Hammer Time

April 3, 2008 12:09 AM

Hammer quiz. Identify the intended use of speciality (mostly vintage) hammers. A sister site of Puzzle Photos (previously).

Answers after the last photo.

posted by Mitheral (27 comments total)

I hope at least one of them was for peening balls. Because I went ahead and guessed that for every one.

Some of them look like they'd be more effective at it than others.
posted by Rhaomi at 12:19 AM on April 3, 2008

I don't know why, but I find these hammers to be fantastic and beautiful. And a little scary.
posted by Mister Cheese at 12:26 AM on April 3, 2008

#23 was definitely previously owned by Maxwell Edison.
posted by wendell at 12:39 AM on April 3, 2008

I'll buy everyone in this thread a round if we can get through it without anyone making the inevitable, tedious, late 80's-early 90's pop-cultural refrence.

Nice pics, nice quiz.
posted by From Bklyn at 1:19 AM on April 3, 2008

I'll buy everyone in this thread a round if we can get through it without anyone making the inevitable, tedious, late 80's-early 90's pop-cultural refrence.

Oh, stop.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 1:34 AM on April 3, 2008

1. to hit things.
2. to hit things.
3. to hit things.
4. to hit things...
posted by Citizen Premier at 1:44 AM on April 3, 2008

Let me also take this opportunity to shamelessly pimp my article on hammers at Uncyclopedia. The moments of comic brilliance are all thanks to me, obviously. And, it being a wiki and all, I feel no guilt whatsoever blaming the unfunny duds on the shadowy Anonymous Contributors.

*shakes fist at shadowy Anonymous Contributors*
posted by Rhaomi at 1:56 AM on April 3, 2008

Prop-ah!
posted by Flashman at 1:56 AM on April 3, 2008

I doubt I could spot anything but a ballpeen. Does that make me evil?
posted by opsin at 2:55 AM on April 3, 2008

4. A saw set hammer, with a wrest style saw set:

And why would I want to set a saw using the back of this hammer? I don't get it.
posted by three blind mice at 3:10 AM on April 3, 2008

Anything that cuts down on the number of tools needed for a particular job is useful, especially if that job is being done in the field. Funnily enough, I was using a bowsaw and a claw hammer to clean and cut up scrap timber for the woodburner the other day. When I noticed the saw needed resetting I had to go and find the pliers. I suppose if I did enough of that kind of work, and knew a good blacksmith, I might ask her to make me one of these.

Nice link.
posted by ceiriog at 3:59 AM on April 3, 2008

I was amazed to discover that I actually got several right. I sort of guessed based on what I thought the logical use would be, and especially since many were multi-claw hammers that made it easy.
posted by Pollomacho at 4:23 AM on April 3, 2008

I liked this quiz, though I stopped trying to guess what they were used for after the second one and just looked at the pictures of hammers. No. 12 is pretty clever - my thumb would thank me if I could get one of those.
posted by Elmore at 5:14 AM on April 3, 2008

When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
posted by klarck at 5:27 AM on April 3, 2008

Good post.
posted by Wolfdog at 5:33 AM on April 3, 2008

1. Smash Patriarchy
posted by absalom at 5:52 AM on April 3, 2008

I don't know why, but I find these hammers to be fantastic and beautiful. And a little scary.

When you're a nail, everything looks like a hammer.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 6:10 AM on April 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

The last one is definitely a tool for advanced Harley-Davidson mechanics.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 6:11 AM on April 3, 2008

Heh ... #17 was a slam dunk ... I've got three different versions of it at home ...
posted by aldus_manutius at 6:57 AM on April 3, 2008

Neat, thanks!
posted by dan g. at 7:42 AM on April 3, 2008

I don't know what it is, but there is something about #13 that speaks to a part of my soul that loves strangely articulated things.

#23 on the other hand, speaks to the piece of me that sees every problem in terms of a nail that needs to be flattened.
posted by quin at 10:35 AM on April 3, 2008

I'll buy everyone in this thread a round if we can get through it without anyone making the inevitable, tedious, late 80's-early 90's pop-cultural refrence.

Trust me, I know what I'm doing.
posted by dhartung at 4:17 PM on April 3, 2008

The #2 Crandall hammer was given to Carrie Nations to use in her saloon busting temperance efforts. I don't know if she used it or stuck with the hatchet.
posted by BrotherCaine at 4:39 PM on April 3, 2008

I'm going to keep an eye out for a modern version of the multi pull number 1. It probably doesn't work as well as advertised but it looks like it would be ideal for stripping forms.
posted by Mitheral at 5:26 PM on April 3, 2008

Gotta say, I'd never really considered the existence of a specialty hammer before. As such looking at those photos of scary-lookin tools and trying to guess at their purpose was a rich mixture of fascinating and sinister. Consider my mind broadened. Interesting post, cheers.
posted by eponymouse at 3:17 AM on April 4, 2008

I'll bite.
posted by hypersloth at 3:51 AM on April 4, 2008

Ohhh! dhartung blows it for everyone! Maybe next time. (But, really, if you can make it to Berlin, I'd probably buy you one anyway).

hypersloth I don't know what that funny little .gif is, but it's cute!
posted by From Bklyn at 3:00 AM on April 7, 2008