My friend found his grandfather's old hammer. It was pretty rusty and the grip was rotted off. We refinished it so he could give it to his dad for Father's Day. We made a stacked leather grip for it. It turned out really nice!
Refinishing an Old Hammer - Stacked Leather Handle
- Thread starter captain belly
- Start date
Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:
Looks good. My Dad always used a 22 ounce estwing waffle head hammer. His didn't have the leather handle it was a blue rubber.
He was a cement finisher and used it to set forms. He could drive a double head 16 penny nail in 2 or 3 blows. The waffles on the face were just about worn completely off when he passed.
How it Made had a show on making that exact hammer.
He was a cement finisher and used it to set forms. He could drive a double head 16 penny nail in 2 or 3 blows. The waffles on the face were just about worn completely off when he passed.
How it Made had a show on making that exact hammer.
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2017
- Messages
- 19,548
I had no idea that was how to replace a handle on a hammer. I would have thought a wooden handle was what old hammers had, but I can see that this was a material that worked well and probably lasted someone a lifetime.
Now days, we each have so many tools. Imagine what it took to acquire tools 100, 200, or more years ago and how valuable they were to the owner. I always go back to my peasant ancestors and wonder what their tools were like for working in the fields, chopping and cutting wood, and the rest of life. A pair of scissors in a home was a special tool as well. Certainly they bear some resemblance to our tools today.
Now days, we each have so many tools. Imagine what it took to acquire tools 100, 200, or more years ago and how valuable they were to the owner. I always go back to my peasant ancestors and wonder what their tools were like for working in the fields, chopping and cutting wood, and the rest of life. A pair of scissors in a home was a special tool as well. Certainly they bear some resemblance to our tools today.
Ah...yes! a framing hammer. I had one that I bought for a construction job I worked one summer. Every time I hit the nail, the hammer would ping. "ping ping ping ping" all day. My boss got so sick of it, when we went to town for supplies, he put a new Estwing in the cart and told me that it was my new hammer and to leave my ping ping hammer at home. He then took the cost of the Estwing out of my next paycheck. I still have it today. great hammer.
Not sure what the original grip would have been on this old one. We just decided to do the leather because it looks cool. I imagine the hammer is on display in the house, instead of being used.
The old grip was exactly like the one you replaced it with. I would be willing to bet it is an Estwing hammer. I have one just like it but newer. It would be a shame to just display that hammer. It was made to use and will outlast everyone that owns it.
I watched a video about that. He bought new leather rings directly from Ka-bar. I'm not sure I would have refinished that knife. Old warriors should be left in their natural condition. I have a new Ka-Bar but it's not the same thing.
