How Long is a Hammer? (Sizes By Type)

In this article, ill go through how long a hammer is and teach you everything I know.

I’ve used many different hammers in different sizes as a handyman. For instance, the claw hammer is longer than the club hammer, and the mallet hammer is shorter than the club hammer. There are recommended lengths for every hammer that you use. A good understanding of hammer lengths will come in handy while choosing a suitable hammer for your work.

Depending on the hammer type, the length of the hammer will vary from 14-18 inches. However, some hammers will be longer than 18 inches. And some will be shorter than 14 inches.

You’ll get more details from the below article.

Different Types of Hammers and Their Sizes

Usually, every household has at least one hammer. You might be using it for driving nails, pulling nails, or demolition work. Whatever the task, a hammer is a must-have tool in your toolbox. With that in mind, here are the most common hammer types.

• Claw hammer
• Ball peen hammer
• Club hammer
• Sledgehammer
• Mallets

Claw Hammer

The Claw hammer is the most common hammer type that most people use daily. This type of hammer comes with a steelhead that gives you dual functionality. To drive nails, you can use the face of the hammerhead. And use the two-pronged claw to pull out nails.

The Claw hammer handle comes in many different variations. For instance, you can find claw hammer handles made of wood, fiberglass, or steel.

Length and Weight

The claw hammer is 16-18 inches long. This is an ideal length for a claw hammer since you need good reach while driving nails into wood or concrete surfaces.

Large framing hammers have an 18-inch length, and the hammer head weighs around 28 ounces. These hammers are mainly used for driving large nails. Hence, more power is required, and the long handle is designed to do that.

A moderate-sized hammer has a 16-inch length, and a hammerhead weighs around 16 ounces. For small household tasks, this is the perfect tool.

Ball Peen Hammer

Also known as engineer’s hammer. These ball peen hammers are designed for metal works. They come with a rounded steel surface (steel ball) and a flat striking surface. You can use these hammers to shape metal, set rivets, drive punches, etc.

The ball peen hammer handles are mostly made from hickory.

Length and Weight

Regarding the weight department, these hammerheads range from 4 – 32 ounces. The smaller hammerheads are used for metal work, and larger hammers are used for tasks such as driving a cold chisel.

Quick Tip: If you use a heavy ball peen hammer for metal work, the metal might scar or distort, so consider the ball peen hammer weight before buying a hammer.

These ball peen hammers usually have a length of 14 inches. Sometimes, the length might go up or down an inch or two. Compared to claw hammer length, these ball peen hammers are shorter than claw hammers.

Club Hammer

The third is one of my favorite hammers; the club hammer. The club hammer can be categorized as a small sledgehammer. If you aren’t familiar with sledgehammers, don’t worry about that. You’ll learn about them in the next section.

These hammers have two identical faces. You can use these faces for toppling masonry work, driving stakes, or cold chisels.

Length and Weight

The club hammer is usually 10 inches long and made from hickory or fiberglass. Apart from that, the club hammer head weight is around 2.5 pounds. Also, 3 – 5 pounds hammerheads are common with construction workers.

Sledge Hammer

The sledgehammer is the big brother of the club hammer. The hammer is identical to the club hammer’s head. However, there are few noticeable differences between a club hammer and a sledgehammer.

• The sledgehammer handle is much longer than the club hammer handle.
• The hammerhead weighs more than the club hammerhead.

These sledgehammers are mostly used for demo work. You can find these hammers in construction yards.

Length and Weight

The sledgehammer length varies from 1 ft 8 in. to 3 ft 3 in. depending on the task you are completing; you can choose a suitable length. Always remember that with a longer hammer, you can generate more power. The hammer head weighs around 1 kg to 9 kg.

Quick Tip: Depending on the head mass, the sledgehammer length will vary.

Mallets

When it comes to mallets, there are two types; wooden and rubber mallets. The wooden mallets are excellent for woodworking and chiseling.

On the other hand, rubber mallets are mainly used for tile work, laying bricks, or moving objects into position. (1)

Length and Weight

Since the mallets are used for light work, both length and weight are significantly low than the other hammers. A mallet hammer length might vary from 7 – 11.5 inches, depending on the task. They weigh around 6-8 ounces.

The mallet hammers are typically smaller than the rest of the hammers, and this smaller size is excellent for tight spaces.

Most Common Hammer Handle Types

Nowadays, you can find hammer handles that have built with different materials. The most common hammer handles are steel, wood, and fiberglass. Each of these types comes with unique benefits. So, before choosing your next hammer, read this.

Steel Handles

Among the hammer handles, steel handles are the strongest. Hence, they are highly durable. You can find these steel handles on claw hammers. The length of these handles might vary from 14-18 inches.

However, steel handles are the heaviest option. Also, while hammering, the vibration will impact the user.

Wood Handles

Wood handles are the oldest type and fairly easy to use. They create less vibration and are lightweight.

However, these handles might break down occasionally if you use them regularly during heavy work. But replacing the handle is not a difficult task.

Fiberglass Handles

Fiberglass hammers are the best option for home DIY projects. These handles are lightweight and transfer less vibration than steel handles. Also, compared to wood handles, the fiberglass handles are more robust. (2)

The fiberglass handles are non-conductive. Because of that, this is an excellent option for electricians.

Take a look at some of our related articles below.

• What breakers are compatible with cutler hammer
• How to replace sledge hammer handle
• How to get nail out of wall without hammer

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References
(1) bricks – https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/plant-facility-equipment/types-of-bricks-used-in-construction-and-civil-engineering/
(2) fiberglass – https://cen.acs.org/materials/inorganic-chemistry/s-fiberglass-does-delicate-material/96/i38

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