Hammer designed to avoid damaging surfaces

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A soft-faced hammer or mallet is a hammer designed to offer driving force without damaging surfaces. They also reduce the force transmitted back to the arm or hand of the user, by temporarily deforming more than a metal hammer would.

Materials

Soft-faced or deadblow mallets have faces made of materials such as plastics, including nylon, natural rubber or tightly wound rawhide, or soft metals such as copper, aluminium, brass or lead. The goal of the choice of material is to prevent damage to the struck surface.[1]

The heads or individual faces are sometimes replaceable, because they will deform, wear out, or break over time.

The hammers are graded by the weight of the head and by hardness of the striking face.

Heads cast in solid brass are used in applications where less vibration is needed.

See also

References

Types of Hammer - Which Should I Use?

Hammers come in many different shapes and sizes ' which should you buy for your work or DIY project?

Whether you're breaking apart bricks or delicately smoothing metal, it's important to use the right kind of hammer or mallet. Otherwise, you risk damaging objects or even yourself! Some hammers feature specialised head shapes, or are designed for one particular task. There are also hammers made especially for woodworking, metalworking or construction.

Browse our full range of Hammers & Mallets here

A to Z of Hammer Types

Whether you need a rubber mallet for general-purpose striking, a claw hammer for driving in nails, or the impressive-looking geologist pick ' we'll help you find the right type of hammer.

Below are some of the more common hammer types, alongside some specialist ones too. Click on each hammer type below to shop our selection.

Aluminium Hammers

Aluminium hammers are a general-purpose, soft-faced hammer ideal for striking objects you don't want to damage. They're an alternative to copper hammers and have replaceable faces.

Ball Pein Hammers

Ball pein hammers (also known as ball-peen) are a metalworkers' machining hammer. The flat end is for striking, while a ball-shaped end rounds metal edges and can create gaskets.

Brick & Mortar Hammers

Brick and mortar hammers feature a blade-like edge that can cut bricks, tiles and concrete blocks down to size. Their design reduces impact to your wrist while doing bricklaying work.

Claw Hammers

Claw hammers are one of the most common hammers ' they're used to drive nails into wood and extract them with their claw. The curved head helps get leverage for pulling out nails.

Club Hammers

Club hammers are great for breaking apart objects, or driving in hardened nails and chisels. They provide the strength and shock absorption needed to deliver hard, heavy blows.

Copper & Hide Hammers

Copper and rawhide hammers are types of soft-faced hammer, with faces that are designed to be worn out and replaced. They deliver a softer blow that won't damage work.

Deadblow Hammers

Deadblow hammers have a cylindrical head ' often filled with steel shot ' and a long handle for momentum. They're designed to deliver a controlled force with minimum rebound.

Drywall Hammers

Drywall hammers have a large, flat head for striking (without leaving marks) and a notched blade edge for removing old material. They are used to install drywall and plasterboard in walls.

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Framing Hammers

Framing hammers are used for framing wooden houses in construction. They feature a straighter head than a claw hammer, idea for ripping apart lumber, and often have a magnetic tip.

Geologist Pick Hammers

Geologist pick hammers, also known as rock hammers, are used to smash up rocks to reveal new layers. They feature a sharp point for chipping and are often used in mineral collection.

Lath Hammers

Lath hammers are used to trim laths; long strips of wood used in interior wall construction. A specialist tool for home renovation, they have an axe-like edge and a notch to pull nails.

Mallet Hammers

Mallet hammers (or mallets) are a general-purpose DIY tool for delivering non-damaging strikes. Wooden mallets are ideal for carpentry and white rubber mallets won't leave marks.

Nylon & Plastic Hammers

Plastic hammers are a soft-faced hammer with replaceable faces. Faces can be colour-coded to the weight and strength you need, so they're a good general multi-purpose assembly tool.

Planishing Hammers

Planishing hammers are a metalworking hammer, used to smooth and shape metal in jewelry or ornaments. They have a small head with a smooth domed face and a flat square face.

Roofers & Slaters Hammers

Roofers and slaters hammers are for working with roofs and slates. The spiked end makes holes in slates, while the recess in the head of a roofer's hammer delivers nails accurately. 

Rubber Faced Hammers

Rubber faced hammers are a soft-faced woodworking hammer, ideal for light assembly and fitting trim. Their replaceable faces are designed to be worn, and red ones won't mark wood.

Scaling Hammers

Scaling hammers feature two sharp edges, used for chipping away scale, heavy corrosion and stubborn materials. They're ideal for getting underneath deposits on concrete or metal.

Scutch Hammers

Scutch hammers are a specialist bricklayer's hammer. They feature a grooved head, which can hold a scutch comb or drove for cutting bricks. Look out for single or double-headed types.

Sledge Hammers

Sledge hammers are a heavy-duty hammer, used for demolition and breaking up masonry and brickwork. They feature a long handle ' ideal for maximising power in a swing.

Split Head Hammers

Split head hammers can be fitted with different faces, as their cast iron head splits apart. Faces are firmly held in place and can be rotated for equal amounts of wear each side.

Tack & Upholstery Hammers

Tack and upholstery hammers work like a staple gun and are used to secure fabric to wooden furniture frames. They're lightweight and have a precise striking face for tacks and nails.

Warrington Hammers

Warrington hammers are a joinery hammer, often used for woodwork and carpentry. They have a flat striking surface opposite a blade-like pein ' ideal for hitting nails and panel pins.

Hammer Sizes, Weights & Materials

If you're buying a hammer, you may be baffled by the amount of sizes, weights and materials available. Again, it all depends on the specific task or DIY project you're working on.

Common claw hammers come in either a 450g (16oz) or 560g (20oz) weight. This is ideal for general-purpose DIY work, with 20oz being slightly better for breaking things up. Specialist hammers, like our metalworking ball-pein hammers, come in a wide range of weights for different uses. Tiny headed planishing hammers (only 5oz) are ideal for working on jewelry.

Heavy hammers like club hammers and sledge hammers are designed for breaking up tough materials. Some go up to several kg! Choose one that's effective, but manageable. 

Hammer heads also come in different kinds of materials, depending on what they're for. Soft-faced hammers like copper and plastic are ideal for if you don't want to damage finished work. Different colours can help to avoid making marks ' red rubber-faced hammers won't mark woodwork, while white rubber mallets won't mark light-coloured objects. 

Types of Hammer Handles

Different types of handles are designed for different tasks. For example, a long handle will help you build up momentum, delivering a powerful swing and the heaviest blow possible.

Lightweight hammer handles are ideal for delicate work, or for repetitive tasks where arm strain is a risk. Wood handles are traditional, but some avoid them as they can break or slip. If you're choosing between fibreglass or steel ' both recommended above wooden handles ' think about their use. Steel is strong and durable, while fibreglass transfers less vibration.

Some handles include a non-slip and shock-reducing grip, made from leather or vinyl, which is bonded to the steel or fibreglass handle. These make hammering a bit more comfortable!

If you're using a wooden hammer, we stock a range of replaceable hammer handles and wedges. Malleable steel and wooden hammer wedges help fix striking heads onto wooden handles, providing a safe and secure attachment. They can be used on a wide range of hammer types and other tools.

Never use a steel or wooden hammer wedge on a fibreglass hammer handle ' it won't work.

Browse our full range of Hammers & Mallets here

Still unsure what kind of hammer to buy?

Call 263 or and we'll do our best to help you. Shop4Fasteners have many years of experience in DIY products and using hand tools. 

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