Stanley 51-162 16 oz FatMax Xtreme AntiVibe Curve Claw Nailing Hammer

After 25+ years of building everything from houses to pew pews, or putting together dollhouses for my daughter and all the extended family, you can imagine, I've swong my fair share of hammers. Due to nerve damage, I can't swing heavier hammers anymore, but after using this thing for a day of building garden boxes for my wife, I'm buying a 28oz tomorrow and have zero doubt that I will be able to swing it without pain or loss of control. The ergonomics are perfect, grip is rubberized, but didn't have any "break in period" where you get the flakey crud stuck to your hands and all over the grip, and after driving a little over 2lbs of nails, the head was no worse for wear. I oh, and as advertised, not a single reverberation. This thing is hands down the most comfortable and controllable hammer I've used. Highly recommend.

This is a great, all purpose, general use hammer.If you are a framer or someone who is probably going to be hammering a lot, setting nails all day and the like, look elsewhere. Buy a friggen' nail gun. Don't bash this hammer because it doesn't perform like a tool specific to just one trade. It is not a tradesman's tool.I install data cabling among other things, and this tool is light enough (its not the lightest hammer I've used, but its a good mix of weight and functionality) that I will wear it in my DeWalt tool belt every single day so that I have it when I need it.For pounding the random nails I might have to use, closing stubborn/overstuffed wire mould or raceway without marring it, and general hammering use its great and I love it.It prys pretty good to boot. Whether opening paint cans, crates, pulling nails, or wood trim, chair rails, what have you off a surface, it does the trick, although not as well as a dedicated pry bay or cat's paw. It will do in a pinch if you don't have the former at hand, however. I wouldn't recommend doing this if you are worried about marring the finish of whatever you are prying against, though. This is more of a "in a pinch" or "it's getting remodeled/destroyed/covered up anyway" sort of situation.Overall, I would definitely recommend it to your average general contractor/tradesman, handyman, weekend warrior, or DIY'er for most general tasks.Again, it's definitely not a trade specific hammer to use for tasks like repetitively hammering in 1500 nails while building a house or something. Get a nail gun.

I tried this hammer out soon after it arrived, to test it against the reviews I'd read, and found it to be as promised. It has a great feel and balance, and the large head is a plus for making sure each strike hits solidly on the nails.I would wear light gloves while using this hammer, however, especially if your hands aren't calloused enough, because the grip can cause a bit of a pinching feel. However, this is certainly not a problem, as this grip ensures the hammer stays within your grasp while swinging it.Good looking hammer, too! I would say that due to the anti-vibration structure as well its balance makes sure that user fatigue will be kept at a minimum, at least compared to most hammers.By checking reviews in combo with each manufacturer's advertising, I feel fortunate in each purchase I've made at Amazon thus far. I am collecting small tools to fill a new bag I bought at Amazon, making sure I study everything I can about each one, so I can be assured that when I haul the bag out to do some work, everything inside will be of good quality. This hammer was certainly a very good choice for this collection.

How sad I've never had a real hammer until now. I purchased a tool set many years ago and have been making due with those tools but suddenly I couldn't find the hammer any more. I purchased this hammer thinking it was basically the same thing but was wrong.This one is much more weighty, comfortable in the hand, and strong. I made the comment to a friend and he showed me a different hammer he had and asked if my old one was like that. It was and he told me I was using a "woman's hammer" one that is a little lighter and designed different while intended for a woman to use. As stupid as THAT sounds, I did look it up online and found truth to it. I never would have known.So apparently women have to have a special BIC pen and they also need to use specific hammers.All kidding aside, this hammer really is night and day to the old one. It's so much weightier it took some getting used to because I didn't have to hammer as hard, and the tip of the hammer has a larger area (as my finger found out on occasion). Overall this is a great product. I will purchase more Stanley tools in the future as I think they are good quality having accumulated quite a few of them without even doing so intentionally.

A hammer is a hammer? Not to me. My tool box has more than a dozen (many more now that I think about it). I might be OCD when it comes to using the right tool for the job. This one was bought as a utility hammer for a remote tool chest. As such it will have to do in a variety of situations. That explains the mid-weight and the smooth face. I prefer curved claw to rip claw hammers. The grip is comfortable if just slightly small (I wear large gloves). The magnetic nail starter isn't often used, but it's nice to see included, especially for those times when you need one. The aero one-piece forged steel design also reflects the latest hammer technology, if you can say that without laughing. In short, if you had to go through life with only one hammer that you could afford, this one might be it.

I’ve had a Stanley Fatmax hammer for 20 years. This new one seems just as good as the old one. I like the solid feel and the textured grip. Works great me me.