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Will the darker handle make it drive nails any better? Of course not. But one of the things I've discovered over the years is that when you take even a few minutes to personalize an ordinary tool, it somehow becomes your tool. That's worth far more than the seven dollars I paid for it.
THE 16 OUNCE STANLEY STHT51456
TOTALLY UNNECESSARY PURCHASE
MY VERY FIRST RIP CLAW HAMMER
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Disclaimer: This story was started in May of 2022, but sat in the "draft" folder 'til now.
A little stain, a little personality, and one unnecessary purchase that somehow made perfect sense.
Finally - 173 is ramping up for the first large-scale project since before the pandemic! I don't want to let the cat out of the bag right now, but the other day I had to stop by the local Home Depot to spy some prices and get some ideas. While there, I strolled through the tool corral and was of a sudden inspired!
An Unexpected Find at Home Depot
The inspiration was neither sublime, magnificent nor astounding. Rather, it was humble, simple and quite unnecessary. I must have passed this section of the Home Depot tool corral hundreds of times, each time passing without as much as a glimpse - until now.
For whatever reason, my eye was drawn to this simple wood-handled hammer. And at that moment, I had an idea! First, it's a rip claw hammer, which was the immediate justification for getting it - I didn't have a rip claw hammer! Next - it cost $7! How can you pass that up?
Try to learn something about everything and everything about something. - Thomas Huxley
Giving the Handle a New Look
Again, my inspiration wasn't exactly extravagant, but I thought, heck, take this simple looking hammer and make it...well...less simple looking. So I started by scraping the original varnish off the handle with the ol' razor blade.
Just a few minutes later the handle was down to bare wood, and ready for the next step. I say the next step as though there were a bunch of steps. In all actuality, how complicated can re-styling a hammer be? There really aren't a lot of options with a hammer after all.
So here we come to it. The whole point of this little project was to stain the handle, it's really that simple. Like I said there's really not a lot of things to do with a hammer, especially a brand new one!
Why Gunstock?
I chose Minwax's gunstock stain. I've always liked gunstock over the years.
And into the trusty shop oven it went. This was such a small project the stain dried well overnight.
And now this inexpensive Stanley rip claw hammer looks just a little better than it did with the very light colored handle...
Its Natural Habitat
And here it is in its natural habitat. This hammer will probably end up in the shed to join the curved claw shed hammer!
Hey, you never know when you'll need a rip hammer outside!
Thanks for stopping by, see ya soon!
I don't know much about hammers.
Honestly, until this post I didn't know there was a difference between a rip claw and a curved claw.
But I do understand making something feel like your own.
Whether it's a coffee mug, an old chair, or a hammer, there's something oddly satisfying about taking an ordinary object and giving it just enough attention that it becomes your version instead of everyone else's.
I also appreciated that this wasn't presented as some life-changing upgrade. You spent seven dollars, scraped off some finish, added stain, and smiled at the result.
Sometimes that's enough.
In fact, reading House 173 has convinced me that "enough" may be one of your favorite tools. - A Casual Reader
Frequently Asked Questions
Why stain the handle of a brand-new hammer?
Functionally, there was nothing wrong with the original finish. The goal wasn't to improve performance but to give the hammer a little more character.
A darker stain creates a warmer, more traditional appearance and makes an inexpensive tool feel a little more personal. It's a small change, but it's one that makes the tool feel like it belongs in my workshop rather than on a hardware store shelf.
Why choose a rip claw hammer if you already own a curved claw hammer?
Although both drive and remove nails, they're intended for slightly different work.
A curved claw excels at pulling nails and general household repairs. A rip claw has a straighter claw that works better for prying apart lumber, lifting trim, or demolition tasks where leverage is more important than easy nail removal.
Since I already owned curved claw hammers, this filled a gap in the workshop.
Why scrape off the factory finish instead of sanding it?
Using a sharp razor blade quickly removes thin factory varnish while producing very little dust. It also avoids unnecessarily rounding over the crisp edges of the handle.
For a simple project like this, scraping took only a few minutes and left the wood ready for stain with minimal additional preparation.
Does staining a hammer handle make it more durable?
Not significantly by itself. The stain mainly changes the appearance of the wood.
If followed by a protective finish, it can provide some additional resistance to moisture and dirt, but the primary purpose here was simply to give an inexpensive tool a warmer, more traditional look.
Keywords
Stanley STHT51456, Stanley rip claw hammer, hammer handle stain, personalize hammer, Minwax Gunstock, wood handle hammer, DIY tool customization, inexpensive hammer, hammer makeover, House 173 workshop
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