STANLEYSTA151148 12oz FatMax Xtreme Hi-Velocity Curve Claw Framing Hammer

I think this is exactly the same hammer as the Dewalt mig hammer! It must be a rebadge anyway.I am a Carpenter for over 25 years and at first glance this hammer looks a bit Gimmicky.Well its not, it has been very well designed using mig weld technique. I have lots of hammers from small peen hammers to large timber framing hammers. I wanted a fairly lightweight hammer for carrying around in a pouch all day and this fits the bill perfectly.A biggy for me is the ability to hammer sideways with the head of the hammer in tigh spaces. Some modern tianium hammers dont allow this because of the head design. This works great and I have had no issues thus far.The best features are balance, weight,ergonomic handle,pummel base and straight claw.I have about seven different Estwing hammers but this Stanley is getting used all the time now!! Bad a@@ enough for First Fix and lightweight enough for Second fix and Joinery operations. Very happy with it. If I lost the one I have I would replace it without hesitation.

The marketed weights we see for hammers are deceptive as they count only the head. The handle on this hammer actually weighs more than the head at ~14 oz, for a total weight of ~26 oz (750 g).In fairness, the weight is distributed well in the hand and the swing feels good.The striking surface is 30 mm in diameter. The centre is proud by 2 mm giving it a convex shape. The rip claw is set at around 20 degrees. Total length is 367 mm.

Bought one of these recently after having picked up one on site and marvelled at the weight of it. Having to do a lot of first fix studding and roof building on the current job (admittingly mainly using a nail gun) I thought the difference in weight between this hammer and my regular Estwing would be a benefit as I tend to wear one all day long on my tool belt on the jobsite and so any reduction in kit weight is very much appreciated by the end of the day. So far very impressed, I hardly know it’s in my hammer loop and I have even found myself on several occasions looking around for my hammer only to discover it hanging off my belt it is that light. Don’t let that fool you though as it is no light weight hitter and will hammer home 4” nails with the best of them.The extra long handle takes some getting used and you will have to learn a new technique for slipping it back in the hammer loop. Took me a couple of days to make that adjustment. I also found that if you inadvertently knock the hammer against a wall or studding it vibrates weirdly like your phone is going off. Anyone that has had first-hand experience of this phenomenon will know what I mean.All in all a first rate framing hammer, well designed with a good grip which has been a joy to use. Only thing I will say is the one that Amazon shipped to me has a chequered head, not flat as in the Amazon product images (see image attached). This means that you cannot use it on your chisels as the chequered pattern will make a mess of the handles even Marples split proof ones. I am assuming that the chequered head is now the latest version. I won't dock a star because of this as framing hammers aren't really meant as impromptu mallets. ;o)

I wanted a nice hammer for my toolbox that was a bit lighter than my 16oz Stanley clae hammer.This is light and futuristic and packs a punch above its weight.Not as good as a traditional claw hammer for prising out nails, this is designed as a wrecking claw.

This is by far the best hammer I have used in a long time. It's only 15oz (head weight) so it does not pull your tool belt down too much (I have my hammer at the back of my belt). It really does thump a nail in but with a lot less noise than my Estwing hammers. You can get a good swing on it if you hold it by the end of the handle. A few of the blokes on site have said that the handle is a bit long for them, but I like it. It's not for detail work but for most other uses it's perfect. I've used it for framing stud walls to tapping in cable clips (too lazy to get my tacking hammer) and it worked fine. My forarm does not get painfull after intensive use. It's well balanced and light and the nail magnet on the head is handy for those just out of reach nailing jobs (shuttering for example). I am not dissapointed with buying this hammer and it looks cool too!.