Are you a welder on a budget in search of a good blacksmith hammer? We have you covered. In this article we compare six of the top hammers to find out which is the best blacksmith hammer in the $15 to $50 range.
COMPARISON CHART
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | |
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Picard Blacksmith’s Hammer
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KSEIBI Strike Club Hammer
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Stanley FatMax AntiVibe
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Stanley FatMax Sledge
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MintCraft Pro Cross Pein Hammer
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ABN Cross Pein Hammer
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Specification
| Handle Material | Painted Hickory |
| Grip | None |
| Head Weight | 2 lbs |
| Design | Two-piece |
| Warranty | Manufacturer Defect Warranty |
The Picard blacksmith’s hammer is a classic style hammer, made in Germany. Although it’s the most expensive hammer on our list, you’re getting a hammer that will last for what is still a good price.
WHAT WE LIKE
This is a two-piece, steel and hickory hammer. While the handle is lacquered and painted, it’s nothing a little sanding won’t take care of to reach the desired finish.
As this is a traditional style hammer, there is no rubber grip on the handle. However, the handle is contoured to fit your hand and once sanded and oiled won’t slip around in oily or wet conditions.
Also Read: Blacksmith Hammer Types 101
The Picard hammer is lightweight at 2.2 lbs total, listed as 1 kg as it is German-made.
This hammer is 15 inches long including the head.
Although it’s the most expensive hammer on our list, the Picard is still a reasonable $43.44. It also has a manufacturer defect warranty.
Specification
| Handle Material | Sealed Wood |
| Grip | None |
| Head Weight | 3.3 lbs |
| Design | Two-piece |
| Warranty | None Listed |
The KSEIBI strike club hammer is another traditional style hammer with a wood handle and high-carbon steel head. However, the quality of this hammer isn’t the best compared to the other blacksmithing hammers we’re reviewing in this article.
WHAT WE LIKE
This is a two-piece steel and wood hammer. The type of wood is unspecified. It looks like the head is mostly attached to the handle with glue, rather than expanding the wood at the top of the handle to secure the head. This could lead to durability issues, especially when working in high heat conditions.
Again, there is no rubber grip as this is a wood-handled hammer. The contouring on this hammer is very slight compared to that of the Picard. The handle is also lacquered so will need to be sanded and oiled to avoid it becoming slippery.
The KSEIBI hammer is listed as 3.3 lbs or 1500 grams, with a total weight of 3.78 lbs. This hammer is 15.16 inches long including the head. The KSEIBI hammer does not have a warranty and is $21.98
Specification
| Handle Material | Steel |
| Grip | Rubber |
| Head Weight | 2 lbs |
| Design | One-piece |
| Warranty | Limited Lifetime Warranty |
The only single piece hammer on our list, the Stanley FatMax AntiVibe is a solid chunk of forged steel. While it may be more durable, however, you get decreased impact absorption even with the AntiVibe design.
WHAT WE LIKE
This is a one-piece hammer with forged steel throughout. The bottom half of the handle is covered by a contoured rubber grip. This hammer has a rubber grip to prevent slipping and absorb some of the impact vibration. No alteration needed.
The Stanley FatMax AntiVibe has a lightweight 2 lb head, though the total weight of this hammer is 3.45 lbs. This hammer is 14.2 inches from head to handle. Stanley offers a limited lifetime warranty covering manufacturing defects. You can find this hammer for $35.69.
Specification
| Handle Material | Fiberglass |
| Grip | AntiVibe |
| Head Weight | 4 lbs |
| Design | Two-piece |
| Warranty | Limited Lifetime Warranty |
The second Stanley hammer on our list, this 4 lb sledge features a fiberglass handle with AntiVibe.
WHAT WE LIKE
This hammer has an AntiVibe handle grip to absorb some of the impact vibration during use. The Stanley FatMax Sledge is a whopping 4.7 lbs total, with 4 lbs coming from the head weight. Although forged like a blacksmith hammer, this hammer is more like a short-handled sledge hammer.
This hammer is 14.6 inches long from head to handle. Stanley offers a limited lifetime warranty covering manufacturing defects. You can find this hammer for an affordable $24.00. 6 inches long including the head. The KSEIBI hammer does not have a warranty and is $21.98
Specification
| Handle Material | Sealed Wood |
| Grip | None |
| Head Weight | 2 lbs |
| Design | Two-piece |
| Warranty | None Listed |
The MintCraft Pro is another traditional two-piece hammer with a wood handle. The handle is slightly longer on this one and it provides more contour than the KSEIBI.
WHAT WE LIKE
This is a two-piece, steel and wood hammer. The type of wood is again unspecified. There is a thin coat of lacquer on this hammer plus some paint for the brand name, so not much sanding compared to the other two wood handled hammers on our list. It seems like the broad end wasn’t ground down sufficiently as it seems to come with a circular pattern on the face which isn’t ideal for blacksmithing. You can smooth it out yourself, but it would be nice to not have to.
Again, there is no rubber grip as this is a wood-handled hammer. The contouring on the MintCraft Pro is more defined, similar to the Picard.Head Weight
The MintCraft Pro has a 2 lb head. This hammer is 16.8 inches long including the head, so you get a bit of a longer handle with the MintCraft Pro. MintCraft does not list a warranty for this hammer. You can pick it up for $32.99
Specification
| Handle Material | Fiberglass |
| Grip | Rubber |
| Head Weight | 3 lbs |
| Design | Two-piece |
| Warranty | One Year Manufacturer Warranty |
Finally, we have the ABN two-piece fiberglass hammer. The least expensive hammer on our list, this is a durable option with a one-year defect warranty.
WHAT WE LIKE
This is a two-piece hammer with a forged carbon steel head and fiberglass handle. Similar to the KSEIBI hammer, it looks like the head is just glued on. And because the handle is fiberglass, it’s unclear how it could be secured any other way. That might not be a problem, but the long-term durability is questionable because of it.
This hammer has a rubber grip that has holes through it to make it breathable and reduce weight, presumably, as well as to provide a way to hang it up. The ABN has a 3 lb head weight, although the product description lists its total weight as 1.7 lbs. This hammer is 15.6 inches long from head to handle.
ABN offers a one year warranty for manufacturing defects. This is the least expensive hammer on our list at a super affordable $17.29
Comparison
While there are some good hammers on our list, there are also some questionable ones. The KSEIBI and ABN seem to just have glue securing the heads to the handles, which is a little scary when you’re flinging the hammer up and down and pounding on things. If working in a high heat environment, there is also always the possibility of the glue melting depending on the type of glue used.
The Stanley one-piece hammer is also problematic. With the whole hammer being one solid piece of steel, there is very little vibration absorption. Stanley attempted to counter this with the rubber grip, AntiVibe technology and tuning fork design, to some success. It would be a whole lot simpler to just get a wood handled hammer, though. If you’re going to be using this type of hammer frequently, the vibration can injure your joints. For blacksmithing work, go with a traditional style hammer.
The two hammers on our list with fiberglass handles, while durable, aren’t the most well suited for blacksmithing work or other professional applications. You will get more longevity out of a wood handled hammer. For general use, the Stanley sledge and ABN will do fine and may be preferable, especially when breaking concrete or stone.
Conclusion
Based on the factors listed above as well as the general craftsmanship, the best blacksmith hammer on our list is definitely the Picard. While it is a little bit more expensive, the few extra dollars are worth it. The only downside is that lacquered handle, but experienced users will probably find themselves altering any new hammer to suit their preferences anyway.
All in all, the best blacksmith hammer in the $15 to $50 range is going to be the German-made Picard Blacksmith’s Hammer.
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