VAUGHAN 16 oz Rip Claw Nail and Trim Hammer, 13 inch Hickory Handle, Made in the USA, VN12400, 99

Very well balanced. Nice claw, not too curved and not too straight. A perfect all around hammer. Made in USA. Cant beat it for the price, you pay just as much for something made overseas.

I’ve been using Avon 16 ounce straight claw octagonal handled hammer for probably close to 30 years. I don’t believe I’ve ever broken one, but I’ve had to replace a few from wear. I’ve broken and ordered a couple of handles over the years but apparently they don’t make the octagonal handled hammers anymore. I bought this one for my grandson as a present- the same hammer is Grampa’s :-) – he’s 12. I have spar varnish on hand, and I think I am just going to drawknife it into the shape of my hammer handle and varnish it before I give it to him. As a professional carpenter at various points in my career, I absolutely love wooden handled hammers. I just feel like I get less fatigue in my wrist and elbow, which has bothered me going on 30 years now. It just has a balance as well that the old standby West Wing 16 ounce steel hammer does not.

This Vaughan 99 is an Impeccably balanced 16oz hammer. I cannot fault the metal in any way. The wood leaves a little to be desired. The grain was fine and going the correct direction at bottom of handle. It has more grain and color than desirable for an impact tool. Another problem is the shoulder where the head fits onto the handle is cut and finished off poorly. It looks like the factory was trying to limp along the router bit for too many cuts. This is more in line with the quality level of a Chinese product. I can't really fault the manufacturer because as a public we have lowered our standards for USA made products due to the flood of cheap overseas products. I still have to give it 5 stars because at just over $20 shipped there is not much competition for a good wood handled hammer.

This hammer is great. The wood is obviously high quality and strong and it is weighted well. Plus it is nice to be able to buy something that is still made in the USA. It is just the right size to have around the house for every day job. Plus the lacquer on the head will keep it from rusting. I expect this thing to be working as long as I am. It is definitely worth the few extra bucks over the majority of made in china big box store hammers.

I was looking for a wooden handled Vaughn to replace one that I had for probably 20 years which was stolen. If you take care of these hammers and don't use them to pull nails the wrong way they'll last a long time. The wood handle is lighter and easier on your hands than steel handled hammers like Eastwing. Plastic or fiberglass handles are probably more durable but there's something classic about a wooden handle.

Beautifully made in America hammer. Really well finished and presented. Only costs a little more than the asian made products available locally. These Vaughn American made hammers are not sold in our local hardware stores so... Amazon to the rescue!

I've bought many hammers and bars from Vaughn over the years and will keep buying them . Great quality

Why is a good wooden handled hammer so hard to find at the hardware store these days? Everything has gone fancy heads, shafts and grips. Hammer designs seem to change faster than shampoo bottles. This is the hammer I reach for first. Vaughan has the best shaped handle on the market for a traditional hammer. American hickory used for the handle is known for its strength, lightweight and shock absorbing ability. Vaughan has properly polished the head unlike a lot of hammers out there in this price range which harks back to a time when making a quality wooden handled hammer mattered more than it obviously does today. 16oz is the perfect weight for use around the house. Rip-claw vs. typical curved claw lets you take stuff apart (demo time!). Caveat: fits best in bare hands (can be slippery with gloves due to lacquered finish on handle).

The quality on these US made hammers is exceptional, these are built to last and so much better than a cheap hammer, at not much more $.

Nice quality 2nd fix hammer, mine came with an attractive fine Hickory reddish grain. At first I thought the handle too short by an inch and even thought of extending it. But the balance felt fine after I got used to it and all is good now.