hareynolds

Further on the subject of kinetic energy:

Before armories around the world understood kinetic energy, they thought that MOMENTUM (M x V) was most important thing in a ballistic round. Consequently, they designed weapons with BIG bullets for what was called "stopping power".

Hence, for example, US Civil War rifle rounds (e.g. Minie balls) were around 0.50 caliber. By the 20th century, most militaries used calibers around 0.30 caliber (0.303, 0.30-06, 9mm, etc) The M-16 and derivatives OTOH use a tiny (but relatively long) 0.223 round with big muzzle velocity and relatively low twist (so that the projectile is meta-stable in flight).

This round has VERY high kinetic energy, and "tumbles" when it hits something, so it is remarkably deadly (even if it arguably isn't as good as a heavier round for hunting deer in heavy cover, for example). Plus, an infantryman can carry many more rounds for the same weight of 0.30 cal ammo.

Energy is conserved, momentum is not. Energy grows with the square of velocity. Fast bullets (and fast cars) are therefore more deadly, and a lighter, faster hammer is better.

Yet another aerospace material (like carbon fiber composites) showing-up in a consumer product because it's "high tech".

The "secret" of titanium is that kinetic energy is proportional to the SQUARE of velocity, but only linearly related to the mass (the common formula is 1/2MV^2).

A lighter hammer can be accelerated by your arm more easily, and will have higher kinetic energy at impact than a conventional steel hammer.

In addition, Titanium has a modulus of elasticity (Young's modulud, or "E") roughly HALF that of steel (~17MM psi versus 33MM psi for steel) which means that it will dampen the shock wave from impact a lot better.

I suspect that one reason we are seeing titanium hammerheads is that the Former Soviet Union used to control a very high percentage of worldwide titanium "sponge" production, and with the Cold War at least temporarily called-off, they desperately need another outlet for the material.

Frankly, however, titanium is a horribly inefficient way to lower the weight of a hammer head, since the material is so expensive. A better solution from an engineering standpoint would be to remove weight from a steel hammer head (e.g. by making it like two parallel rails connected only at the head and claw). I'm sure that somebody patented something like that at least 100 years ago, but nobody would likely buy it because it doesn't look like a hammer is supposed-to.

Furthermore, you can't sell it with a one-word "high tech" pitch like "TITANIUM!!!" Oooo, high tech!

I suspect that you could get 3/4 of the benefits in a framing hammer just by drilling big transverse holes in it (use a diamond drill, the steel is HARD, and radius the edges of the holes to prevent stress risers. Better, do it before the heads are heat-treated.)

In short: Bah, hambug.