Choosing Your Hammer

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To help you select the right hammer we have developed the tables below showing the weights our customers prefer and the specifications of our hammers.

For those who want to understand the choice to be made in more detail see the commentary below which explains shapes, materials, grips, lengths, weights, claws and faces and how Redback has taken this all into account in developing what we consider to be the perfect hammer. Our customers think so as well - see their comments in customer Testimonials.






Hammer Choice
Our most popular hammer is the 20oz Maxistrike curved claw hammer closely followed by the 24oz Boss and 16 oz Junior. Depending on your weight preference you can’t go wrong with one of these all rounders.

However at Redback we know our customers are quite particular when it comes to hand tools and while our brand and reputation is a good recommendation, some like to do a bit of homework to make sure of their tool purchase decision.

Therefore we have developed this hammer guide to help you put some science into your decision and give you the confidence that you are buying the hammer that is right for you.

HAMMERS – are top of the tool food chain
The hammer is by far the ever present and most useful tool in anyone’s tool box. It has been with mankind since the early ages and has over that time been refined into the magnificent implements of hardware that are available today.

Redback, a small Australian company, took that refinement a step further and arguably re-invented the hammer with its patented arc shaft design.

Hammers come in various shapes, sizes and materials. Redback has weighed up all these considerations and developed a range of hammers to suit the needs of the uncompromising professional and DIY user.

Redback has taken a lot of the hassle out of the buying decision by providing you with what we consider to be the best shape, steel forging, grip feel and quality leaving you with the important personal decisions on weight, claw and face type.

Weight
Hammer weights usually range from 10 oz to 30 oz with the most common weights being the 16oz, 20oz and 24oz.

The table below shows the weights preferred by Redback’s customers.


Claws
The curved claw is the most common and is good for pulling nails. The flatter rip claw is popular for demolition and levering required in structural timber work.Curved Claws: The 24oz Boss and original Maxistrike 20oz hammers both have traditional curved claws designed for good nail pulling power. Semi curved Claws: The 16oz Junior has a versatile semi curved claw. Flatter Rip Claws: Redback also has the specialist 24oz Don and 20oz King Hit hammers with flatter, almost straight rip claws used for demolition, prying apart boards, tearing out sheet materials from walls and pulling nails in restricted areas such as corners.

Faces
All Redback’s hammers, except for the 24 oz Don, have a traditional plain face.The 24 oz Don has a milled, checked face designed to reduce glancing blows and flying nails when hammering, especially framing. The hammer is mainly used in unseen structural timber work and therefore the often left check marks on wood are not considered a problem.

Handle Length
Handle Lengths usually range from 10 inches (255 mm) to 16 inches (405mm) and are more commonly found in the 13/14 inch (330mm/353mm) length. More recently the stubby handle hammer, at more than half the standard lengths, has been developed for very confined spaces.Redback considers a 14 inch (353mm) handle to be optimal as it balances the requirement of striking power from a longer handle with the accuracy delivered by a shorter handled hammer - accuracy can be fine-tuned by moving your grip up a longer handle but a short handle can’t be extended.

Handle Material
Handle materials vary from the original wood handle to fibreglass, carbon fibre and steel.Redback believes the forged steel handle is the best material delivering strength, stiffness and durability. Other materials have a tendency to loosen from or fray around the head.

Handle Grip
Handle grips also vary from wood to plastic, rubber and leather.
Redback uses an ergonomic rubber grip over the steel shaft to provide a durable, comfortable grip without sacrificing feel.

Handle Shape
The traditional hammer handle is straight and was probably made that way out of simplicity as the focus was on the head. However mother is the nature if invention and as many traditional hammer users have experienced, the straight handle doesn’t always allow access where you’d like and over striking can be a problem. The arc shaft of the Maxistrike hammer range was designed to overcome these problems and was recognised as such a difference to the norm that it was awarded a patent.

Also, whilst not scientifically proven, we often receive feedback that it feels like the arc shaft makes the hammer strike harder and puts less stress on the elbow.

Manufacturers
There are many hammer manufacturers in the world today, most notably Estwing, Plumb, Stanley, Vaughan and of course Redback. All have high quality products but only one has the arc shaft hammer, Redback!