I can’t tell you when I bought my first Vaughan ball pein hammer, but I can tell you why. When I started working on more serious hobby and DIY fabrication projects, I knew I needed a center punch to lay out my holes to higher accuracy. And what do you need for striking center punches to set their mark? A ball pein hammer. (Some brands will advise that a drilling hammer be used for this.)
At the time, I did a lot of reading into the matter and learned that claw hammers, for driving nails into wood, are often very hard and should never be used to strike metal tools. A ball pein hammer is not hardened to the same level, and as such they should be less prone to chipping. Is this still true? Honestly, I can’t say. Also, while I’ve marred the polished faces of my hammers, I’ve yet to deform them. My ball peins aren’t so hard that metal-metal strikes caused them to chip, but they’re definitely not soft either.
Advertisement
You can *probably* get away with using claw hammers for some tasks although it’s not advised. It is often recommended that claw and framing hammers be used to drive nails, with their claws used for nail-pulling and other prying tasks, and ball pein (or ball peen) hammers for striking metal chisels or for other metalwork.
Ball pein hammer heads have a standard flat striking face on one end, with the edges often beveled, and a ball-shaped face on the other.
I like ball pein hammers for metalwork, and have always had an affinity for Vaughan’s wood-handled ball pein hammers. They’re inexpensive, and mine are well-made and still comfortable to use.
I started off with a 16 oz hammer, which is a good size for a lot of different metalworking tasks. I use lighter ball pein hammers with smaller punches and chisels, and heavier ones for bigger tools and tasks. But, 16 oz still strikes me as a good all-around size. If I had to go back in time, it might still be my first ball pein hammer size.
I have used the ball end on occasion, but rarely.
Vaughan’s 16 oz hammer, TC016, can usually be found for $12-16.
Advertisement
Buy Now(via Amazon)
Buy Now(via Acme Tools)
See Also(12oz via Amazon)
It took me some time before I bought a 12 oz hammer, because it wasn’t proportionally less expensive than 16 oz ball peins. It still irks me a little, but it makes sense. There’s not much of a difference in material, but the production is largely the same. Maybe lower demand affects the pricing too. I do feel that 16 oz is a good “starter size” ball pein hammer, but if you think that a slightly lighter hammer will serve you better, consider the 12 oz.
I got over the psychology of it by buying a metal-handled 12 oz hammer.
I tried a few different ball pein brands and styles over the year, and now have a couple of sizes and styles up to 32 oz. I tend to use the smaller sizes most. I don’t feel too bad since the larger sizes were ordered on sale (e.g. the 32 oz was less than $11 on Amazon back in March 2008), and still come in handy for heavier striking and metal-forming tasks.
Even though 16 oz is probably the heaviest ball pein hammer I use very regularly, I feel it was and still is a good place to start. I have found that a lot of people have either “just one” ball pein hammer, or several. The 16 oz size is heavy enough while still being manageable, and you can usually choke up if you need a lighter strike.
Personally, I don’t like the idea of owning “just one” ball pein hammer, but if I had to, it would probably be this size.
For those of you that use ball pein hammers regularly, what would your recommendation be?
Gary
I’m planning to buy a set of ball peins, currently leaning towards Proto anti-vibes. I know you are generally a fan of Proto tools … do you have any experience with the anti-vibes?
Hans
I fully agree with you that the 16″ size is a very good choice and that Vaughan’s wood handled hammers are fantastic. They are very well made and balanced.
The ball end of the hammer can also be used very effectively to crush and remove thick layers of old paint and *rust cakes* from steel constructions and ship’s deck plates. One man can crush and remove the paint from quite a few square yards in a day with a ball pein hammer.
Hans
Sorry 16 ounce!
fred
Mine are old Stanley Jobmaster hammers – with hickory handles and polished and tempered faces and polls. No issues with them – but they are 40 to 50 years old.
One thing to look at in a quality wooden (usually hickory – but sometimes ash) handle is how well it fits into the hammer head and the grain orientation – which should be parallel to the cheeks of the hammer.
A Starrett ball pein hammer – with its built-in magnifying glass has always intrigued me – but never enough to lay out the cash that one costs – much cheaper at Amazon than at Zoro – but some comments imply that it may be a fake :
https://www.amazon.com/Starrett-815-Toolmakers-Hammer-Magnifying/dp/B000VDVTME
Altan
I felt so ashamed of myself now, I knew hickory is a type of wood used in hammer handle, but I did not know what it was in Turkish or Persian 🙂 We were not learning about trees, flowers and plants’ name properly at school, I started to learn about them in English and in England first and use them in my daily life while I don’t know the translation of these words in Turkish or Persian. Persian is a relative language to European languages and there are a lot of similarities in main words, like family members, numbers, animal names and etc. But Turkish is completely a different world.
DRT
No reason to feel bad about that ! There are all kinds of trees growing in different parts of the world, and lumber is different everywhere. I have wondered about the wood used in cheap Asian furniture – what the heck is that stuff? Not that it has any special qualities, it is just different and you see it everywhere. P.S. If you like ash lumber, get it now while you still can.
Jim Felt
That might well apply to a fair number of species. All too sadly.
Brandon
I have found that a lot of the wood used in furniture made in Asia is acacia or some variety of Asian walnut. There is nothing wrong with it, it just isn’t the hard maple, red oak, or walnut that we’re used to here.
Toolfreak
I bought the Craftsman-branded sets of both the wood and metal handle ball peins a few years ago, when they were made by Vaughan for Sears. They are definitely nice hammers to hold and to use, but my major complaint would be the heads don’t seem as well-shaped as their same hammers from years past. On the wood handles, I also noticed sometimes the smaller sizes have a second wedge hammered in to hold the head on when the first one wasn’t placed correctly. You could of course exchange them in-store at Sears when they carried them, but it was a sign that the quality was going down in favor of faster production. I haven’t checked many of the current hammers to see if they have the same issues or are more consistent in head shape and wedge placement.
I do like that Vaughan is touting the “Made in USA” stuff with their new color scheme and the stars and stripes on the handle labels, but I do prefer the lower-key all-black metal handles and dark stain with black heads on the Craftsman-branded models.
I do think 16oz. is the best all-around size, so much that I’d rather have one dedicated 16oz. and then another in a set of ball peins from 4oz to 32oz.
I’d also agree that using a drilling hammer works better for punches and chisels, but that may be because of the shorter handle length and larger head size, plus it’s easier to find inexpensive 2 and 3lb drilling hammer or mini-sledges, or a 4lb if you really need a BFH to get the job done.
fred
I’d buy batches of Vaughn pry bars from time to time – rather than the more ubiquitous Stanley ones. It was not so much because of the USA-Made thing – but because it appealed to my sense of wanting to support smaller businesses like my own and the competition that they foster.
Wayne R.
I always just love that “BFH” never has to be explained.
Jon
Ahhh…takes me back to the days when everyone referred to those giant shoulder-hoisted stereo systems as BFRs…
DRT
16 oz Vaughn ball pein and old Craftsman 3 lb drilling hammer get the most usage in my shop. That old Craftsman hammer was the first tool I ever bought, over 40years ago. Not one speck of green paint left, but totally functional.
Greg
I may be in the minority but I really enjoy using an 8oz Vaughan ball pein for most tasks. Good product nonetheless.
JoeM
I’m behind on my hammers, if we’re being totally honest here. I do so many different things, I often forget the simplest tools are still needed. I need some sort of striking mallet for my Leather work, could probably use a Ball Pein for some of my metal work, and I know I definitely need a dead-blow of some sort. I currently have a Stanley Anti-Vibe hammer that is my go-to for everything, and I don’t like that. I love that hammer, but it’s overkill on everything except nails in wood, or hanging pictures.
I know an earlier article reminded me that, if I want a big brother for my hammer, an Estwing… Ultra Hammer? Is one to look into. I’m looking more toward Tandy for my Leather stuff, as they’re pretty standard equipment in the crafts industries. Beyond that… Honestly, I’ve just had my eye on several different ones for the various hobbies I have. Converting to Canadian dollars, I wouldn’t shy away from a jump in price for a hammer. I understand that I may have got my Stanley on sale at Canadian Tire for $20 (Regularly $40) but that $60-$90 for larger ones like Irwin or Estwing is not an unreasonable price for the quality you get.
It’s literally down to priorities. Kinda due to some life-burnout going on, but I just don’t find any joy in physical stores anymore. It’s harder to remember to pick up that hammer upgrade when you shop online.
I just know I’m behind on my hammer buying. I could probably use one of these Vaughan ones, if I can find a decent price here in Canada.
fred
There is a thread over on Stuart’s Community Forum site that you may find interesting:
https://discuss.toolguyd.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-hammer-s/320/33
JoeM
…fred… You just kinda made my day there… I thought I was behind on my hammer buying… after you basically listed a MUSEUM worth of information on your own Hammers and wishlist for them… I no longer feel behind. I feel quite fine with my Stanley Anti-Vibe for now, and I can go looking for the… maybe 2 other hammers I might want for the future at a later date. Though it may be several more.
I think the downside here is that I can’t support any one country with my hammer purchases. I’m going to need some Picard hammers, like those framing hammers and a Jeweller’s/Watchmaker’s Hammer, at least one, maybe two Estwings, and something erring on the crazy with a Tandy Leather/Grommet Striking Tool. It’s a Mallet, but I still need one. I have hole punches for my Leather work, and even I admit that the Stanley is the wrong hammer for the job.
…That is a tiny fraction of all the hammers you just showed me, fred… I don’t feel so bad about not being “Caught Up” anymore… I will probably never, EVER, need that many hammers. That is a lot less stressful than I was thinking it was… Thank you, good sir… I desperately needed that… You are, truly, a gem of a human being for that assistance.
Matt F
Cross peen hammers are another option to throw in the mix. The cross peen side can be useful sometimes for forming things and can also be used to help start small finish nails. The cross peen fits between your fingers pinching the nail. There are hammers specifically for the latter application, but I use a small cross peen.
https://www.amazon.com/Picard-0032600-0450-Engineers-English-pattern/dp/B005DD2516?th=1&psc=1
I also like this style combination hard/soft face dead blow hammer. https://www.amazon.com/GEDORE-1603299-Combination-Hammer-Kombi-Plus/dp/B000UYTH9G/
fred
Warrington Pattern cross peen hammers were once popular with woodworkers and cabinet fitters. The cross peen was used for driving brads.
http://www.leevalley.com/us/Wood/page.aspx?p=32052&cat=1,53193&ap=1
Cross peen hammers of a larger size and heft were also found in many blacksmith shops
https://www.hammersource.com/Blacksmithing-Hammers/Vaughan-2lb-Professional-Cross-Pein-Blacksmith-hammer-with-hickory-handle/
Sebastien
I have to give cross peen hammers a +1. I work as a millwright (industrial mechanic), and while most guys use a ball peen hammer I think a cross peen, or engineer’s hammer is more fitting. Most times we are working inside some sort of square box on a piece of equipment, or very close to obstructions, and I love having a square hammer. I still have a ball peen around for the odd tasks but it does not come out often.
Bobby
I love my Vaughan hammers. I recently picked up some Craftsman branded Vaughan hammers from Sears, since it’s one of the few made in USA tools they still sell. I have Craftsman branded 2.5 lb cross pein, 2 lb ball pein, and a Vaughan 1 lb ball pein, and they’re all great. I agree that I tend to use my smaller hammers much more often than my 2 lb + hammers. 12 oz ball pein is next on my list.
Danno
I’ve been using a steel-shaft Estwing 16 oz. ball pein as my general go-to hammer for the last few years and absolutely love it. I think it’s probably a little more shock than a wood or fiberglass handled tool, but the shape and texture of grip and the fact that it will never need to be re-handled are big positives.
Larry
Your posting caused me to walk over to my workbench and look at the two ball peen hammers I use. I was surprised to find that both were Stanley hammers. The 16oz is a Stanley Graphite and the 12oz is an old fashioned wooden handle unit that I’ve owned for at least 30 years. Both have handled any job I’ve used them on.
Bruce
I bought a cheap ballpein hammer for a cold chisel project. By the end, the head was loose. I ended up rehanging the head on a new handle. Using linseed oil instead of varnish for a more matte finish on the handle. I love this hammer. In a lot of ways, a handle makes the hammer and this is my handle now. I probably spent more than I would have on a Vauhn, but I bet I wouldn’t like it as much.
Farid
Just out of curiosity, does anyone do actual peening anymore? I have not done welding in over 30 years, so I don’t know the trends.
fred
I recall metalworking shop in high school. We built a hanging ashtray. The pan was made of hammered copper – suspended via 3 hand-made chains that hung from a swivel peened into a wrought iron frame. We also hand riveted the base legs to the frame – forming the rivet heads with the ball end of the hammer.
Years later in leatherworking with the scouts – we’d peen copper rivets to hold leather pieces together. Usually this was done using a rivet set.
https://www.harryepstein.com/index.php/farmer-s-rivet-setter-8.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvbGjg_Wl4wIVilMNCh19Ww2bEAQYBSABEgJQgfD_BwE
Jon
As I’ve been updating my tools over the past couple of years I wound up adding a couple of the Estwing all metal ball peins – definitely a bit more shock transmission than a wood handle, but I love the balance and feel of these.
I also had two old wood handle ball peins, 12oz and 16oz (?) that my father used to use in the 1950’s and 1960’s, and handed down to me. The handles were gray and smoothed from having been handled so much over 60 years and the heads were a bit loose. I worked the old wedges out, sanded the handles – guessing they’re something like hickory, as they’re hard, dense and appear to be closed grain. Cleaned up, they look like new. Some wet sanding and cleanup made the heads look great – shiny, but of course the various surface dings are still there from thousands of impacts over 60 years. I cut new wedges from some scrap ash that I have, sunk them just below the surface of the head and sealed the top with a couple of layers of Titebond 3 which dried slightly recessed below the top surface of the heads.
When I started to recondition them I had promised them to my daughter (at 20 she’s unusually handy and loves to help me on projects from wiring new pot lights, to plumbing, to building our new deck). I’ve got to say that they turned out so nice that I had second thoughts about keeping the new Estwings for myself and giving my daughter the reconditioned hammers – but I kept my promise. She was fixated on the old wood ones anyway, and had no interest in the shiny new metal handled ones.
I also treated myself to an Estwing “sure strike” 5 oz tack hammer with an ash handle. As much as I find having a 16oz ball pein a key tool in my collection, I’ve also liked having a tack hammer like this. The last “regular” hammer I added to the collection is a 19oz Milwaukee fiberglass framing hammer. Good balance, and very easy to handle. I like big in-store displays for hammers, as I like to pick them up, swing them, etc., and get a feel for them, as that can really be different between brands and designs.
Dave
Claw hammers should never be used to strike metal, just for driving nails. Okay…..
You sure complicated my day. I was fresh out of wooden pegs and all I had was a claw hammer and a box of steel nails.
So I faced a decision- should I go to town and buy a ball pein hammer, or some wooden pegs?
I couldn’t decide, so I had to abandon my project. Thanks a lot. Geez
Rats.
Stuart
Oh, you know what I meant. =P
I’ll clarify “metal tools or work.”
Dave
So…. my claw hammers are Stilettos. Now what?
You’ve really gotten into my head. I ain’t getting nuttin done.
Rats.
Hilton thankfully
Just a quick note to say thanks Stuart. For one I didn’t know that framing/claw hammers weren’t designed for hitting metal rather nails etc. This is why I love this site.
I ended picking up a 16oz Vaughan and once it arrived here mid winter in South Africa where the day temperature is a bleak 23 degrees Celsius :-), I promptly ordered the 12oz as well.
Appreciate the effort.
Stuart
You’re very welcome!
I tend to be a stickler for the “proper” use of tools, and while that can get a little silly at times, I believe that I have made things much easier on myself overall.