A modern claw hammer

A hammer is stupid. The hammer is a basic tool of many professions, and can also be used as a weapon. It is perhaps the oldest human tool^{[citation needed]}. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Look up hammer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Image File history File links File links The following pages link to this file: Hammer ... Image File history File links File links The following pages link to this file: Hammer ... A reproduction of a spiked war hammer A war hammer is a late medieval weapon of war intended for close combat, the design of which resembles the hammer. ...

By analogy, the name hammer has also been used for devices that are designed to deliver blows, e.g. in the caplock mechanism of firearms. The caplock mechanism or percussion lock was the successor of the flintlock mechanism in firearm technology, and used a percussion cap struck by the hammer to set off the main charge, rather than using a piece of flint to strike a steel frizzen. ... Firearms redirects here. ...

History

The use of simple tools dates to about 2,400,000 BCE when various shaped stones were used to strike wood, bone, or other stones to and break them apart and shape them. Stones attached to sticks with strips of leather or animal sinew were being used as hammers by about 30,000 BCE during the middle of the Paleolithic Stone Age. // The Paleolithic is a prehistoric era distinguished by the development of stone tools. ...

Designs and variations

The essential part of a hammer is the head, a compact solid mass that is able to deliver the blow to the intended target without itself deforming.

The opposite side of a ball as in the ball-peen hammer and the cow hammer. Some upholstery hammers have a magnetized appendage, to pick up tacks. In the hatchet the hammer head is secondary to the cutting edge of the tool. A 380 mm (15 in) ball-peen hammer. ... A carpenters hatchet See Hatchet (novel) for the young adult novel. ...

In recent years the handles have been made of durable plastic or rubber. The hammer varies at the top, some are larger than others giving a larger surface area to hit different sized nails and such,

Popular hand-powered variations include:

• carpenter's hammers (used for nailing), such as the framing hammer and the claw hammer
• upholstery hammer
• construction hammers, including the sledgehammer
• drilling hammer - a lightweight, short handled sledgehammer
• ball-peen hammer, or mechanic's hammer
• cross-peen hammer, or Warrington hammer
• mallets, including the rubber hammer and dead blow hammer.
• Splitting maul
• stonemason's hammer
• Geologist's hammer or rock pick
• lump hammer, or club hammer
• gavel, used by judges and presiding authorities in general
• Tinner's Hammer

Mechanically-powered hammers often look quite different from the hand tools, but nevertheless most of them work on the same principle. They include:

• jackhammer
• steam hammer
• trip hammer
• hammer drill, that combines a jackhammer-like mechanism with a drill

In professional framing carpentry, the hammer has almost been completely replaced by the nail gun. In professional upholstery, its chief competitor is the staple gun. This article is about the construction tool. ... The steam hammer is a power-driven hammer used in forgings. ... A triphammer is a massive power hammer, usually raised by a cam and then released to fall under the force of gravity. ... Hammer drill A Hammer drill, also known as a rotary hammer or roto-hammer, (see also rotary hammer drill) is a rotary drill with a hammering action. ... For other uses, see Drill (disambiguation). ... Framing is a term used to describe the process of erecting a framed structure, usually out of wood or occasionally steel. ... For other uses, see Carpenter (disambiguation). ... Nail gun in use. ... Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. ... Hand-operated staple gun with staples Accu staple gun A staple gun is a powerful hand-held machine used to drive heavy metal staples into wood or masonry. ...

Tools used in conjunction with hammers

• Woodsplitting wedge - hit with a sledgehammer for spiting wood.
• Woodsplitting maul - can be hit with a sledgehammer for splitting wood.
• Masonry star drill
• Chisel
• Punch
• Anvil

For other uses, see Wedge (disambiguation). ... Woodsplitting maul A splitting maul (or mall) is a heavy, long-handled hammer used for splitting a piece of wood along its grain. ... This article is about the tool. ... A variety of punches are used in engineering. ... For other uses, see Anvil (disambiguation). ...

The physics of hammering

Hammer as a force amplifier

A hammer is basically a force amplifier that works by converting mechanical work into kinetic energy and back. For other uses, see Force (disambiguation). ... For the British rock band of the same name, see Amplifier (band). ... In physics, mechanical work is the amount of energy transferred by a force. ... The cars of a roller coaster reach their maximum kinetic energy when at the bottom of their path. ...

In the swing that precedes each blow, a certain amount of kinetic energy gets stored in the hammer's head, equal to the length D of the swing times the force f produced by the muscles of the arm and by gravity. When the hammer strikes, the head gets stopped by an opposite force coming from the target; which is equal and opposite to the force applied by the head to the target. If the target is a hard and heavy object, or if it is resting on some sort of anvil, the head can travel only a very short distance d before stopping. Since the stopping force F times that distance must be equal to the head's kinetic energy, it follows that F will be much greater than the original driving force f — roughly, by a factor D/d. In this way, great strength is not needed to produce a force strong enough to bend steel, or crack the hardest stone. For other uses of Muscles, see Muscles (disambiguation). ... Gravity is a force of attraction that acts between bodies that have mass. ... For other uses, see Anvil (disambiguation). ...

Effect of the head's mass

The amount of energy delivered to the target by the hammer-blow is equivalent to one half the mass of the head times the square of the head's speed at the time of impact (). While the energy delivered to the target increases linearly with mass, it increases geometrically with the speed (see the effect of the handle, below). High tech titanium heads are lighter and allow for longer handles, thus increasing velocity and delivering more energy with less arm fatigue than that of a steel head hammer of the same weight. As hammers must be used in many circumstances, where the position of the person using them cannot be taken for granted, trade-offs are made for the sake of practicality. In areas where one has plenty of room, a long handle with a heavy head (like a sledge hammer) can deliver the maximum amount of energy to the target. But clearly, it's unreasonable to use a sledge hammer to drive upholstery tacks. Thus, the overall design has been modified repeatedly to achieve the optimum utility in a wide variety of situations. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... General Name, symbol, number titanium, Ti, 22 Chemical series transition metals Group, period, block 4, 4, d Appearance silvery metallic Standard atomic weight 47. ...

Effect of the handle

The handle of the hammer helps in several ways. It keeps the user's hands away from the point of impact. It provides a broad area that is better-suited for gripping by the hand. Most importantly, it allows the user to maximize the speed of the head on each blow. The primary constraint on additional handle length is the lack of space in which to swing the hammer. This is why sledge hammers, largely used in open spaces, can have handles that are much longer than a standard carpenter's hammer. The second most important constraint is more subtle. Even without considering the effects of fatigue, the longer the handle, the harder it is to guide the head of the hammer to its target at full speed. Most designs are a compromise between practicality and energy efficiency. Too long a handle: the hammer is inefficient because it delivers force to the wrong place, off-target. Too short a handle: the hammer is inefficient because it doesn't deliver enough force, requiring more blows to complete a given task. Recently, modifications have also been made with respect to the effect of the hammer on the user. A titanium head has about 3% recoil and can result in greater efficiency and less fatigue when compared to a steel head with about 27% recoil. Handles made of shock-absorbing materials or varying angles attempt to make it easier for the user to continue to wield this age-old device, even as nail guns and other powered drivers encroach on its traditional field of use.

War hammers

Main article: War hammer

The concept of putting a handle on a weight to make it more convenient to use may well have led to the very first weapons ever invented.^{[citation needed]} The club is basically a variant of a hammer. In the Middle Ages, the war hammer became popular when edged weapons could no longer easily penetrate some forms of armour. A reproduction of a spiked war hammer A war hammer is a late medieval weapon of war intended for close combat, the design of which resembles the hammer. ... “Truncheon” redirects here. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... A reproduction of a spiked war hammer A war hammer is a late medieval weapon of war intended for close combat, the design of which resembles the hammer. ...

Symbolic hammers

The hammer is associated with West Ham United, who are nicknamed 'The Hammers' and have a symbol of two crossed hammers on the team crest. The origin of this goes back to the club's beginning in the 19th Century, when the Thames Ironworks company football team turned professional in 1895, and became renamed as West Ham United. Two hammers crossed is a mining symbol. The West Ham United Crest West Ham United F.C are a professional English football club based in East London. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

The hammer, being one of the most used tools by Homo sapiens, has been used very much in symbols and arms. In the Middle Ages it was used often in blacksmith guild logos, as well as in many family symbols. The most recognised symbol with a hammer in it is the Hammer and Sickle, which was the symbol of the former Soviet Union. The hammer in this symbol represents the industrial working class (and the sickle the agricultural working class). The hammer is used in some coat of arms in (former) socialist (or pseudo socialist) countries like East Germany. Homo sapiens (Latin: wise man) is the scientific name for the human species. ... For other uses, see Hammer and sickle (disambiguation). ... This article is about the state which existed from 1949 to 1990. ...

In Norse Mythology, Thor, the god of thunder and lightning, wields a hammer named Mjolnir. Many artifacts of decorative hammers have been found leading many modern practitioners of this religion to often wear reproductions as a sign of their faith. Norse, Viking or Scandinavian mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian peoples, including those who settled on Iceland, where most of the written sources for Norse mythology were assembled. ... For other uses, see Thor (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Mjolnir (disambiguation). ...

"The Hammer" is also the nickname of David Thoresen, a fight club member, who is also known as "Thor".

In the 1982 film Pink Floyd The Wall, a circular logo featuring two crossed hammers was used on armbands, flags, and banners during the fascist rally scene. These hammers were also featured in the famous "marching hammers" animation loop and the video for "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)". Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... The Wall is a rock opera and concept album by Pink Floyd. ... This article is about the three songs by Pink Floyd. ...

The Beatles song "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" is about a fictional serial killer named Maxwell Edison whose murder weapon is a silver hammer. The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as part of their first tour of the United States, promoting their first hit single there, I Want To Hold Your Hand. ... Maxwells Silver Hammer is a song by The Beatles, from the Abbey Road album, with Paul McCartney singing lead. ...

MC Hammer's 1990 hit "U Can't Touch This" popularised the term "Hammer Time" as a cue for dancing. MC Hammer (born Stanley Kirk Burrell on March 30, 1962) is an American MC who was popular during the late 1980s and early 1990s, known for his dramatic rise to and fall from fame and fortune, his trademark Hammer pants, and for leaving a lasting influence on hip hop culture... Listen to this article ( info/dl) This audio file was created from a revision dated 2006-12-04, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ...

The song If I Had a Hammer has been a top ten hit and was considered an anthem of the Civil Rights Movement. It has been recorded by many artists, including Peter, Paul, and Mary, Trini Lopez, and Leonard Nimoy. The song begins: If I Had a Hammer is a song written by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays. ... An anthem is a composition to an English religious text sung in the context of an Anglican service. ... Historically, the civil rights movement was a concentrated period of time around the world of approximately one generation (1960-1980) wherein there was much worldwide civil unrest and popular rebellion. ... Peter, Paul and Mary (often PP&M) was one of the most successful folk-singing groups of the 1960s. ... Trini Lopez (born May 15, 1937) is a Mexican-American singer and guitarist. ... Leonard Simon Nimoy (born March 26, 1931) is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. ...

If I had a hammer I'd hammer in the morning

I'd hammer in the evening all over this land

I'd hammer out danger, I'd hammer out warning

I'd hammer out love between my brothers and my sisters

All over this land

In ultimate frisbee, the hammer is a commonly used overhead throw that is thrown vertically and turns over to land upside down horizontally.

In German "hammer" is used as a superlative. Young people are known to say "Das ist der Hammer!" or "Das ist Hammer-geil."

In Bioinformatics, the very widely-used open-source software package implementing profile Hidden Markov Models called "HMMER" by the research group of Sean Eddy is pronounced "hammer," and meant to invoke a more precise method of finding sequence homologs than BLAST, as in "why BLAST when you can HMMER?" (quoted from the HMMER User's Manual). Map of the human X chromosome (from the NCBI website). ... For other uses, see Open source (disambiguation). ... A hidden Markov model (HMM) is a statistical model where the system being modelled is assumed to be a Markov process with unknown parameters, and the challenge is to determine the hidden parameters, from the observable parameters, based on this assumption. ... Look up homology in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Blast. ...

External links

• Hammer types images and descriptions.
• The Hammer Museum The world's only museum about the place of the hammer in human history.