The weight of the striker in this case means the weight of the entire head — the working part of the hammer, put on the handle. The overall weight of the tool is also affected by the handle (sometimes quite significantly), but the performance is almost entirely determined by the weight of the head. Therefore, it is this indicator that is usually indicated in the characteristics and it is he who is meant when talking about the weight of the hammer as a whole.
Each type of hammer (see "Type") has its own weight range: for example, carpentry hammers are available in the weight category from
100 g to 1 kg, metalwork — up to
2 kg, and the weight of sledgehammers starts at about
1 kg and often exceeds
10 kg. In special sources, you can find detailed recommendations on the choice of weight depending on the type and planned features of the application. Here we note that, all other things being equal, a larger weight has a positive effect on the impact force, a smaller one contributes to accuracy and accuracy.
The presence in the hammer of a special
retainer for the nail.
Such a latch most often has the form of a characteristic figured slot on the head. A nail is inserted into this slot with a hat, it is usually held with a magnet. In this case, the tip of the nail turns out to be directed in the same direction as the head of the hammer, and the cap rests against the edge of the slot. Thus, if a strong enough blow is applied, the nail will partially enter the material and be fixed in it. Thanks to this, at the “initial stage” of hammering, you do not need to hold the nail with your fingers, which means there is no risk of hitting them with a hammer. On the other hand, when using a latch, it is extremely difficult to hit a nail strictly at a certain point — a deviation of at least a few millimetres, or even centimeters, inevitably occurs. So the clamps are found mainly in hammers for carpentry (carpentry) and roofing (see "Type") — such work in many cases does not require high precision and allows the mentioned deviations when driving nails.
