There I was, strolling down the hand tool aisle at my local Home Depot, when I spotted two new Estwing Ultra Series hammers. There are two sizes currently available, a 15 oz smooth-face hammer, and a 19 oz milled face hammer.
The new Estwing Ultra hammers are designed to be strong, light, and fast-swinging, but they’re not alone in this regard.
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Back in 2011, Dewalt came out with their MIG-welded framing hammers, which they said delivered the punch of much heavier hammers. Their 15 oz hammer was claimed to have the striking power of a 28 oz framing hammer. Dewalt’s goal was to engineer a $60 steel hammer that could match the performance of pricier titanium hammers.
Fast forward to 2013, and Vaughan has come out with their two new Stealth hammers, which weigh in at 17 oz and are said to have the driving power of 32 oz framing hammers.
Dewalt has tweaked their MIG-welded hammer design and will soon be coming out with a stronger and more reinforced version that corrects some of the shortcomings of their original models.
In other words, the competition is heating up.
Features
- Rip claw
- Side nail puller
- High-strength one-piece forged design with no welds that could fail
- Magnetic nail starter
- “World’s best” shock reduction grip that is permanently bonded to the hammer shaft
- 15 oz hammer has smooth face for non-marring of workpieces
- 19 oz hammer has milled face for better nail registration, and a longer handle
- “Unsurpassed balance and temper”
- Model numbers: E6-15SR, E6-19SM
- Made in USA
The 15 oz hammer has a street price of $35, and the 19 oz hammer $40
Update: Estwing has come out with both rubber and leather-handled versions.
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First Impression
To be perfectly honest, I am not too thoroughly impressed. I handled both hammers quite a bit before ultimately deciding to place them back on the rack.
You should be able to see the difference between the Ultra hammer and Estwing’s standard design. To me, it seems to make sense. As mentioned in my titanium-like hammer marketing claims discussion, a hammer’s swing velocity can be improved by lowering its moment of inertia. Essentially, steel is shaved off at the interface between hammer head and handle, to save weight. Slimming down the handle might have helped as well, but not as much.
A faster swing means greater striking power. Tweaking the distribution of weight in the hammer head, the length of the handle, the size of the face, and other parameters, results in a balance between weight, speed, and striking power.
And the final result – lighter hammers that swing swiftly without tiring you out as quick as with heavier hammers.
The 15 oz hammer seemed like a nice nail hammer, but I wasn’t convinced enough to take it home for $35. It seemed a little short, but felt effortless to swing, at least in air, while swinging a conventional hammer with my other hand.
The 19 oz hammer also seemed decent, but I felt that the checkered face was a bit small in size. In addition to the hammer face not being as large as I would have expected, the checkering did not cover the entire striking face. On one hammer, there was an extra-large ring around the milled area, which greatly reduced the usable size of the striking surface. If the $40 price tag wasn’t enough of a detractor, I think the smallish checkered face would have been.
The new Ultra hammers are available online as well as in-store. They’re cheaper than Dewalt’s welded hammers, and according to Estwing they’re stronger and more reliable as well.
Compared to Vaughan’s Stealth hammers, the Stealths have cleaner looking lines, and are less expensive than Estwing’s Ultras, but you’re limited to just one size – 17 oz. Unlike the Ultras, you can’t try before you buy, as the Stealths haven’t made many appearances in major brick-and-mortar tool or home improvement stores yet, at least on the east coast. (Stealth hammers do seem to be available at Menards stores in the midwest, and early reports complain about poor consistency and quality control.)
5-minutes looking over hammers and swinging them in air aren’t exactly scientific or reliable means of forming an initial assessment. If there’s enough interest or perceived interest, I will look into picking them up to put through a battery of tests and a thorough formal review process.
It is unusual for me to have mixed feelings about a hammer like this. In the past I was able to shop for hammers according to size or application. In this case, the 15 oz Ultra hammer doesn’t feel like a regular 15 oz hammer, and the 19 oz Ultra hammer doesn’t feel like a regular 19 oz hammer.
Going by quick subjective comparison, I would say the 15 oz Ultra hammer felt like a 22 oz model, and the 19 oz Ultra hammer possibly felt like a 28 oz model. But just because this is how they felt in-hand and when being swung in air doesn’t mean that’s how they will feel when being used.
These are not the kind of hammers I would buy sight unseen.
The next time you stop in at Home Depot, check out these new Estwing Ultra hammers and please let us know what you think about them!
Brian Buehler
Just curious – Am I the only one who uses the side of the hammer head to drive nails in tight spaces? These new designs look interesting to me but take away a valuable feature.
fred
The side (actually called the cheek) of the hammer has probably been used for ages just as you say. An alternative is using a nailing bar like this one:
http://www.tools4flooring.com/roberts-10-151-nail-driving-bar.html
or its similar – but pricier Gundlach cousin.
I’m guessing that more hammer cheeks get used versus nailing bars
Kurt
This is an interesting point which I didn’t really think of initially. I do actually use the side of the hammer head to drive nails in tight spots occasionally. It doesn’t look like that would be possible with any of these type of hammers. Honestly, after handling both the estwing and vaughan, I sort of prefer the Vaughan. It feels lighter somehow and has a larger striking face. Plus, it’s a bit cheaper too. It’s not that the estwing is bad, I just prefer the latter in this case personally.
Estwing does make top notch tools and I own several of their hammers but this particular model is less useful to me. Either way, I am not in the market for another framing hammer at the moment, I already have one that fits my needs.
matt
the new pry bars that look like these hammers are really nice..
Stuart
The I-beam nail pullers and pry bars? Those caught my eye as well. Very lightweight, but also very rigid.
Mr Click
Junk. Handles are weak due to the poor design and lettering. Will snap with a very slight side load, e.g. pulled a nail with the side nail puller.
Rburry
So your saying that there not very durable? if that’s the case I’ll stick with my 22 0z Estwing.
Dan
I have not broke mine and have used the side nail puller a bit, i wouldn’t use massive force on it and certainly wouldn’t stand on the handle like i do with my E3-20C but it seems fine to me, I would recommend the 19oz over the 15oz as the shaft on the latter is noticeably thinner. The magnetic nail starter has been more useful for picking up dropped nails than starting them but does work well when i use it.
Andrew
Really? Do you have experience or data to back this claim up? This is a very trolly post.
Dan
As much as I like the hammer there are a few issues with it; I wasn’t impressed with the overall finish when it initially arrived, the lacquer and paint job were low quality. I got the rubber handle version, the leather handle has a steel cap on the bottom which comes loose and rattles! The shaft bent when I put the claw into a gap when prising out a door lining for wedges, resulting in me having to bend it straight again. Overall the swing is nice, really easy to use and very accurate and the recoil is lighter than my original 24oz estwing framing hammer. Great for twist nails, no blackened fingernails just yet. The nail starter is a great feature too for a range of uses.
Peter Apps
I need one of these, Estwing hammers are a great buy and fantastic value and this one looks just as good.
Jim
I have the 19oz version but smooth face and i was dissapointed with the paint job because it flakes off but tools are there to make you money not look pretty. The hammer is amazing really nice grip and hardly any fatigue its pricey but it really is worth it trust me
Jack
I’m really interested in a full blown comparison on the Ultra vs the tried and true es-20 I’ve been swinging forever, a test that comprises balance, handle diameter (the ultras seem to have a thicker handle vs my old 20), swing speed vs weight, and something that’s abusive as all get out between the two to see if these new hammers are really an actual improvement over the older design, or just a marketing ploy to generate sales.
Many reviews seem to put them at a disadvantage by comparison when it comes to the Ultras bending or tweaking and that’s totally unacceptable for an all-steel shaft tool.
I would be VERY thankful for a ‘once and for all’ tool comparison, to beat the ultra to hell and back next to a tried and true 20 or 22 oz estwing, and finally verify and put to rest if this new design is worth the extra $ and can stand up to the environments that a ‘Job Site’ tool would be subjected to, and end the misconceptions once and for all. A full on no holds barred ‘shoot out’ would make for an awesome read, for me and finally END the discussion whether this is a step up, or just another waste of money.
Jerry Snell
I want to paint an Estwing slege hammer. Do you know the matching color blue paint? Thank you , JS
Stuart
I’m sorry, I don’t. Have you contacted Estwing? They might have touch-up paint or recommendations.