I’m a tool junkie, so looking for clearance items, particularly vintage tools like hammers, axes, mallets, and scissors, is my kind of hobby. Antique hammers, in general, appeal to me the most. But, when I initially began collecting old tools, I ran into problems since it was unknown to me the hammer identification process.
However, now it’s known to me how to recognize vintage tools, particularly hammers. It’s both simple and complex at the same time. But let us strive to learn everything we can about it.
How To Identify Old Hammers

While there is no universal method for recognizing old and antique hammers, you can use these guidelines.
First, following the history of hammers might be one of the most effective ways. As you’ve observed, each hammer represents a different chapter in history. That implies that if you understand the flow, you’ll be able to identify old and antique hammers and other instruments with ease.
For example, if we go at the history of the hammer, we’ll find the hammer was the earliest tool—archaeologists have recovered stone hammers dating back 2.5 million years. Hammerheads were cast more recently in the Bronze Age, and the Romans used claw hammers that were very similar to the ones we use today.
So, claw hammers have an old long history and are considered one of the oldest types of hammers. Some might be antiques also. Still, most people, when thinking of hammers, they think of a claw hammer. That’s why Some vintage hammer manufacturers still make claw hammers because of their high demand.
Second, if you know the old hammer brands, you can identify old hammers using this knowledge.
Stanley and Keen Kutter were famed for their hammers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the United States. From 1869 through 1886, Yerkes & Plumb was a prominent brand of hammers and axes, after which its anchor and other tool brands were marketed only under the Plumb name.
Also, there are some brands that have been manufacturing hammers for more than a hundred years. So, you can keep them in the count.
Third, collect antique hammers from reliable and licensed pawn shops. Many pawn shops in the United States offer authentic antique tools. However, not all. So, double-check before you go.
Old Hammer Brands
Stanley, Keen Kutter, Yerkes & Plumb, the Henry Cheney Hammer Co., and the A. R. Robertson Company are some of the old brands popular for their hammers.

Yerkes & Plumb was a well-known hammer and axe manufacturer, but its anchor and other tool brands were only sold under the Plumb name after then.
Maydole hammers date from 1845, as did the Henry Cheney Hammer Co., which was established in 1854 and manufactured everything from farrier’s hammers to prospector’s picks.
Stanley and Keen Kutter were famed for their hammers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the United States.
The A. R. Robertson Company specialized in bill-poster hammers, whereas the Double Claw Hammer Company’s specialty is self-evident.
FAQ
I’ve answered three typical questions about vintage hammers that I thought were interesting.
Hammers are around 2.5 million years old. In fact, the hammer is, in some accounts, the first tool in human history. Archaeologists have discovered stone hammers that were 2.5-million years old. But some argue that hammers are older than that.
It is, of course, in high demand in antique shops. An antique hammer is usually worth between $30 to $200. So, yes, old hammers have value if they are from a genuine brand and original product.
On one side, it has a rounded, flat head that is suited for driving nails. The opposite side features a claw-like bent end that may be utilized for a number of things.
Final Thoughts
These were all about how to identify old hammers. Though there are no universal rules for identifying old hammers, I tried to share my experience in this article. These are just some of my personal feelings about the query.
Otherwise, as a tool junky, I only can suggest one thing, and that is to invest time and know about the tool’s history. It will definitely help you to learn the actual formula for identifying old and vintage hammers as well as all tools.
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I have a Very Old Claw Hammer but it doesn’t have v to pull nails. It is solid hook and barley read Cherney stamp