Any builders using stiletto hammers?

Before nail guns were common here, framing was done by hand on site, as I guess was the norm everywhere. My elbow is paying the price of all those years. Hasn't been bad for a while but after nailing a deck by hand recently, about 8000 nails, it has been causing a lot of pain.
Estwing are the hammers of choice here, my current one 15 years old. They usually get pinched before you can wear them out.
Have been looking at the stiletto titanium hammers, crazy expensive but might be easier on the arm. Just wondering if any of you builders out there have tried them, or can recommend something similar.

My dad swung an estwing hammer for 20 or so years till he had trouble with his elbow, his orthopedic surgeon said a big problem is the shock to the elbow from steel shank hammers ,, a condition that wasn't much of an issue with plain old wood handles,, he went back to wood and his symptoms have relieved a bunch before he retired, , like a lot of carpenters he tryed the new dangled hammer when they came out, anyway , take that for what it's worth, in my business we like wood handled sledgehammers better than the composite materials also. Good luck. Tc

Well let me say they are crazy money around here. It was highly recommended by an older contractor that I know well, so I bit the bullet and bought one. I have since returned to a previous career of working on the water, my son started in carpentry around the same time. I gave him the hammer. It has been well used and has had the face replaced on it, and as far as I know it is still going strong. It was very comfortable to handle for the most part, but it did not work well if you wanted to choke up on it for fine work, another advantage of a wood handle. If you can find a well balanced head with a wooden handle that has the handle shape that is comfortable in your hand, it can't be beat. Finding a good wood hammer is pretty tough theses days. Both the stiletto and the wood handle hammers won't bother your elbow or carpal tunnel and an Estwing will drive both conditions crazy.

My grandfather and father both used wooden handle hammers and I don't recall either having trouble with their elbows, might be something in that.

The only wooden handle hammer you can get here now are made in China, would have to import it, I think stiletto do one. Off to ebay.

I used an Estwing of various styles for over 25 years with very few issues. I have no experience with the Stiletto hammers and i really cant figure how they claim the same force with less energy (or so I'm lead to believe). I'm beyond needing one now but it would be cool to give one a go.
I still prefer to frame with a hammer but sheathing is the job of a nailer, which in my opinion is harder on your arm
Mike

I prefer to make my own frames, but it is not viable on a house lot here, can't match the price. Hand nailing gives a better end result too, but again labor wise, not efficient.
Have quite a few years left before I can retire. Looked at a stiletto, the head is HUGE,. and I already have 1 thumb a quarter inch wider than the other

I guess efficiency necessitates the use of a nail gun therefore making your choice of hammer more a matter of a ripping tool. You might then be as well off to carry a nice Hart framing hammer with a good old hickory handle :)
For nailing purposes I mean

Never heard of them, will have a look. Cheers.

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Originally Posted by Grazor

Never heard of them, will have a look. Cheers.

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Hart Tools

Use the paslode as often as I can, but it is amazing how many times a day you pull out the hammer.

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Originally Posted by Mcbladescar

Hart Tools

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quite like the look of that, thanks Mcbladescar.

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Originally Posted by Grazor

Before nail guns were common here, framing was done by hand on site, as I guess was the norm everywhere. My elbow is paying the price of all those years. Hasn't been bad for a while but after nailing a deck by hand recently, about 8000 nails, it has been causing a lot of pain..

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If you have to do that amount of nails, wouldn't it be worth it to buy a nail gun?

When I was a project manager building houses in Kansas City, most of my framers had one of these on their belts: Vaughan 19oz Curved Handle California Framer | Rugged Heavy Construction Hammer - Vaughan Manufacturing
The crews exclusively used air guns, but always had nails and belts on with a good hammer. I tried one out one time and quickly got one.

I still have and use a british warrington framing hammer,wood handeld,probebly 35 yrs old.
Air hammers are great to a point,yea they will drive a nail,but they will not tighten a joint.

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Originally Posted by Bruno

If you have to do that amount of nails, wouldn't it be worth it to buy a nail gun?

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Have been using a paslode gas gun and pin gun for 18 years Bruno. Probably put 9000 nails through the framing gun a year, but even the recoil off that causes pain. I have seen decks nailed off with a nail gun but it looks terrible and I won't do it, even if it means missing out on the job. I am not a framer, build houses from start to finish so you still use a hammer a lot straightening frames etc. Have ordered a hart 21 oz hickory handle, gonna take at least a month to arrive, so in the meantime will take a concrete pill and harden up.....

I had terrible tennis elbow from driving nails when I started as a framer. The crew didn't believe in nailguns unless you were shooting off shear. This hammer almost immediately alleviated my pain and numbness from my shoulder to my fingertips.

Hundreds of Framing hammers from The Hammer Source!

I went through at least 10 hammers until I got this one. Been using one for at least 10 years. I have probably put 6 handles on it. I have used estwings and they were the worst for the pain. Lots of hand shock, same thing with fiber glass. Wood was the best for me and a lighter hammer was way easier on my elbow. The titanium body allows for a big face. the faces are replaceable with either waffle or smooth for about $18. There is a little rubber buffer in the head which also deadens vibration.

You don't need a 28 oz framing hammer. With my 16 oz I can out drive most guys I've worked with.

If the Hart 21 oz doesn't work out, it will be something like that next for sure. The only hickory handle hammer you can get local is a cheap chinese one that looks like it will snap in 5 minutes.
Almost every builder here uses an Estwing 20 oz, I have used them for 35 years plus. All frames here from the pre-nail factory are driven with pneumatic senco nail guns. When I started out, we made all our own frames on site by hand, and they were definitely better.

I know the one I linked is far more expensive than the hart, well at least state side. The value I found was definitely in how much less pain I had.

+1 For the Vaughan 999 californian only problems I had with were weight and that tiny little head.

I would say stay away from full titanium hammers just because titanium deforms so easily, you'll chuck a hammer like that in a year.

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Originally Posted by pixelfixed

I still have and use a british warrington framing hammer,wood handeld,probebly 35 yrs old.

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Bit of an over kill for them ivory scales pixel, must crack a few with that.......

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Originally Posted by jfk742

I know the one I linked is far more expensive than the hart, well at least state side. The value I found was definitely in how much less pain I had.

+1 For the Vaughan 999 californian only problems I had with were weight and that tiny little head.

I would say stay away from full titanium hammers just because titanium deforms so easily, you'll chuck a hammer like that in a year.

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The Stiletto full titanium are available here, but crazy expensive. Wouldn't even consider spending that much.
Even worse I am left handed, and you pay a premium price for a good leftie hammer here. Extremely hard to find...

I too am afflicted with left handedness. I feel your pain :beer1: