titanium hammers. Maybe I didn't give it a chance, but it felt like swinging a 3lb drilling hammer. I just couldn't develop any accuracy with it. I'd love to hear from a few folks who use it sucessfully. Good conversation piece. I convinced one guy that the hammer design has been around for 250 years, and that daffy duck was patterned after the hammer rather than the other way around.