Vaughan & Bushnell 99 16 Oz Professional Rip Hammer, White

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.

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.

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 is a great hammer - nicely balance, minimal reverberation back through the handle - heavy enough for finish carpentry and light enough on the tool belt to carry around.definite thumbs up

I recently misplaced mine after 40+ years of heavy use. Too bad. The handle showed weathering but looked good for another 40 years. The head had aged to a beautiful dark hue, with no rust and no noticeable wear, although I did sand the face every 5 years just to take off the shine.It's perfectly balanced, feeling more like 10 or 12 oz., a joy to use all day. The long handle allows for real power when needed, or choke up a bit for more precise control and less force. There was no sign at all of any loosening of the head from the handle. I wish I were made as well!I'm going to look for it a few more days before buying another, probably from Amazon as most hardware and tool stores only sell the Vaughn framing hammer.UPDATE: My new hammer arrived from Amazon today. In reference to another review, paint thinner (mineral spirits) quickly and easily removed all vestiges of adhesive from my beautiful new hammer.

The head of the hammer is not hard enough. Nails damage the strike face. I have 50 year old hammers that have better heads on them than this.

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).

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.