For anybody who has owned an Estwing—and I’m willing to bet anybody who’s read this far has hand-driven fistfuls of nails, in plates and plywood and casing, so we’re reaching back a piece—and we know that there’s no way to break or damage an E20 or E22. The only reason you would have to replace it was if you lost it.
These tools were permanent.
They weren’t perfect, but they were affordable and they could be handed down for generations.
But then hammers changed. Titanium happened. Light steel happened. Douglas Vaughn happened.
And that we don’t hammer nails anymore happened, which is a whole other conversation.
And yet, Old Blue has reinvented itself and showed up at my Home Depot. The fetch on that claw—I now mostly use a hammer for prying or levering—looks more chisel-y for removing trim or splitting a block. The leading edge looks threatening to drywall or a door that needs to be jacked up a little.
Oh, and it’s $35. #ToolsPerBowl