Stanley beaten by no name

[CajunRider]

I bought a 16 oz Stanley claw hammer. It's well built. Looks nice, very well balanced in hand. The head is well formed and strike the nail strong and true. Yet when I grab a claw hammer, I instinctively pick the el cheapo claw hammer that is all beat up. Why?

Because the claw on the el cheapo has a little more curve and is longer. It can grab the nail head more solid and pull the nail out so much better.
Because the side of the head has a flat spot that I can turn the head sideway and hammer nail home in tight spot.
Because I every time I forgot it on the job, I come back the next day and still find it there. Meanwhile, I've lost two Stanley on job sites already.

I spoke too soon I lost that el cheapo hammer

[TDHofstetter]

They don't pay NEARLY as much attention to tools these days as they once did... today's tools are sparse & utilitarian (except the ones that look like running shoes or are twelve times as robust as they really need to be). Yesteryear's tools were (often, anyway) well thought out and executed. It's embarrassing that today's manufacturers, with 3D CAD and CAE and CAM, with CNC machining, with manipulable hologram modeling... can't seem to produce a hammer to match that produced in the days of pencil & paper, of armbands and green visors, of steam-operated hammermills.

[admin]

I have a new Stanley plane, and when I make a new enemy, I'll give it to him as a gift. Thing has an ignorant adjustment system, which is placed inside an ignorant design that doesn't work. It doesn't even work well enough to serve as a roughing plane. When you push it down a board, the iron will cock itself to one side, the corner digs, and it'll take out a chunk O' lumber. The faster/harder it is pushed, the deeper and longer the gouge. If you're going slowly, it'll just try to break your wrist.

I have a No-Name plane I bought NEW for $15.99 and it came with a spare iron and guess what? It is always sitting on the side of it's sole on my bench. I've tried to put it away, even gave it a space of it's own, and every time I need to plane something, even a small piece, it gets the job. And I have two Stanley blocks that supposedly should do a better job on small pieces, they don't. One of the Stan Blocks has a adjuster that is a tad tricky for me, and the other won't work right unless the cap iron is screwed down so tightly that you can't adjust the depth of cut.

I'm convinced I'll never own a plane that is worth a crap unless I pay more for it than I did for my first car. Or, take possession of a plane that was worn out before I was born, lol.

[cabinetman]

My two favorite hammers (1 claw, 1 framing), are hand-me-downs from the 30's. I wouldn't trade them off for anything new. Both wood handled and just have that "feel", like they were made to fit my hand. I never checked on brands. They're like old friends (older than me anyway).

[lockman]

I know what you are saying about the cheap no name hammers.
I have a couple Stanley, a few Estwings and I still go foe the cheaper no name when on a job site.
Like someone said they usually don't disappear either.
Todd

[art3427]

I have about a dozen hammers I've accumulated over the years. They range from 5 oz. toys to 28 oz. framers. The one I use the most is a small brass head I made myself while working in a machine shop years ago.

art

[rrich]

Funny...

I was building up the contents of a Bucket Boss for use at school. HF had an Estwing (or knock off), painted gray for a price that was ridiculous. (I don't think that it was over $5 with tax.)

You can't imagine the number of times that it was "Borrowed" at school. The favorite use was using the handle, just below the head, to burnish miter joints.

In the shop I usually look first for that el cheapo hammer.

[sachbvn]

Oct 30, 2009 21:05:10 GMT -6 admin said:

I'm convinced I'll never own a plane that is worth a crap unless I pay more for it than I did for my first car. Or, take possession of a plane that was worn out before I was born, lol.

TJ - not sure where you live, or what kind of estate auctions people have 'round your parts. I live in a rural area - lot's of estate auctions - lot's of farming community type deals....

I would strongly suggest looking through the paper for auctions - ones that have listings for tools - and hit those up. Be there early - hayracks are the best place to find planes - and they are often hidden not advertised in the "listing" of items in the papers.

I mean.... I've walked away with a #4 (I think) for 15 bucks, and in great condition!

Auctions mid-week tend to draw a smaller crowd so... if work permits - those might be worth going to.

Oh, and - best advice.... don't like yourself get "caught up" in wanting something at an auction..... set a number before you start bidding of the MAXIMUM you'll pay for it.... then don't go over. Realize when.... it's just not for you that day.

Good luck!
Zac