# What's a strap-hammer?



## Nathan Parker (Jul 23, 2016)

I have a reprint of this nineteenth-century book of practical advice for farmers. It's full of neat stuff, but some of the terms that they assume the readers will know are unclear to me. One such term is "strap-hammer". It comes up in an article about the tools you ought to carry in the toolbox on your wagon or cart in case it breaks down.

Of course I turned to Google first. It gave me three options (well, three printable ones): some kind of massive power-forging equipment - definitely not the sort of thing you tuck into a toolbox; a rather ordinary claw hammer with the head attached to the handle by long metal straps - unlikely as the article also lists "hammer" as something you should carry; and finally, a definition from Merriam-Webster: "a heavy hammer (such as a helve hammer or drop hammer) in which the head is suspended by a strap". This seems the most likely, but unfortunately I haven't been able to find anything else along these lines. I'm imagining something like a medieval morning-star, which doesn't seem too practical.

Anyhow, I'm curious if any of you guys know more about this tool. :nerd2:


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Picture a hammer you are accustom to. It has a hole in the head with the handle mortised into it with a wedge. Instead of that a strap hammer has a piece of metal running several inches down each side of the handle holding onto the handle. Another dumb idea. No wonder it didn't catch on.

https://www.etsystudio.com/listing/480950604/early-strap-handle-tack-hammer-with-nail


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## Nathan Parker (Jul 23, 2016)

I know about that tool, but I don't think that's what they were referring to. The article listed "strap-hammer" and "hammer" separately; surely you wouldn't need two tools that do the same job and only differ in the way they're constructed.

Until I started researching this I'd never seen strap-hammers (in the sense you're talking about) for practical use; I had seen pictures of war-hammers made that way. It makes some kind of sense for those, since the metal straps would help protect the wooden haft from being chopped by your opponent.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

There is just a lot of different hammers for different purposes. It's just the better ideas is what you see in the stores and easier to find.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I googled "strap hammer definition" and got several different hits. 

George


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*were any on your thumb?*



GeorgeC said:


> I googled "strap hammer definition" and got several different hits.
> 
> George


Don't wanna share them heh? :|

I suspect it came to be because it was easier to strap the head on the handle than to make a tenon on the end and to make a hammer head with a hole cast into it... I donno?


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

Most references to strap hammers seem to be claw hammers, is it possible that by "hammer' they are referring to a style such as a blacksmith would use for metal work and the "strap hammer" for working with wood.


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## WeebyWoodWorker (Jun 11, 2017)

I actually just passed the bit talking about how to make these in my blacksmithing book. It's takes some "fun" welding to make one of these the old way. They don't really work that well, but hey look cool I guess.


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## Brian(J) (Feb 22, 2016)

WeebyWoodWorker said:


> I actually just passed the bit talking about how to make these in my blacksmithing book. It's takes some "fun" welding to make one of these the old way. They don't really work that well, but hey look cool I guess.


Here's an old Vergez Blanchard French #6 upholstery hammer next to a little jeweler's hammer.



http://tinyurl.com/y8mnwbgf
http://tinyurl.com/yajmryqm
http://tinyurl.com/yb3vmcpn

The two straps are separate pieces and would fall free if you took the hammer apart. Both they and the wood handle extend all the way through the head and are held in place with the usual wedge. 
Still made today in Rouen and considered to be the best by many saddlemakers and upholsterers. It allow for a small hammer with a thin handle that is very strong and light.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the strap hammer was a common solution before someone figured out how to make an hourglass-shaped eye in a hammer head. (Anarchist's Tool Chest, maybe? It's the sort of thing that would be in there...) The hourglass eye lets you wedge the end of the handle to keep the head attached, whereas a straight mortise allows the head to slide off over time. The straps were attached to the head, and ran down the handle, where they could be nailed or screwed in several places.

That said, if they list both strap hammer and hammer separately, I doubt it's that. Possibly something used for riveting leather harness pieces together?


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