Awesome Hammers

Quit driving tent stakes with rocks, and do it the right way with MSR’s modern stake hammer. It has a durable stainless steel head and lightweight aluminum handle and weighs just 11 oz. As a bonus, it has a built-in bottle opener so you can celebrate setting up your campsite. While you’re at it, grab some MSR Groundhog stakes.

Adam Savage’s book Every Tool’s a Hammer is an excellent addition to any maker’s library. The Q took a page from the book – or 288 pages to be exact – and turned them into a usable hammer by saturating them in a durable epoxy resin, then cutting out the hammer shape with a jigsaw. We wonder what other tools you could make from books.

Given how beautiful this sledgehammer looks, we’re not sure we’d hit anything with it. The 10-pound steel hammer is handmade by Joseph’s Metal Works. Its bronze-accented head is filled with steel shot BBs, with a torched patina and a protective clear coat. Deerskin leather wraps around its metal handle.

Ice seems like a terrible material from which to build tools. That didn’t stop JaDropping Science from giving it the old college try by making hammers from ice. The trick is to combine the ice with absorbent materials to provide strength. Place your bets now on which stuffing will best reinforce the ice hammer.

This versatile hand tool facilitates several demolition tasks in one. Its uniquely-shaped head and handle can grab and yank out 2x4s, extract nails, chisel and punch holes in building materials, and more. It’s also got a built-in magnetic nail holder and a soft, injection-molded handle that provides a firm grip and absorbs shock.

DiesInEveryFilm has started building an arsenal of bendy weapons with handles made from thick aircraft cable. First, he built a kinetic axe, then made a kinetic sword, and now, he’s back with a custom kinetic hammer. Can it drive nails effectively? Or is it best reserved for bashing in zombie heads? Hit play and find out.

This versatile gadget from Roxon combines a number of useful hand tools. In addition to working as a hammer, it doubles as a pair of pliers. Its handle packs a saw, knife, flat and Phillips screwdrivers, a can opener, a bottle opener, a firestarter, and a ruler. It can also bend and cut wires. It also reminds us of the marching hammers from Pink Floyd’s The Wall.

Why lock your toolbox with a padlock when you can secure it with Thor’s mighty hammer? Maker B machined and engraved a mini Mjölnir from a block of metal. Hidden inside its head is a latch mechanism that automatically clips around a lock hasp. A twist of the handle unlocks it. We’re impressed with the attention to detail in things like the hidden screws.

A number of makers participated in The Viking Challenge. Among them is DiesInEveryFilm, who avoided the more popular bladed weapons and went with a war hammer. He built it using a hollow steel tube, thick steel plates, and a wood handle with brass and leather accents. Check out all of the Viking Challenge videos, then cast your vote for your fave.

We never really thought about it before, but some hammers are made with other hammers. This video from Process X takes us inside a small tool factory in Japan to see how a skilled blacksmith makes various traditional hammer heads by forging steel and shaping each one using a pneumatic power hammer and hand tools.

We’ve previously seen art that was made by cracking sheets of glass. Artist Uncle Liu uses a pointed hammer to create tiny chips in glass, creating pointilist portraits from the indentations. You can find more of his astounding glass artworks on his page on Chinese website Douyin.

It’s not too hard for most mortals to lift dumbbells. On the other hand, you must prove yourself worthy to lift Mjölnir. Random Hands shows us how they cut up plates from rusty old dumbbells and welded the metal together to make a hefty but liftable version of Thor’s mighty hammer. The finished Mjölnir can be wielded by a new owner for $5000.

Most toolboxes have a screwdriver, hammer, pliers, and other basic tools. But sometimes, you need a specialized tool to get the job done. We’ve selected 14 cool and unique tools that can make quick work of various tasks, from removing stripped screws to cutting carpet to driving screws and nails in tight quarters.

As we’ve seen before, blacksmith Dmitry Shevchenko (aka Shurap) loves to make things by melting down metal hardware. While he usually forges knives, this time he turned his attention to making a uniquely-textured hammer out of a bunch of screws.

Thor’s mighty hammer can only be lifted by those who are worthy. Random Hands qualified for the feat by building their own Mjolnir, cutting apart an old bench anvil, attaching laser-cut decorations, lathing a metal handle, then covering it with wood and metal rings. Watching the grinder remove the old surface is so satisfying.

The makers of the Hammer Fist claim the compact multitool can drive nails, despite being about the size of a set of brass knuckles. LRN2DIY put the tool to the test to see if it works as well as they say. The big difference between the Hammer Fist and a conventional hammer is that it relies more on your strength than the kinetic energy of a swinging handle.