Is a Stiletto Hammer Worth it?

A great hammer is more like a partner than a tool. Hammer like
a blacksmith: • Hammer Like A Blacksmith
Free Starter Blacksmithing Tool List bit.ly/blacksm...
Free Guide - 100 Tools Every Craftsman Must Have bit.ly/EC100tools
Enjoy EC? Learn about Essential Craftsman Academy!
essentialcraft...
This is the best way to support Essential Craftsman and you get a LOT of perks as a bonus.
Check it out.
PODCAST👇
Spotify spoti.fi/39ezy3d
Apple apple.co/33dbrJQ
Stitcher bit.ly/3NWy8sY
KZbin bit.ly/2n4HCLG
Second Channel (Podcast video, family, misc content) bit.ly/2n4HCLG
If you are going to hire a contractor for a big project PLEASE read our ebook first!
amzn.to/2v6qZ6j
T Shirts, Hoodies, and other Merch: bit.ly/2C7JFRv
Instagram / essentialcraftsman
Twitter / ecnatwad
Facebook / essentialcraftsman
Amazon Affiliate Links:
Amazon Store amzn.to/2pcUk8G
Makita 18v Impact amzn.to/2R9uamN
4 ft level amzn.to/389qsQa
Utility Knife amzn.to/2RjVRJL
Palm Nailer amzn.to/2LhvTTd
Spencer Tape amzn.to/2EQWxPy
Carpenter Bags amzn.to/2XeBaC1
Belt bit.ly/3MsdijV
Hammer amzn.to/31y4q66
Tape Measure amzn.to/2WYg23Q
Skil Saw amzn.to/2UcQyLi
Video Equipment and Misc.
Main Camera amzn.to/2WG9qSC
Secondary Camera amzn.to/32tS2Vx
Microphone (for narration from office) amzn.to/2WquPnM
Wireless Microphone amzn.to/2IGpNto
Other Wireless Microphone amzn.to/397VmxJ
Tripod amzn.to/2XOJcOd
GoPro amzn.to/3znHgTA
GoPro Tripod amzn.to/3aL8pFH
Battery Bucket amzn.to/3GVR9cV
ActionPacker amzn.to/2l7Msqv
www.essentialc...

[@patrikgottwald6161]

this channel, people... i am a law graduate, and this MAN has undoubtedly ignited a fire for work generally, but most of all, it introduced me into wood working/ carpentry/ etc and I know all you guys will probably be blue collar workers, and trust me, I admire you all, but let me just say that me, a person without much of a previous interest in manual labor, have began to work on myself in this aspect and this channel is SUCH a great influence, not only regarding working but life advice and habits and being a man driven to feed people that he cares about. I love being a part of this community, even though I know you guys, working hard, would eat me alive :D

[@TwoKnowingRavens]

I don't do a lot of framing purely with hammer, but me and my buddy did build his house last year just with framing hammers and nails and I have to say, sitting up on a ridge beam out in the PA back country and hearing the woodpeckers doing their own hammering, and ravens calling, autumn leaves turning and the cool wind blowing, while you joke with your friend and sink nails is a feeling that can't be duplicated. Sometimes it's good to remind yourself that you're a human, and not a production machine. Sure we took our time and spent five days doing what could have taken three; but I don't think it was time lost, it was experience gained.

[@RockyMountainThugs]

I love story’s like yours man that’s the kinda shit i live for just busting it up with a buddy getting something done that needs to be done that’s what being a man is all about

[@timotheeisin8909]

All true I work in lake arrowhead ca mountains love hearing the nature

[@dethmaul]

Hell YES! I built a tiny house with my dad. One month, then he went home to hang out with mommy. Then another month. We were working slowly, and hauling ass at the same time. And it was so FUN! Zero stress!

[@kalikimaca]

Awesome 40 year framer here I use a lot of your tricks just by working all these years You learn from great teachers. Maybe if you're lucky you run into 3 in your lifetime. Then , you learn your own tricks . But your evolution of the hammer is basically exactly the road I lived. Great videos. All your string tying tricks I've done on my own and lots of stuff you show. I go awe Yeah

[@punchout2418]

Respect

[@schaded]

I run the same hammer with a different handle (shaped more like an axe handle) and I agree that at the end of the day, my elbow feels great. I’m 58 and carpenters half my age are complaining about elbow pain but won’t take my advice on investing in their health by purchasing a stiletto. Love your content and your message.

[@AaronRussell-k9k]

We call that shape a California framing handle.

[@JOHN-fx3xo]

You are such a great communicator. The tone of you voice, the choice of words you choose, mixed with your video content. Amazing. I’d listen to a motivational talk or sermon given from you.

[@fsoileau]

You said it much better than I could. Thumbs up to your comment.

[@user-hj5le6lo9w]

I was thinking the exact same thing.

[@roatan60]

Yes That tono of voice and personality A gentleman A person you want a conversation

[@nicholaspowell9813]

I splurged on a Stilletto, like that one, based on watching this channel. For general building and often just setting screws, I love my stiletto and for hard-to-reach spots, I really love that magnet nail setter. For demo work I still grab my weight forward Estwing as it is also an awesome nail puller and I don’t like beating up my stiletto, banging away on a cats paw.

[@dommyboysmith]

Haha. I do the exact same thing. I always carry both. Estwing is demo and overall beating on 😄

[@RobertCBaldwinJr]

I too similarly mimic Nicholas' comment. Bought the 14 oz Stilletto based on watching your video, and use a 20oz Bostitch Ripping Hammer for everything "dirty". I also recently purchased something new, that you will know- a 5lb. Formsetter. It's not a tool that I need, but will still get fair amount of use, and it's purchase is primarily due to my intrigue and desire to support the work you do and share with us, and the inspirational work ethic that Andrew Larson possesses. You guys are awesome. Keep up the good work.

[@zacharyroyce]

Get an all-titanium hammer and use only one hammer for everything. My full explanation in separate comment above.

[@michaellorenzen8200]

if you bought a Ferrari would you park it in the garage or drive it like you stole it ? don't baby that stilleto treat it like a two dollar whore ! that's what it's made/designed for or don't then you have an expensive paperweight just sayin'

[@oscara.8176]

Every video is more inspirational than the last. This channel is a jewel.

[@jonbowman88893543]

I used to hang siding where you must use a hammer. Buying a stiletto was life changing. I think it's a 10oz. Pain in my arm/wrist was gone and the weight on my belt greatly reduced. I don't work construction anymore but to this day it's one of my prized possessions.

[@groovygannon]

It might seem crazy to spend a ton of money on quality ratchet to do your job to an outsider. But as an auto mechanic my cushioned handle fine tooth long flex head cornwell 3/8 ratchet was life changing. Gives me confidence. Just works. Good tools help you do your job and sometimes I forget that. Every battery powered doodad will never be as reliable as that rachet. I totally get your point here. Eloquent and poetic video on tools.

[@mohawkman2888]

Like AvE said (quoting someone else) "Quality isn't expensive, it's priceless"

[@DesignRhythm]

1000000% worth it.. working with a guy this week up in N Dakota and dang they are so light, yet powerful. Get one; never look back.

[@74stevedc]

As a Concrete guy I really like a 16 oz Estwing rubber handle with a 2" mark on handle for use in wall straightening faster than getting a tape measure out of a pouch. I also use as a pick and can use hammer side ways to put grade in a 8" wall. For $25 I get 10 years of use before claw wears out and doesn't pull nails.

[@toddwheeler1526]

Started with Plumb, Vaughn and Hart hammers. Still have most of them although I need about 6 new handles. Many sizes, types and smooth and corregated. 47 years, now retired. Thank you sir for all the great videos and the memories that they bring back.

[@craigmackinnon616]

What an absolute legend. Such a nice way to end a video. Everything all true

[@jassihra8566]

Man I love watching your videos. As weird as it may sound, your voice is so soothing and relaxing. I watch you videos when I am a little upset :)

[@kingpin16052]

I did some rough framing in my early 20's before joining the military... I still have my stiletto in the tool box over 10 years later, just incase!

[@tonyn3123]

We always choose the tools that get our job done with the least amount of effort, if you have your head on straight. We also have multiples of tools that are built differently and perform differently for the job at hand. I have my favorites too in my field of work. They are just an assistant to my hands. Whether hammers or something else, all the same. Good video. Thanks.

[@ChadGailey-c9f]

I went from a 25oz estwing on a hickory handle to a stiletto about a decade ago when I started to get tennis elbow and haven't looked back. I don't regularly swing a hammer anymore but I am framing my own house right now, and I just decided to get a Martinez M1 solely because I feel like I'm going to rip the head off my stiletto pulling nails out of bracing, and I've almost thrown the thing across the jobsite multiple times wearing gloves (it's below freezing), so extra grip is needed. The milling on my stiletto is completely gone - it's a smooth face and has been for a long time. Ultimately, I was skeptical of the newfangled titanium hammer back then, which is why I took so long to adopt it, but it was a great decision that I don't regret.

[@User-zl9pj]

This channel and project farm is where I go to for an opinion

[@atillatekin7030]

Pretty sure what brought me to this channel was the hammer comparison video years ago back when I got into construction. As a plumber now, a 20oz rip claw Estwing is the most versatile for me because it's also great for digging and trenching but I do feel tempted to get a Stiletto sometimes.

[@wingrider1004]

Your videos are an inspiration...and super informative. I buy and restore old hand planes, and using them is the best experience to be had. Good tools are like fine cookware for a chef. It doesn't feel like work when you have a fine tool in your hand.

[@user-ed5jh3ff6u]

Your list is about right, been at it about the same, used a rigging axe until pneumatics, than switched to hart hammers, which had axe handles, got a ruger when they came out $65, still is my go to unless trimming than it’s back to a hart finish hammer, I have a top 5 tool list and the ruger is on it. 1. Ruger 2. Hydraulic impact 3. Cordless framing saw 4. Cordless multi tool 5. Multi plane laser, with plum dots All makita List changes occasionally but ti hammer always remains. Thanks for the videos, you remind me of a gentleman that I worked with for many many years.

[@user-ed5jh3ff6u]

Forgot one that edges out laser, cordless track saw,

[@rjtumble]

Setting forms you say? Let me tell you about a guy on youtube who invented a hammer for that specific purpose :)

[@bigjoe8922]

IMO the Vaughn 19 oz California framer with a straight handle is the best framing hammer I ever owned.

[@JohnathanAulabaugh]

I had a stiletto get stolen but I still have my vaughn I started with. I believe I got it when I turned 19 and I am 46 now. The steletto was a fantastic hammer. I am building my house now and may invest in the same style wood handle I had because I am not a fan of the metal handles

[@tomtom2719]

$35 Irwin 24 Oz demo hammer....feels light as a feather and I can build or take down anything with it...been pulling up a subfloor with it this week and my kneew are giving out but my arms and shoulders still feel fine

[@elguero8558]

The Mr Rogers of construction!

[@hoofhearted304]

As a siding installer, I can definitely say YES.

[@christopheryellman533]

EC your philosophy is a sound as your hammers. In the Bay area in the late 1980's the 28 rigging axe (Plumb or Vaughan) was highly prized by the production framers, but I had a 25-ounce Plumb "California" framing hammer that worked better for me. Then for finish work, a nice little Plumb curved claw that I had put a wood octagon handle onto. A builder that I worked for decided he needed to mark his tools, so one day I found, stamped into the metal of my finishing hammer, a small "D7". I quickly took it up with him. I told him that's not D7, Steve, that's my f*ing finish hammer. I eventually ground and sharpened the Vaughan rigging axe that I had, and used it to build log cabins.

[@jimlee850]

…bought mine in 2001. Been through multiple handles (even tried the graphite handles twice). Framed starter homes to million dollar homes. Even did some bridge work for a few years. She’s been through it all. She’s always been there. But a couple of years ago, my shed burned to the ground. I lost 25 years worth of tools. My emotions were apparent as I sifted through the rubble. I saw her but I could not believe it! The head of my trusted hammer lay half buried in the remains of the hammer loop of my tool belt. I picked her up. Wiping away the black ash, I found she had been given a bright purple, gold and almost reddish sheen by the fire. I immediately ordered a new handle and in a couple of days, she was good as new. Perhaps, to some, even prettier than before. I don’t have any grandchildren yet but, hopefully one day, one of them will be worthy of a hand me down hammer such as my Stilleto titanium 14oz…

[@daifeichu]

When I was framing houses in the late 80's, early 90's, a few of us would buy our hammers from a local lumber store, Turkstra Lumber. They use to sell a hammer called a Rocket. It was a two piece and very well balanced. I had a 21 or 22oz with the meat grinder. Still have mine and even though I use to file the face it's worn smooth.

[@seandahl8441]

I love rocket hammers. I have a 16oz for trim and a 20oz for everything else. My dad had his for 30 years. I've tried using lots of other hammers but nothing feels like a rocket. Too bad Barco stopped making them a few years ago

[@555mainesmonsters]

Just bought my first all titanium hammer. Made by Vanquish. Was less than $100. Love it completely

[@kansasscout4322]

I agree 100% Vaughn 999 20 ounce was my favorite but a rig axe is a marvel and used a fair bit.

[@BobBlarneystone]

I asked a mechanic friend the same question about his wrenches, and he summarized it as, "I ain't what it cost, it's what it does."

[@nutoriousclown4107]

I got the stiletto ti bone 3 a couple years back I really loved it and I doubt I would ever replace it, then I heard about Martinez hammers and it just made sense. If a claw broke off on my hammer it’s pretty much done. Or if the grip brakes there’s no replacement. But with Martinez hammers you get replacement grips and heads and you can pick and choose the head and colors, I would recommend going with Martinez hammers titanium but with replacement parts

[@InspiredCraftsman]

I love my martinez m1. I have tennis elbow and setting concrete anchors was really hurting. Haven't felt that twinge in my elbow since I picked up the martinez.

[@zacharyroyce]

I think the worries about Stiletto durability are silly and I suspect they are a combination of Martinez marketing and forum fan boy tool fetish nonsense. I have had the Stiletto full-size Tibone for about five years as a framing subcontractor as well as for a good deal of roofing (especially tearoff) and demo. I have beat the living heck out of it and used it for everything so that others have winced at my risking a $300 hammer to demolish walls and concrete and steel and rock and rip off roofing shingles and pound in ten million roofing staples and dig holes in frozen ground. And still I haven't caused the slightest functional damage to the hammer. The original waffle head is still going strong, haven't chipped the claw or bent anything and the rubber handle is worn smooth but still works great. The magnetic nail slot goes out of alignment about once a year, and it just tap it back with a nail set and a second hammer like a castle nut on a motorcycle shock. I suppose Martinez is about equivalent with Stiletto to the extent it matches its design, but I don't see it as superior and would question whether any changes Martinez made to the original Tibone design is an actual improvement, or just a gimmick introduced in place of some patented feature they are not allowed to reproduce. Stiletto got it right the first time and usually the company owns the design not the engineer.

[@InspiredCraftsman]

@zacharyroyce not knocking the stiletto, 99% of users will never wear it out. I've seen a couple worn out stilleto claws. If you've used it that much I think it's more than paid for itself.

[@nutoriousclown4107]

What I mainly liked was the what if? If I baker a claw with concrete I can just buy a head and not a whole stiletto and the ability to change grips to your liking is grate. I love my stiletto but If I had to buy another one I would pick Martinez.

[@zacharyroyce]

@@nutoriousclown4107 It looks to me that the Martinez head is all steel, which would make it heavier than Stiletto Ti-bone, which has a titanium head with a ~1/4-inch-thick steel hammer tip. I wonder if the head would become sloppy after years of hammering on those threads, and I wonder if that lip where the head sticks up proud over the V-notch in the handle would interfere with using the V-notch to scoop up your 1/4"-proud nail heads (which is how you use the V-notch to best advantage, like when you've levered apart sistered boards or pulled off wall braces and you have to pound out a bunch of nails--one little tap does it per nail---the same applies to pulling many nails with a catspaw---just start em all real fast and then pling em out like bullet casings all at once.)

[@nickfish3545]

I’ve used nothing but estwing 16-22oz from Lowe’s for the past 5-6 years but I am seriously considering getting a stiletto or a boss

[@comfortablynumb9342]

I recently got a couple Toughbuilt brand hammers, a 22 oz framer with the waffle face and a 16 oz finish hammer. The big one has a shock absorbing spring and they both have an interesting shape. I don't use them daily but when I do they're just about perfect. And they're pretty cheap at Lowe's. Toughbuilt makes some interesting stuff.

[@Ball_drips]

As a noob, i used a old curved claw craftsman. Nailing up soffit gave me bad tennis elbow. I bought a stiletto 10oz trim hammer. My arm healed while doing the same work. I them bought the all titaniam t bone framer. The head kept coming loose and breaking. So i opted for the 14oz straight wood handle framer, words cannot describe how much i love that hammer

[@zbowen8489]

Best money I ever spent! I'll never regret it.

[@Cobra-vq6qr]

We all used an Estwing steel hammer in the early 2000s. Killed the elbow, but INDESTRUCTIBLE. I had a 32oz I think and someone decided they needed it more than me. Now I swing a 28oz for everything. I have been eyeballing a wooden handle now that I'm getting old.

[@tommiller7177]

I bought a used Estwing hammer for one dollar at a garage sale. Good hammer.

[@matthewsmischney]

I've been swinging that hammer since I believe 2004. Great hammer. Was a waffle face, been smooth for along time. ( call it the 11oz hammer vrs the 140z.) Cheers!

[@markd2322]

I would absolutely recommend anyone who has to drive framing nails by hand to spend the money for one. The reduced fatigue and shock to your body is priceless. Your future self will thank you.

[@zephyr1408]

You & I are the same age! And like you I am a carpenter ( I do finish and sub contractor but mostly do residential cabinet add on , door , base outside trim gone bad and some crown ). I carry a 10 0Z Stiletto wood handle , titanium head! Love that hammer oh and an Akibus set up . A man has to hv a job and I believe that is key to life ( I am a Christian & I believe above everything comes Christ). I wake at 4 am get myself ready, feed me & the dog, lay out the day & go!

[@andrewwilliford8165]

I bought a 19oz wood handle stiletto steel framing hammer and it was complete trash. Feels amazing but I lost the magnet in the nail starter twice and break handles out of it constantly. Yeah I abuse it but I do my 23oz Vaughan the same way and it holds up.

[@MrElemonator]

Dude you making a generation of smarts workers 🖖🏻

[@dandonna852]

I love see old videos of homes being build by hammers before nail guns?

[@RamboReviver]

I think that a 20oz fibreglass handle is a good for all-around work. But spending money on shiny things is very fun.

[@canigetachannel]

I use a Dalluge 16 frame and 14 finish.

[@imout671]

I've had the same hammer since 1988/89. Estwing, im so attached to some of my tools . It's a bit strange but i am. I wouldn't use another as a daily.

[@uriahanderson1625]

I feel exactly the same way about my titanium hammer.

[@lees3935]

The tool all depends on what you are hammering. As well as useful for carpentry and framing, I'm a Hammerchanic and #Hammertrician. A jewelry hammer has served me well with some finer work, even with boats and electronics.

[@CaptK-py8rq]

Exact same hammer, mine has the curved hatchet handle end which worked best for me especially when sweaty. You can barely still see the 16" sharpie mark I made at the end of the handle when needed. I went to this hammer in the 1990's (can't remember for sure, I'm pushing 70) after a couple of surgeries on my right elbow from framing day in and day out with a heavier hammer. I remember I paid $55.00 for mine here at one of the St. Louis woodworking shows, which at the time was double the price of a good framer. waffle years

[@dbasiliere]

I have never tried one. I have an old 20 oz. Estwing steel framing hammer and a 16 oz. Estwing of the same design. I only worked production carpenter for a few years, and home weekend/vacation carpenter for 50+ years, and the Estwings were fine. I used power nailers for the last few years.

[@jerrellbevers6071]

In my experience, I've used a stilleto as well, people that swear by that hammer are the same people that try to justify the cost of Yeti cups when any double-walled cup gives highly comparable results for fractions of the cost. The whole selling point of this hammer has always kind of irked me. A 14/16 oz hammer that swings like a 22 oz hammer....that's not how mass works. It's the arm holding that hammer. But as you said, preference is preference and if it drives nails and leaves the skin on your thumb, that's hard science as far as I'm concerned.

[@bobthrasher9799]

I remember in the 1970s where the US Government was spending $150 for standard framing hammers and $500 for toilet seats...there is a limit to anything...

[@B-leafer]

Love mine.

[@nicktrayer5426]

I'm 38 I started building when I was a little boy. I grew up around framers, trim carpenters. When I turned 16 took a building class 2 years in a row and I had an estwing 32 oz hammer when I graduated I became a builder. After 2 more years I couldn't swing that heavy hammer any longer my friend had a stilleto 16 oz I balked at the price but when I used it I was hooked. I no longer am a professional builder but I do some stuff on the side. I know own my 16, a 14, and a 10 oz I wouldn't change it fir the world. Yes I need a heavy hammer on rare occasions but boy oh boy I love my hammers. And my dad who is 64 I need some help and I gave him my 14 oz while I held the 16 he was shocked and amazed. So young guys take note save your arm.

[@grahamgeiger3206]

Sometimes less it more. Im a railroader and a lot of guys i work with love the bigger sledges, 10-20 lbs. I myself love the 8 lb ones. I feel i can swing it faster and at the end of the day im way less fatigued and get more work done. Same thing with splitting mauls. Over the years ive tried many different styles and weights but always come back to the trusty 6 pounder that has been around since before i was born.

[@thomaskennedy2942]

I built my 450 sq ft off grid cabin with a hammer and nails, a hand saw, a level, a speed square, a measuring tape and occasionally a pencil 😂

[@aaronbarnett3870]

I built a deck for a guy with a PhD in materials science years ago, and when he noticed I had a titanium hammer he asked me why, and I explained to him what I had read, which was that a titanium hammer would drive nails with the same force as a steel hammer 150% heavier. His immediate reaction was to be skeptical. Force equals mass times velocity squared and all that. But apparently the question stuck around in his head, because a few days later I was working and he came out and explained to me why this is true. Apparently, the steel used in hammer heads is springier than titanium, so in the moment of impact, the head deforms and then springs back to shape. This wastes quite a bit of energy and increases the feedback into the handle and the arm. The titanium hammer deforms much less on impact, so the transfer of energy from the hammer to the target is much more efficient.

[@somerandomgoogleuser3374]

@aaronbarnett, sounds feasible....... would love a Titanium hammer as a Chippy of 35 years but the price of them here in New Zealand is about $500 I would suspect now!!!! My 20oz Vaughn fiberglass handle carries on then....!!

[@joeeley5354]

Nothing hits like a 16oz Estwing.

[@pigeonpat8168]

i want a titanium rigging ax.

[@full_metal2452]

So is a 14oz (non “Ruger”) Stilleto titanium with hickory handle still a great hammer? Don’t thing they have a steel face do they? You can get online new for $90

[@rogerwhiting9310]

Is that a milled face? How long is the handle? Thanks

[@cralee6892]

You sound exactly the same as me if we tell the youngens they might learn from our pain ,😅

[@jeffstokes8960]

so many changes over the years...started in 71....old builders used Japanese box nails..Soft as butter and you could not use a heavy hammer.You had to work them in or they would fold up on you...Some contractors used Commons...that will kill you.....some of the guys soaped the nails..Ivory flakes..with the picture of the girl on the box (rumored to be a porn star)..Some guys shaved paraffin and added white gas and burned a box........I worked a couple summers in the tracks.. As a young man with pride I had to go to a big hammer with a corrugated face...the shame....I never went to a rigging ax with the blade cut off and claws welded on..that was the real hard core piece workers up from the tracks in LA...I managed to become a contractor and build spec houses but the work itself as a carpenter was never growing up...little boy toys forever.... "

[@TheRealA-A-ron]

TiBone is the way to go. You will make up the $ difference in broken wood handles. Stiletto wood handles constantly break.

[@casemcdonald2152]

I've had them all. None of them are better than a $20 Vaughn. It's a complete waste of money, but people love them, because they feel like an idiot for wasting that much money if they don't. It's a heuristic thing.

[@liammulligan1279]

I'm an electrician but I always liked to have a nice hammer

[@hilux0094]

Where’s my hammer! 3 tools to build an entire house, 1) hammer 2) circular saw 3) margin trowel

[@disqusrubbish5467]

A measuring device, and a leveling device might be handy for you too...

[@thomasirvin4159]

Framed pole barns and houses in th 80s, 28 estwing for pole barns were mandatory, wood handles didn't hold up.

[@davidkirkpatrick712]

Milwaukee owns them

[@Squat5000]

TTI if I recall correctly who also owns Milwaukee. Martinez tools is what we want now. The original creator of stiletto opened up again with tools that are a genuine improvement

[@philiprogers8620]

Does it have to be titanium though, or are all the benefits from the weight? I could pick up a well made old stock 16oz steel hammer at almost any garage sale or antique shop for a couple bucks. Diameter of the face may not be as large though. Any other advantage to the titanium head?

[@WillB-d1x]

have money saved up to to buy the new 15 oz smooth face stiletto they just released

[@bobvilla2508]

The stiletto hammers with wood handles are about $100. It’s the titanium hammers that get pricey. Easily $200. But if you’re doing the kind of work where you’re using a hammer all day everyday it is well worth the price imo. Your elbows and wrists will thank you.

[@TangoKilo-fp8uu]

Elbows and wrists adapt to it. It only typically bothers you initially. As long as you eat a good diet and get plenty of sleep you’ll be fine. Don’t spend 100s of dollars to fix a problem that can be solved by focusing on the basics.

[@ogcoolfool]

The best is ALWAYS worth it because we only get everyday once. Wouldn't you want to have the best experience at life possible.

[@arcadiagreen150]

My brother in law just hits the nail with his purse.

[@JimRimS4S]

I just stumbeled on to your channel. I have the same hammer. I switched 15 years ago and never looked back. I'm not very big and a big hammer kills my joints and hurts my arm. money well spent.

[@michaelbradford4444]

Rerun

[@patrickday4206]

Sounds like me i started with a 32 ounce then worked down

[@TylerSnyder305]

Maybe they were worth it at one time, but now they're not only expensive they're also made in China and still expensive. I personally have no interest in owning anything made of titanium especially a hammer, and I'll never own a Chinese hammer ( had one chip and cut me on the cheek when I was a kid ) , so that puts these in a double hard pass category. Titanium doesn't interesting me, but I do understand why somebody would buy a titanium hammer. I'm not a framer...etc, so for me the king of claw hammers is the V&B #999. I've got 4 of the #99, plus I've got 3 of the little #9 10oz, 2 of the #99 16oz, and 2 of the 24oz 505 working up to having every size they make just because I love them.

[@woofy548]

Been swinging hammers for 35 yrs, and, no. Spending 150.00 on a hammer is dumb. You're paying for the name. There's tons of hammers that look just like, and feel just like a stiletto. Are they a little better? Yes. But they aren't worth 150.00. Some people are just ridiculous tool snobs. It's a damn stick with a piece of metal on the end.

[@phillipstringfellow6446]

I wouldn’t spend that much money for a wooden handle hammer. I like estwing.

[@dinglenutzog]

Not impressed with the stiletto roofing hatchet. The magnets fall out and the composite handles suck.

[@PosiXMosh]

Cough… Martinez.. Cough

[@Z-Bart]

Should be able to get one with a wooden handle for about $135.00.

[@MB12116]

Prior to watching video I say yes- if you plan on doing something for the rest of your life, you should invest in the highest quality equipment asap, if it will last and you can afford

[@killnme6212]

They have a speed square I just got! The hammer and the square are worth the price

[@BruceAngus]

$150 over a decade or two is a bargain really

[@51-FS]

Thats like 600 bucks today?

[@BruceAngus]

@@51-FS lol I meant if you spread the cost over the time you use product, but yeah had you put that $150 bucks in 2010 into nvidia stock, you'd have $25,000 today

[@disqusrubbish5467]

So is $50 over a decade or two... ;)

[@Martin52863]

Using horrible tools is miserable. It can turn what should be an enjoyable experience into a very tedious one.

[@HEADBANGER4LIFE37]

I had a stiletto. I gave it away.

[@g1mpster]

As someone who does not work in the trades, when I was building my 3500sf pole barn shop, I bought a Stiletto framing hammer and a finish hammer specifically because I knew I didn’t have the strength built up from swinging the heavy hammers every day. They were phenomenal and I still use them whenever I have a project that needs nails driven.

[@danielturberville5589]

I grew up framing with nails and a hammer. Today things have changed and I use a 15 oz titanium hammer for most of my framing work. With nail guns and screws we use today most of the uses for the hammer is finishing a nail that didn't completely drive or adjusting framing. One thing I really appreciate is the reduced weight that I carry in my belt. Everything in my belt is as lite as I can find.

[@fredio54]

Including the word light, you saved one letter there, ha ha. :-D

[@davidh7300]

No vibration is good too.

[@PNW_Adventures1]

Same

[@TheDogsBox]

I framed for 15 years before going back to school to become an engineer. The Stiletto was the best hammer I have ever owned. It once dropped out of my bag, between the floor joists, it hit the concrete floor below, and bounced up just far enough for me to reach between the joists and snatch it back into my hand.

[@mustafabashir8127]

What made you want to go back to school? And the best advice can you give a young guy in the trades

[@TheDogsBox]

@@mustafabashir8127 I stopped drinking and using drugs and got bored of what I was doing. As far as advice I would give... Live sober, be curious, raise your hand and ask questions. Finding the answer to something is often easy with digital copies of solutions manuals and Chegg, but sometimes they are wrong. As yourself how they got to that answer instead of just what is the correct answer.

[@j20reis]

@@mustafabashir8127 realizing you can make the same amount of money working 40hrs a week. less fights with your wife, more time to do what you want, less pain.

[@Mbnewman087]

​@@mustafabashir8127head down work hard earn your pay and you'll be the boss one day.

[@JK-Handyman]

The Stiletto Hammer is a great Christmas gift for anyone in the trades. I was gifted one from my brother as a thank you gift and I think about that fact every time i use it...which is a lot.

[@ScottyDMcom]

I just noticed that Homedepot has a few models of Stilleto on sale. $90 each for both smooth and milled face 14oz models, and a little smooth face 10oz model. Lowes does not carry Stilleto.

[@mohawkman2888]

I was gifted my T15II by my nephew, best hammer ever! *see my comment above

[@zacharyroyce]

Agreed--if your star young employee or handy hubby doesn't own one of these, nothing makes a better gift for any carpenter with enough experience to have seen these things but never dared to splurge. Certainly for any pro carpenter the benefits more than make up for the cost. Buy the all-titaium Ti-bone if you can afford it. The hickory handle, titanium head described in this video is super light and great for nailing, but it sucks for everything else (pulling nails and demo and using the hammer like an ice pick handle to pick up and transport window headers, etc.). About half of carpenters who purchase the hickory handle because it's much less expensive end up sinking another $300 later on what they really want.

[@Ifishmo]

The all-titanium Ti-bone (or other brand of your choice) are pretty, work greate for nailing in normal grip positions and obviously are better at pulling nails/demo BUT try using it when you're up in the trusses, setting hips/perlings-when you're swing your hammer sideways and super choked up on the handle (about the only way you'll see framers setting perlings on flat top trusses before sheathing is on. The all metal handles are terrible for out of posiition nailing, particularly when you have to choke up on the handle. At least that's my oppinion and experience with wood (or wood shaped) handles versus all metal handles. The all metal estwing, 28 oz, waffle or smooth face, is an AWESOME hammer, just absolutely terrible to choke up on the handle. Plus the skinny metal handle almost acts like an axe if it ever accidentally hits a finger (think out of position nailing, like putting on joist hangers on an elevated deck when standing on the joist/rim-joist) @@zacharyroyce

[@zacharyroyce]

@@Ifishmo Interesting. I am trying to understand exactly what you mean by out of position hammering. I suppose you mean when you have to swing up or sideways or maybe at an oblique angle like for tight in work with hangers or whatever, but then I don't follow how that is different with a wood handle. I do see how my dad's old small (or normal sized, not framing) metal handle (with leather ring grips) and my 28oz Estwing (my first framing hammer) with their blade-like shafts between grip and head would be unpleasant for choked up grip and an edge hazard if you get either your grip or support hand in the way, but my Tibone (and I suppose the same applies to Martinez) is not nearly that narrow and sharp and I have not noticed issues with awkward hammering or hitting choked up. You might use your hammer more than I do and thus run into situations I don't. I don't use my hammer much setting trusses except for metal hangers. I do hit choked up all the time when no one is looking who might think less of my manliness. I am trying to understand what you mean about flat-top truss purlins--I wonder if you mean cross bracing on the underside in which you would be nailing up, or like barn trusses spaced too far apart to span with your stance so you have to maybe hammer down while standing underneath?? Forgive me, I've been doing this less than ten years and there's still lots of things I haven't done.

[@jorgenlarsen775]

I will never come close to using a hammer for a living. Unless I'm intent on getting hurt. But damn what a pleasure it is to hear a professional talk about his tool and profession.

[@stretchmfe4913]

He could talk about making Jell-O and make it sound interesting.

[@heman5954]

"Unless I'm intent on getting hurt." That's just a part of the job. There isn't a single week that goes by that I make it without leaking a little "vital fluid" for my living.

[@billmiller5122]

​@heman5954 As my wife tells me I put a little piece of me into everything I make

[@notme6071]

Every thing we enjoy in our day to day life that most don’t think about; is the guys with hammers either building or maintaining everything.

[@itiswhatitis1623]

I'm a carpenter you do hurt yourself but you get used to it and it stops hurting as my h when you do

[@CorwinBos]

Started with a Estwing back when I poured concrete because they are tough and last forever. When I started framing, I went to a Cali style framer and used a 16oz Estwing for overhead work. Now that Im older I switched to a Martinez and my elbow and wrist thank me for it everytime I pick it up.

[@Ken-h5d]

When I broke into drywall in the mid-70's, I started off with a plumb ax. It worked because I didn't know any better. I soon tried a 14oz 'Wallboard' and never looked back. I've tried others on occasion but still use my wallboard. I've replaced the handle 3 times and resurfaced the face twice. I think it comes down to 2 things. The right tool for the job and what works for you. Might seem silly to some but I only use specific brands because others just don't 'feel' right.

[@zacharyroyce]

Love your channel (subscribed), but you have one foot open-mindedly in the future, one stubbornly in the past: the hickory handles are simply inferior for all-around use. I have both styles of full-size Stiletto framing hammers and for a pro (mostly) framing carpenter (as well as roofers and maybe others) who carries a hammer all day on their bags and uses it a lot, costly titanium hammers like these are clearly, as you correctly argue, worth the negligible extra dollars for the savings on your elbow, wrist and energy spent moving all day over the course of years. I don't use the wood handled one much, however, although it is the first titanium hammer I bought and the lighter of the two and is surely the most pleasant to nail with--it feels as light as a balsa wood model airplane by comparison with any steel-headed hammer, which makes it wonderfully accurate and easy on the elbow. But unfortunately the hickory handled Stiletto sucks for brute work like pulling nails or demo. It's way too flexy to lever out tough nails and the combination of flexy handle and light head takes all the grunt out of it for demo. Don't tell me hammers are not for pulling nails--if I hear that one more time I am going to hit someone in the head with my hammer before they can reach for their wimpy catspaw. If hammers are not for pulling nails---which is evidently false or why would they put a claw on a hammer---the answer is making them better at it than having to reach for a second tool. The all-titanium Stiletto with its flat-California-framing-claw and V-grove is made for pulling nails any way you want fast. The V-grove sends nails flying like the ejector sends brass flying from a gun, and works best with nails only banged back like 1/4-inch which makes repurposing boards full of nails (e.g. 2x4 wall braces) super fast and easy. Whereas with the hickory handle, you will become frustrated at constantly trying to pull a nail before giving up and reaching for your catspaw (because the hickory hammer with its claw alone works fine 50% of the time, saving you a few seconds and a bit of trouble for nails that look quick and easy), and you will beat the shit out of the handle if you use it for things like roofing and demo, so it becomes your princess hammer and you slow yourself down and throw your brain off with having to use multiple hammers (all with different weight and balance) depending on the job. I much prefer the all-titanium because it does everything well. It is way lighter than a steel hammer, even a Vaughn with wood handle, and more balanced with less of a top-heavy feel. You can hammer or destroy all day without wrecking your joints and tendons and it drives nails solid, transfers its force crisply and directly without any delay or absorption from handle flex, providing precise feel for 'putting English' on the nail head. It wrenches everything out that big steel Estwing would and much more, and if you are wrestling with some huge 20d sinker stuck in a knot, you can just whip out your catspaw and use the slot in the handle of the all-titanium hammer to add 18" of leverage to your 12" catspaw like a torque wrench pipe extension. You could pull Excalibur out of the stone with that combo. I have used the all-titanium for about 5 years now, including for plenty of demo and roofing (including and especially tear-off) and it is still going strong. I haven't even worn out the replaceable waffle head yet and the little magnet nail holder slot (another thing I love!) only goes out of line about once a year and takes like two hits with a nail set and a second hammer to relocate (castle nut style). The rubber handle is original and still going strong (though worn almost smooth like a balding tire, especially on the bottom, maybe from lots of dragging on asphalt comp shingles while roofing). You can afford it and you owe your viewers the full comparison. Buy one and see! (And another thing I forgot the first time: the all-titanium hammer is MUCH better for stabbing window headers and other beams or large stock with your claw and using the hammer as a lifting handle. Maybe I'm a weakling but whenever I try to stab into headers with my hickory handled Stiletto it just goes boing-woing-woing uselessly as the head vibrates on the handle like a tuning fork.) (And another thing for people thinking of buying one: think before you buy on whether you want a straight handle or axe-style. For some reason, most people seem to either buy or prefer the axe style, but I personally bought and prefer the straight handle. I bought it because the axe shape annoyed me when I had the hickory handle and truthfully in part because my first boss preferred the straight and everything he taught me was like the word of the gods. I have briefly experimented with both styles of Tibone and found the straight handle (1) inserts and extracts from my metal hammer hanger and my leather hammer loop quick and easy (though the rubber grip is more likely to catch than hickory) whereas the axe-handled Tibone catches up a little on the metal hook and doesn't pull quite straight up and out, and did not fit at all through my Occidental leather loop, though Occidental seems to have widened their loop opening somewhat now so that all hammers fit; and (2) the straight handle 'feels right' to me when I hold the grip at the extreme end for that extra tilt or torque or English or whatever it is that seems to send all the force to the nail at the very moment of strike and give it a little extra juice--for whatever reason I seem to do this mostly when toe-nailing sinkers into joist hangers below and between and slightly behind my feet.) (And another thing: the straight-handled Tibone with its length, rigidity and thick, soft rubber tip makes a perfect gentle persuader. When you grip the head with one hand and the high part of the grip with the other, the Tibone can be used as a battering ram or something like a rubber sand mallet but at once softer and having more oomph. I use the rubber butt all the time to tap or push or pound in/out finish work, from exposed beams to drywall to Hardie to windows and doorjambs to electronics, without leaving little dents or scuffs.)

[@johanpersson5526]

Thank you! The first time you talked about the Stiletto on the channel i bought me one and have used it for some small stuff and building a workshop and it feels grate! I work all day in front of a computer and my hands, wrists and forearms are not harden for the use of a hammer for 20 h on a weekend. So this is a super advice for those of us who do some intense hammering, but far in between =)

[@DanJRice]

As a commercial electrician, i always buy the best for the tools i use all day everyday. Not only are they better quality, but they are a joy to use and you enjoy reaching in your bag for them.