My Dad's Hammer

[Watchdog]

My father used this Plumb hammer when he and one of his brothers helped build Northside Baptist Church in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

He said the Plumb hammers were the best hammers ever made. Whether that's true or not, I don't know...but he never saw a need to buy another one. This hammer saw a lot of use his entire life.

If you click the photo and enlarge it, you can still see part of the Plumb logo on the head.

 

[GB]

I still have a few of my Dad's tools. And a couple of his father's(my granddad) tools. Good tools, taken care of, will last many lifetimes. I still have tools I bought when I was a teen. (they are in good shape due mostly to lack of use!)

 

[AKtinman]

Thanks for sharing your Dad's hammer.

My Dad favored the Blue Grass.

I like the older tools as the new ones don't have any "soul." But, maybe the "soul" is imparted by our use of them.

 

[kraynky]

I always used a Bluegrass hammer for framing, and a Plumb hammer for trim work. Still have the two I bought back in 1977, and use them around the house only now days.

I have a toolbox full of carpenters tools that belonged to my ex's Grandfather, and a lot of my Dad's old tools from his job as a electrician and general maintenance at a General Tire factory (now long gone).

Old tools were mostly made in the USA and built to last for generations. Not like the cheap Harbor Freight stuff you see everywhere these days.

 

[JayFramer]

That hammer has heart and soul.

My dad (thankfully still with us) has a cornsman’s knife from his pa, whom was born around 1900. Its old and has hand built replacement scales that dad made. That little cornster’s blade will be an heirloom hopefully for decades to come.

 

[arjay]

I always liked Plumb hammers,my fathers Estwings are somewhere around my ex’s house or maybe at my sons

 

[ParadiseRoad]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxWTDcP9Y5E[/ame]

 

[Doug627]

I believe The Beatles' Maxwell used a Plumb hammer. The silver edition if memory serves.

 

[Onomea]

My younger brother has my father’s tools, I think. Oldest tool I have is a set of pliers that I inadvertently left in my Levi’s back pocket and brought home from from work, 1970 or 1971. (I’m guilty: Never took it back.) Next would be a plumb hammer, plane, brace and chisel from 1976 when I moved into a cheap rental in Brooklyn and needed to work on some stuff.

Going through my tool box brings back a lot of memories...

 

[Muley Gil]

I have some Craftsman tools that my dad gave me 50 + years ago. Good memories.

 

[snubbyfan]

In 1845 a blacksmith named David Maydole invented the adze eye hammer as a way to solve the problem of hammer heads coming offa their handles. He never patented or copywrote his invention and when Plumb Tools started making hammers in 1869, they wisely used David Maydole's adze eye design. I have an old advertisement for Plumb hammers on my wall of hammers.

 

[Ole Joe Clark]

I have a Fairmount ball peen hammer that my future Brother in law gave me in 1948 or 49. It's probably a 8 ounce head. He and my Sister were married in 1949. It resides in my Gerstner tool/memory box with honor.

Have a bless day,

Leon

 

[Onomea]

Would love to see a pic of that Gerstner, OJC. I lust after one. Came across one a while back. Asking was $385 and looked to be fairly nicely reconditioned. I passed, and have been kickin’ myself ever since.

When I was a kid, it seems most tool boxes had a ball peen hammer. Now I rarely see them. I never used one myself, but think they were for metal working, or working on metal. Like for a plumber whacking pipes.

Were they replaced by a power tool of some sort? Or, are they still in use, just not by me?

 

[gregintenn]

That is a prize indeed!

 

[Peak53]

Wish I knew where my old rigging ax got off to. It may have been a Plumb as it had the characteristic red handle. Probably 32 oz. on a long shaft. A well balanced hammer is a tool of beauty and can be used to great effect. If you happened to bend a nail you just flipped the hammer around and used the ax blade to chop the head off. In the long ago before the days of air guns we put together many buildings one nail at a time. I remember walking down a frame wall still laying on the deck nailing the plate to the studs. One tap to set the nail then a full swing with extended arm on that rigging ax would sink a 16 penny nail, leaving a nice cross-hatch on the nail head and surface of the plate. Get in rhythm and it was tap-sink, feed the next nail with your fingers, 3/4" from the edge, tap-sink, then move to the next stud. Tap-sink. Our crew of three sometimes went through a 50 lb. keg of nails in a day.

Hard to believe it now, but we would then stand the wall in place and I would go up on the 3.5" wall and walk it nailing the top double plate every 16". I could do this as high as three stories - well, ok, it was only 8 feet down to the deck on one side, but 24 feet down on the outside. Focus on your feet and hands. Tap-sink. Amazing what a young man can do. I can and will still climb a ladder, but the thought of hitting a big nail with a hammer makes my wrists cry out. Those were the days.

 

[skipnsb]

Used to nail 16d to studs in top/bottom plate with one whack with a 2 lb framing hammer-push the nail in at an upward angle as the hammer was falling, get the fingers out of the way just before it hits because it was one hard hit. I wish I had that coordination now.

 

[chief38]

I love using both my Dad's and Grandfather's tools when ever I can. Most work just as well if not better than the modern day stuff.

Use it well!

 

[ancient-one]

My grandson has all of my dads old tools. The ones that I really liked were two different sizes of the curved adjustable type wrench. I don't remember the name on them. I also had some other curved open end wrenches from my Dad.
Probably fifty years ago a elderly gentleman that went to our church took a liking to me. He had been a carpenter and he gave me two really old Stanley planes and a brass tool to hold and set and sharpen handsaw blades. I was doing a lot of clock and furniture making then. My grandson has them also.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

In the summer of 1973 my older brother (23) and I (almost 18) rebuilt a broke down farm house (parts from the 1820's and some parts blown in by a storm in the 1920's). Working with full 2x4's from rough sawn oak, we used Bluegrass 18" 28 ounce framers!

One Sunday after Church, Grandpa stopped by, and mentioned he used to "do some siding", and in his best suit, he got up on a ladder jacked plank. While he was walking backwards, he started throwing 4b cut nails with his left hand and driving them while airborne with his right (through Black Walnut lap siding into Oak studs!), Never missed a stud, never missed a step, and faster than an air nailer! (Never left an elephant track either!) I thought he had always been a dairy farmer!!!

I always enjoy watching a craftsman at work, and find it surprising where they appear from!

Ivan

 

[Kurusu]

All I know is that I'd rather...

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