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Acer
Big Wall climber
AZ
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 13, 2010 - 06:31pm PT
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Question??
I have been collecting hammers and watching for more on EBAY and looking at the pics of others that have collections.
Why are there so many hammers that are UNUSED?!?!?
I see like half or the hammers are unused.
Is this going to happen to the D5 hammer??
Do I have to buy 2? One for the mantel and one for climbing??
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Mar 13, 2010 - 07:28pm PT
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poseurs
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Mar 13, 2010 - 09:40pm PT
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I sold my (second) A5 hammer back to the guy I bought it from some years ago, at the original price.
Hey, it was too heavy for me to swing anyway!
My old Chouinard is the perfect weight for me, and was made with the harder steel, so it doesn't mushroom like the newer BD ones.
I do need to replace the tang nail/rivet, and should probably replace the original webbing that goes into the handle before it gets more frayed.
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couchmaster
climber
pdx
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Mar 13, 2010 - 10:06pm PT
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Yes, don't go all beating the hell out of your finely tuned D5 hammer when you get it:-)
BTW, Bryan Schmidt called me out for a pic of my hammers on another thread so I'll get to that, but I want to say that the Kong Eagle, which comes in 2 weights, is an awesome hammer. I have 2 (TWO) near new A5 hammers, and it's hard to take either out into the dirt and the rain, like today when all I needed to do was to drive one fixed Bugaboo (Ujahn did it) and smash a wobbly loose flake off with it. Boom, back in the pack.
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Acer
Big Wall climber
AZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 15, 2010 - 01:45pm PT
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I am missing the McDivitt Hammer and the BIG Kong.
I do have Sue M.s double plastic boots now. For my daughter, silly.
I like the hammers and I admit that I keep them at the house and use the BD hammer for the dirty work. HAHA
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Roger Brown
climber
Oceano, California
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Mar 29, 2010 - 01:04am PT
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Clint, I just bought a Chouinard hammer on E-bay. It was bought in 1978 and never used. That is gonna change this summer:-)
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Mar 29, 2010 - 01:12am PT
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I think I bid on that hammer, does it have a blue leash? If so, never used and the price was LOW!
Such a nice find.
Let's see a pic Roger!
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ec
climber
ca
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Mar 29, 2010 - 06:15am PT
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Clint,
Was that Ron who you sold it back too? I gave him that hammer and it was used on Angel Wings and Tehipite FA's. I was bummed when he told me he sold it.
 ec
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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Mar 29, 2010 - 06:59am PT
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Can't believe that proud original Yo Hammer only went for $68! Those are fantastic hammers, probably the best ever for all around aid climbing. For FA's where you might be drilling a bunch, it's a little light in my opinion, but for alpine big walls, they're the best.
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Roger Brown
climber
Oceano, California
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Mar 29, 2010 - 02:19pm PT
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Mucci,
The one with the blue leash was a BD and I was out bid. This was the one Clint posted a photo of. John, BD's don't seem to hold up too well. I turn while hitting and usually do sets of 100. I try for 30 sets per bolt, and that is kinda hard on a hammer head. Light hammer, more reps works for me:-)
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Mar 29, 2010 - 02:34pm PT
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The 68$ one had a blue leash, I remember the BD, it had black tape on it and a modified pick end.
Is this the one?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190382785163&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_1182
That Chounard I bid on was the best looking one I have seen!
Roger- have you tried putting some lead tape on the head of a BD? I guess that won't improve it's life but would make it a proper bolting hammer.
Also- what type of bit do you use, hilti/bosch? I have yet to find one that works that great.
Greg sent me some of those silver pointed hilti bits, Best one yet.
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ec
climber
ca
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Mar 29, 2010 - 02:39pm PT
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'best hammer I ever had is my Forrest Wall Hammer w/the fiberglass handle. I know it saved my wrist from ruin and outlasted any Yo Hammer (2) I used. My A5 is second up.
ec
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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Mar 29, 2010 - 04:59pm PT
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Definitely an original Chouinard Yo Hammer. Fine tools, they would go for up to $100 back in 1984 in Yosemite when there were no forged hammers in production (in fact, when no big wall hammers were available except for some lightweight European ones) . These, along with the Forrest blue fiberglass handle, were the most coveted of the day.
No biner hole, but you could just tie a supertape collar below the head for a clip in for funkness purposes.
Here's some trivia--did you know that these hammers, and some of the early diamond C arrows (but post Ventura forged), were also produced at the Ajax Forge, where Theron is getting the D5 hammers from? That's what one of the guys who worked there told me (later, Chouinard discontinued the Yo hammer, and sourced the arrows from CAMP in Europe--the European ones weren't quite as good, in my opinion).
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Roger Brown
climber
Oceano, California
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Mar 29, 2010 - 06:29pm PT
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Mucci,
Your right, I didn't look at the second picture. Duh. I have tried all kinds of bits and now just use what ever Greg sends me:-) If this new hammer feels too lite I was also thinking of the lead tape. I figure just below the head to help protect those clips that help hold the head on. The clips seem to break on the BD hammers in the first few weeks anyway so I question if they really do any good or are just for looks. The last hammer I wrapped the clip area really heavy with tape but when I took the tape off to check them, one was broke already. The tape was undamaged. I put a stubby handle on one of my framing hammers and I really like the feel. I will try it this summer also. Maybe start a new trend:-)
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Mar 29, 2010 - 06:40pm PT
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^^^ HA!
That just happened to my BD. I pulled the tape off and the plate was swinging like a door.
Very nice pick up, sorry for bumpin the $ :)
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cragnshag
Social climber
san joser
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Mar 29, 2010 - 07:17pm PT
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My last two BD hammers suffered the same fate at Roger's hammer. The little side plates snap off just below the head- really thin metal there.
The first thing that happens is the nail with the plugged ends that holds the plates together pops a plug on one end (like Clint's has done- by the way Clint I may be responsible since I'll sometimes use your hammer).
Then I replace the nail with a thin threaded rod with nuts on each end to hold everything together.
Then one plate snaps off.
Then the other plate snaps off.
Then the head itself starts to come off the shaft.
Twice this has happened now. I sent the first one back to BD and they replaced it for me. Then the replacement failed two weekends ago. And I don't think it's because I swing too hard. The same thing has happened to Roger's hammer and he could snap me in two. I think it may have to do with the angle/ attitude of the hammer as it hits the drill. And different folks have different styles. Maybe we hit it in such a way as to create the same force that torques the head just right. I dunno.
I'm going to try swinging a heavy Piccard french milling hammer (named after France's prodigal son, Jean-Luc) this summer and see what happens.
I'll post a photo of the hammers later tonight after RR's slideshow.
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cragnshag
Social climber
san joser
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Mar 30, 2010 - 10:39am PT
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Roger Brown
climber
Oceano, California
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Mar 30, 2010 - 02:00pm PT
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Wow,
I just set my BD hammers up the same way your hammers are in the bottom view and guess what? The new BD hammer they sent me is narrower than the old one. The striking head is way fatter on the old one. I wonder where the new ones are made? Any BD employees lurking out there? Your milling hammer looks stout, kinda like my McDevitt(sp) hammer.
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Acer
Big Wall climber
AZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 3, 2010 - 11:48pm PT
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There's my original UN-USED hammer question.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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ec,
> Was that Ron who you sold it back too? I gave him that hammer and it was used on Angel Wings and Tehipite FA's. I was bummed when he told me he sold it.
Yes, I sold it back to Ron. Back where it belonged!
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Moof
Big Wall climber
A cube at my soul sucking job in Oregon
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Acer,
Probably half of all wall gear simply never makes it outdoors. A lot of ambitions fall flat, or folks gearing up for their once in a lifetime trip hook up with a partner that already has the requisite gear. I think in the case of A5 hammers, timing corresponds to the tail end of heavy pin use. Probably a lot of folks got nice hammers only to find that their old topo calling for 10 bongs was outmoded by Friends and Camalots.
Just my guess. Even having done a few walls, my hammer has barely been swung, and even then mostly at the local crag replacing bolts more than anything. Same with a lot of my gear. Lots of stuff gets bought only to end up in the reject bin, the aging heap, or the closet of shame.
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Thorgon
Big Wall climber
Sedro Woolley, WA
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But unused what a sin!
Thor
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SGropp
Mountain climber
Eastsound, Wa
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cragnshag, that new hammer in the photos look like a French style blacksmiths hammer. The full width cross peen is the give away. I've got a whole set of them up to about 4 lbs head weight.
With some regrinding and reforging and new heat treat these would be a good basis to make a great wall hammer from.
Hammer geometry , weight and balance are critical in a hammer that functions as it should. A hammer is a hell of a lot more than a rock on a stick. I'm a blacksmith by trade and have over a hundred hammers, each one works best for it's specific purpose.
The best wall hammers I ever used were the [ early 70s] heavy Chouinard crag hammer or the Charlet Moser with the steel sleeve below the head. The long pick of the crag hammer worked great for pulling pins out like nails after they had been loosened with a few well placed blows. With a tooth filed in the end of the pick, it also was handy for the occasional drytooling move on alpine rock.
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couchmaster
climber
pdx
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Why are there so many hammers that are UNUSED?!?!?
I've recently done a few new routes. I've placed approx 357 large 1/2" x 6-1/4 or 1/2" x 7" Stainless wedge anchors.
Like the large one below:
Needed a hammer for every one of them. The rock below is representative of it. That one was done with just slings, a few nuts and a cam though, no bolts. Ground up solo. Originally I just left that black sling there to rap off of, but we decided to put in an anchor on top later for other folks. But lots of the other routes have gotten various amounts of bolts for pro s there's not cracks out here, just knobby conglomerate type rock.
Same with the 40 Stainless Fixe anchors that I used 3/8 x 6-1/2 stainless wedge anchors for. Like these.
However, I just couldn't bring myself to take a near new A5 hammer to bang in any of those bolts. While drilling I dropped the sweet A5 blow tube 300' and it disappeared into the woods never to be seen again (the one that came with the Hurricane hand drill) and it was so painful that I couldn't chance dropping a hammer. I used the 2 bigger hammers I had which were already pretty well used: a Forrest Wall Hammer (longer handle version), and the heavy version Kong Eagle.
That's buddy the bong smokin' bear up there holding it in and trying not to cough:-)
Hope that answers your question from my view anyway. BTW, I have 2 Chouinard's and a BD Yos hammer not pictured. I usually grab the BD to pound pins as it's a good size and most importantly, replaceable.
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Thorgon
Big Wall climber
Sedro Woolley, WA
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Dang, great collection of hammers Couch!!!
Thor
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couchmaster
climber
pdx
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Thanks Thorgon! I'm pretty sure there's more someplace. Like back in the 80s I loaned a sweet Forrest Wall Hammer to a buddy to go to Yos and do some walls. About 7 years later after a few reminders every couple of years I got it back. It was so difficult for dude to part with as he'd fallen in love, that I bought this one on ebay and permaloaned the other one back to him. I'm suppose to get it back when he dies.
It's the middle one in this pic
It looked much better before I loaned it out. Notice that the top Moljiner wasn't in the top picture either. I have all the picks for it and it's in perfect condition.
I bought that saw blade and was going to grind and fit it so I could have a cleaning tool. However, it was so perfect I couldn't pull the trigger and trash it.
Top:
I wound up using a Stubai tool, the red one in my hand: that is now pretty trashed:
Regards:
Bill
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