A claw hammer is a basic hammer used in construction and woodworking for driving nails into an object or for pulling nails out of an object. Unlike a sledgehammer, a claw hammer is much smaller and not suitable for hammering metal surfaces since the head is brittle.

Claw hammers can be designed with either a finish head or a waffle head. A finish head features a smoother, slightly rounded striking surface whereas a waffle head has distinct cross-hatch grooves on the head. A claw hammer with a waffle head is heavier and used in framing. The primary difference between the two types of head designs is that a waffle head claw hammer leaves a mark on the finished stock whereas a finish head claw hammer leaves a flat indentation.^[1]

[edit] References

1. ↑ Claw Hammer. Woodworking. About.com. 30-03-2009.