This is my little rant…..
The actual Douglass hammer is very good. I actually have 2, and with the few modifactions Ive made, they are perfect. BUT, their customer service sucks!!!!!
The hammer head is mounted to the handle by two bolts. These bolts will loosen up with time so you have to check them or put some thread lock on them or something. Well, I didnt do that on one of my hammers and lost one of the bolts, making the hammer semi-unusable. Not a real problem, these things happen.
I have called Douglass hammers 4 times over the last 2 weeks to see if I could get replacement bolts. Each time get voice mail. Each time I have left messages with my name and number. So far no response. Wonder what gives with them. Id like use my hammer again.
Anyone else ever had to deal with their customer service? On their voice mail, they do give an e-mail address as contact point. I havent done that yet, I wanted to talk to someone.
Replies
You too stupid to come up with a substitute?
. "Chuck. Chuck. It's Marvin - your cousin, Marvin BERRY. You know that new sound you're looking for? Well, listen to this."
He might be. But in his defense, it IS some sort of goofy allen head bolt, not something we'd all have just laying around or find in ACE Hardware.
Me? I swipe one from somebody elses..LOL I am kidding about that part.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"If you want something you've never had, do something you've never done"
Even if it wasn't the exact one I'd come up with something that would work to get me by.
. "Chuck. Chuck. It's Marvin - your cousin, Marvin BERRY. You know that new sound you're looking for? Well, listen to this."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x8B6C54ggY&feature=related
>>I swipe one from somebody elses..LOL <<
When I was in college, there were four TR-3's, in various states of restoration, on campus, all convertibles naturally; one belonged to my room mate.
To be totally cool, you never put the top up, only used a tonneau (sp?) cover.
Problem was that there were only 3 authentic gear shift knobs among the 4 cars. Every owner knew where the other TR-3's got parked at night and those 3 knobs got traded almost daily. It was considered a great sport!
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
Common for Dale and I to swipe the screw that holds the rip guide on the DW circsaws we had..lol.
I finally ordered like 5 of them, I think we lost every one since.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"If you want something you've never had, do something you've never done"
<<When I was in college, there were four TR-3's, in various states of >>restoration, on campus, all convertibles naturally; one belonged to >>my room mate.>>To be totally cool, you never put the top up, only used a tonneau >>(sp?) cover.<<Problem was that there were only 3 authentic gear shift knobs among >>the 4 cars. Every owner knew where the other TR-3's got parked at >>night and those 3 knobs got traded almost daily. It was considered >>a great sport!Thats a great story! I am a bit older and I had a TR2-- I still have the hood ornament!!!E pay here we come...Not!!
Yeah....... :)
I actually did cobble up something, but it aint just quite right. I was able to find some bolts that would work ( this is after three hardware stores), but its a little ugly, and questionalbe lets say. I was hoping I would be able to order some replacement bolts, to make all right and pretty. My hammer's have got to be pretty you know.
Wait, where you talking a different hammer as in a substitute?? Ive been wanting to get a Ti hammer. :) That was one of the other questions I had for the cust. service, if they where thinking about coming out with a Ti hammer. If they where, I would definately wait to buy one of theirs. Live by the sword, die by the sword....choose your sword wisely.
Here the answer was under your nose the whole time in this very folder. :)
http://www.buildersinventions.org/?page=inventions_detail_pages/douglas_replacement_handle_detail
If they came out with a Titanium hammer I'd go back to using one.
. "Chuck. Chuck. It's Marvin - your cousin, Marvin BERRY. You know that new sound you're looking for? Well, listen to this."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x8B6C54ggY&feature=related
Yeah, I knew about the replacement handles but was hopeing to just be able to order the bolts. Douglass also has their own website.
I dont need this hammer, Ive got others to use. If I really did need it, I would just order the handle/ bolts and be done with it. Or take a bolt off of the other Douglass I have. What Im more dissapointed in is the customer service. I can understand not getting a call back if I left only 1 or 2 messages, but I have left 4.
In their defense, there may be something going on in the company, or some problem with their voicemail system, who knows.
I take it you used a Ti hammer at one time and now arent? If so, what did you find wrong with the Ti hammer you where using?
Now I gotta go find someone else with a Douglass hammer that I can "borrow" a bolt from.Live by the sword, die by the sword....choose your sword wisely.
I have a Douglas and bought a Ti and love it. Hardly use the Douglas anymore.
. "Chuck. Chuck. It's Marvin - your cousin, Marvin BERRY. You know that new sound you're looking for? Well, listen to this."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x8B6C54ggY&feature=related
"Hardly use the Douglas anymore."
so send the poor guy one of yer freaking bolts then!
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
I don't think so Jeff.
. "Chuck. Chuck. It's Marvin - your cousin, Marvin BERRY. You know that new sound you're looking for? Well, listen to this."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x8B6C54ggY&feature=related
heh heh Now that's funny right there!!!
Hardly use the Douglas anymore
Which one is it and how much you want for it? I love my Douglas.
jt8
"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it." --Upton Sinclair
Sorry. I don't sell hammers.
. "Chuck. Chuck. It's Marvin - your cousin, Marvin BERRY. You know that new sound you're looking for? Well, listen to this."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x8B6C54ggY&feature=related
Sorry. I don't sell hammers.
Got a guy at work with a Bosch jigsaw. He got it free. Has had it for years and hasn't even used it once. I keep trying to buy it from him, but he doesn't want to sell it. "I might need it some day," he says. Yeah right, its collecting dust on a shelf. I've threatened to email his wife to suggest she put it in their next garage sale (she despises 'clutter'). She'd probably be excited to get $5 for it at a garage sale.
And what did you say your dw's email address was? And when is YOUR next garage sale?
;)
jt8
"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it." --Upton Sinclair
She's cool with it. Besides I'll never be able to build a hammer fan like ProDek if I sell my hammers. :)
"You can't roller skate in a Buffalo herd." Roger Miller
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x8B6C54ggY&feature=related
Throw the Douglas away. Look into buying a Vaughan V-5 for an exact copy that is all steel like an estwing.
Looking for something else? Vaughn has a model S-2 that is pretty awesome. I found one online and bought it for an employees replacement. I threw his 20 oz Estwing off the 3 story roof of a house and into a lake, after he shot my T-shirt to the roof of the house. I wasn't wearing it.
After I did it I felt crummy so I offered that as a peace offering. Very nice mallet IMO.
Matt- Woods favorite carpenter.
Why would I want an all steel hammer? I thought it was best to stay away from the steel shafts, sent to much shock to your arm. Besides, I like my Douglass. If Im gonna buy another hammer its going to be a Ti hammer.
Didnt you add a funky handle to a Stilleto Ti??Live by the sword, die by the sword....choose your sword wisely.
m2akita, This is Andrew Douglas Coonrad from Douglas Tool Inc. I am sorry for the lack of customer service as far as our phone system goes. We prefer to do customer service through email at the time because we are in a period of transition and growing where it is hard for me to be on the phone all day. M2akita, to answer your question about rivets, our original source of custom rivets went out of business and for several months, we had to fall back on the old style with tube and screws (no thread lock). We are back with all new and improved rivets and we will send you as many replacements as you need to get your Douglas up and running. All I need is a mailing address and I will get those to you ASAP. Please email me at [email protected] with your mailing address and phone number so we can take care of this as soon as possible. That being said I am going to take this time to let you guys know about some new things with Douglas Tool and to clear up some rumors about other products and things. First off, the V-5 all steel "copy" of our hammer is a licensed design by us for manufacturing, distribution and sales by Vaughn and Bushnell Co. The Douglas profile in titanium is something we had considered and even produced in test quantities but have decided to license as well as the all steel version of our profile. We have licensed the rights to produce our wood handled profile in titanium to Vaughn and Bushnell as well and they will most likely release this hammer through the Daluge line that they now own. We are in the process of starting an all new tooling and manufacturing relationship with a manufacturer in Los Angeles, CA. At the beginning of the year, they will be pumping out a whole new line of Douglas Hammers that will replace the existing line not only in function and design but of 100% American made quality and reliability. We have a new handle source based on the east coast who is currently and will be our source for quality, 100% American Hickory handles for our models and possibly the Titanium hammers made by Vaughn. Included in the new line of hammers we are working on hammer profiles designed to replace and have similar qualities of titanium but without the unacceptable surface hardness and core density. You ever wondered why there is titanium hammers using the same design you have seen made for the past 100 years in hammer but instead they are made of titanium with a steel head because the titanium cannot withstand constant pounding? My father (the designer) and I believe in the quality of design as a first line of producing functional products. Design around the properties of the materials you are using to make the best product possible. If you could swing a hammer that had the weight and balance of a 16 oz. Titanium hammer, but was made from quality tool steel(much less expensive than titanium and better suited for striking tools) and had a quality wood handles hammer and all the patented perks of a Douglas, would you buy it? Hell yes you would. If you buy any of our licensed products from Vaughn or Daluge we don't mind because we get paid either way. We have decided to only put the actual Douglas name on products we manufacture to ensure quality. All this being said, I imagine you all have questions and comments on all the above and we encourage them. I will be trolling these forums from now on so if you have any questions feel free to ask. Also you can reach our customer service email (which as m2akita has already found) is the most reliable method of customer service for us at the time being. As soon as we can get our new line up and running we will have a full customer service experience and a brand new website for you just waiting but until then email is all we can do. Please fire me off an email or post in this forum with all responses and questions. Criticism is just as welcomed as praise as it is a similar beast.Andrew Douglas Coonrad
Manager - Douglas Tool Inc.
[email protected]
http://www.douglastool.com1840 41st. Ave.
#102-310
Capitola, CA 95010
USA
Very nice of you to post that."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
you have bumped your company up several notches...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
I'm glad, it is never in our interest to have any unanswered questions or misinformation regarding our company or our products. I hoe you guys will stick with us while we work out some logistics.Andrew Douglas Coonrad
Manager - Douglas Tool Inc.
[email protected]
http://www.douglastool.com1840 41st. Ave.
#102-310
Capitola, CA 95010
USA
Well,cool. Nice to see you here responding.
I have a question or two and some feedback.
I've had a DFI 15 for some time and last year my wife gave me another....but they aren't quite the same animal. Handle attaches with one verses two "rivets", and head is smaller where it attaches to handle. I actually prefer the older one, feels more balanced. I'm guessing the newer one has heavier head just because there's more metal. So what's the story?
I think I'm looking at the two different types of "rivets"? The socket head screw with finish washers is not as clean as the earlier version. I don't have particularly big hands, but the handles just feel too skinny. Solved that with a Stiletto air grip?, which I would do again in a heartbeat. Perhaps you will offer something similar or fatter handles on the new versions?
View Image
PJ
Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.
Interesting, both of the models you have there are old models. I think that a good handle grip add-on would be a great idea for us and I will definitely add that in to the idea pool for our new line. A little Douglas history to help explain the differences in your hammers: The older model you have is from not only a better batch of heads but from our 3rd oldest handle manufacturer when they were making quality. We were rejecting handles from that supplier from the start and they would take the rejects and put them back in a box on its way out to us with "new" product... >;< Very difficult situation that we just recently (last week) resolved and came to settlement. The newer hammer you have there is from an entirely different batch of heads that yes, is a little larger in areas that made it easier to cast. It also has the less effective and good looking rivets that I spoke about in my last post. So, there a couple things we can do for you. You can buy a new 12" handle kit (comes with new rivets and a new handle from our new supplier) or you can wait for the all new 15oz. finish hammer that is in the works as we speak, not to give too much away but the new 15 design will have similar design qualities to a Japanese style hammer with a long head and shorter claw for more leverage with less weight. Let me know what we can do for you. Unfortunately we cannot replace your handle for free as it is not deflective nor broken. Douglas return policy:"Limited Warranty: Douglas Tool Inc. believes in the unequaled durability, quality and design of our products, and will replace hammers with defective heads for up to two (2) years from the date of retail purchase. Normal wear, broken handles, misused, abused or altered tools are excluded. Douglas warranty does NOT cover damage to hammers that result from striking against concrete or hardened steel, i.e. hardened bolts, cats paw, chisels, etc."As you can see we will take care of you if you break a hammer (heaven forbid) but handles, being made of wood, cannot effectively be replaced. (We tried that but had guys running their Douglas over with their truck to get a new hammer) So, I hope I answered you question. I am trying to provide as much information as I can on this forum so forgive my longwindedness.Andrew Douglas Coonrad
Manager - Douglas Tool Inc.
[email protected]
http://www.douglastool.com1840 41st. Ave.
#102-310
Capitola, CA 95010
USAEdited 11/19/2007 3:46 pm ET by ACoonrad
Edited 11/19/2007 3:46 pm ET by ACoonrad
Andrew, the handle replacement option is one I'd considered anyway, the heavier head seems to want a longer one so it doesn't feel nose heavy.
Is there a different replacement handle for the single screw model? Probably not an issue, it isn't used for bashing the h*ll out of things.
I don't think you're going to bore any of the tool junkies here....;-)PJ
Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.
PeterJ,It was redesigned with two rivets because it seemed people were getting psyched out that maybe "it isn't strong enough for my wife to hang a picture frame..." and for general design continuity. I think the head you have should work with our two rivet handles. You should remove the handle and see what the configuration of the rivet holes is. I'm sure we can make something work for you. The 15 oz. is the only model we have that is not compatible with any of our other handles or heads. It has it's own handle interface size and it's own replacement handle rather than the rest of our line where all the heads and handles are interchangeable (accepet some older models of the DFR20 that has a S on the model number on the head (DFR20S) where the flange is a little thicker and therefor cracks handles sometimes when not installed carefully). Hope I answered your question. Keep em comin' boys.Andrew Douglas Coonrad
Manager - Douglas Tool Inc.
[email protected]
http://www.douglastool.com1840 41st. Ave.
#102-310
Capitola, CA 95010
USA
Hope I answered your question.
Yeah but brought up another. Sounds like I can't get a longer handle for DFI 15 than the one it comes with?PJ
Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.
Unfortunately that is correct. We only offer one handle for the DFI15 but the handles we do have are of much higher quality than the second one you have. Let me know what you'd like me to do for you.Andrew Douglas Coonrad
Manager - Douglas Tool Inc.
[email protected]
http://www.douglastool.com1840 41st. Ave.
#102-310
Capitola, CA 95010
USA
Andrew, I am glad to see the post that started this thread turned out to have a happy conclusion.I just looked up this thread today as I was only getting your voice mail on the phone and wanted to see if the poster of the original message had ever reached you.Can I get a replacement for my Douglas hammer. It snapped this morning driving in form stakes? I have attached a photo of it.I actually drove by your capitola ave address this afternoon figuring I could drop off the hammer but couldn't find your office. It seemed like there was a #101 and a #103 but I couldn't see your #102.I bought the hammer last October at San Lorenzo Lumber on 41st and have loved the hammer (other than the nuisance of occasionally retightening the handle).I will send an email to your customer service email address with my contact info so you can send me further instructions.thanks,
Karl
WOW! I am amazed you broke the head off. I have been abusing my douglas for several years now and it seems indestructible. There must have been a flaw in it.
I too am surprised that it broke. I haven't had a chance to drop it off with Andrew yet but will be curious what his analysis says. Overall I really like the hammer.Karl
My all-steel Estwing was my first framing hammer. I keep it hung up in the garage for pounding on anything and for pulling nails, which it is better at than any other hammer, IMO. I don't think I will ever be in danger of breaking that handle. I will say that in 2003, while working on a large residential project, I found a discarded estwing with the handle bent into as-shape. I have no clue as to how it was done. I assume that someone hit their thumb and decided to take it out on the hammer.
My second was the Hart Woody. I still treasure this. It is in my shop, although it does not get much use, since I am not framing anymore, except when I am building for myself or for a friend. When I do look at it, I think of houses I have built. I bought an extra handle for it a couple of years ago. It was the last one in stock. I will probably never need it since I learned not to pull nails with this hammer the hard way. The first handle only lasted a couple of months.
I bought the Vaughan fiberglass framer and was really impressed with it for a while. Eventually, I did not like the shape of the head and went back to using the Hart. It was a pretty good nail puller. The curve on the head was too tight and the square impact surface did not feel as good as other brands.
I avoided buying a Ti hammer because of the high price, and ended up buying a regular Douglas. This is the one in my favorite tool carrier. I just like the feel and balance of it. I also like that I can pull nails from the side of the head and put much more force on the nail without overstressing the handle. Of course, I don't pull too many nails nowadays, since I don't have to work with any guys who tend to increase the need to pull nails.
pry sideways with that Estwing and you can break the handle...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
That sounds hard to do.
The bent one I found was bent that way in an S-shape. I'm still mystified as to how they did it.
I assumed they were mad at it because I found it in the mud next to the foundation as the framing was going to the second floor.
it's not...
broken several that way...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Really glad to hear that about the Hart Woody as it was the very first production model of my fathers designs. Just some history of the Hart Woody:My father designed the the hammer that would become the Hart Woody in a metal shop in San Jose and then shopped some manufactures and the one that worked for us was Hart Tool Co. The heads were manufactured by a guy named Chris Tovar in Columbia. We had a couple of samples in some pretty exotic wood when we first got them from him. It was a great hammer and still is. Bob Hart who was the president and operational manger of Hart Tool is now our national sales manager. The assets of what was Hart Tool company are now owned by Daluge and in turn Vaughn and Bushnell (amazing how things have come full circle). Bob, myself and my father are good friends and Bob is actually spear heading the production of the new hammers as we speak. Just a little secret to all that happen to read this, we "may" bring the back the Hart Woody as you know it due to some secret stock that was found somewhere...I don't think I would like to meet the guy that bent the #### out of the Estwing you found but I think the v-5 is a pretty sturdy hammer. Also, it utilizes our patented side pull which gives you move leverage and less strain on the structural parts of the hammer. So, I imagine that the v-5 would be a great nail puller (I have only seen one not actually field tested that one). Glad to hear you don't need to pull nails as much anymore. Thats our patented "No Miss" system. Just kidding...Andrew Douglas Coonrad
Manager - Douglas Tool Inc.
[email protected]
http://www.douglastool.com1840 41st. Ave.
#102-310
Capitola, CA 95010
USA
Edited 11/19/2007 7:11 pm ET by ACoonrad
so that's the origins of my Hart Hammers...
small world...
Estwings are fragil...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
I wonder if the sysop can alter the title of this thread to drop the last word in the title ..."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
After I posted I went back to see if I could change the title. Sucks isnt really how I felt. Dissapointed is much more accurate.
So.............anyone know how I can contact the sysop to change/edit the title? Now Gunners gonna come and call me stupid again.......Live by the sword, die by the sword....choose your sword wisely.
Now Gunners gonna come and call me stupid again.......
He'll probably call you crafty this time. Got the man in charge to take charge. Nice going.http://grantlogan.net/
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. - J. Handey
Yeah, but I was secretly hoping that he was also gonna say " by the way we do have a couple of test Ti models, why dont we send you one. Try it out, tell us what you think....."
Yeah, and if Gunner is smart he'll listen to JeffBuck and send me his rivets. Or I could just figure out where Gunner lives, sneak down there and swipe one of his rivets. He's gone away to school this week any ways isnt he?Live by the sword, die by the sword....choose your sword wisely.
Wow somehow I missed all this. Very good ending to your problem. It's good you were so dumb or we would never have learned all this. :)
I leave for school in Canton tomorrow. Come over then and steal my stuff. You'll love the motion detector activated cross fire shotguns protecting my hammers. :)
Seriously I'm glad all this came out like it did. I love when the company takes the problem to heart and addresses it like they have here.
"You can't roller skate in a Buffalo herd." Roger Miller
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x8B6C54ggY&feature=related
Well, I havent got my rivets yet!!!! AND it wasnt that I was dumb, it was STUPID!!!! geeze, get it wright, I aint good enough yet to be both.
I was thinkin about telling rez that you had a bunch of Panasonic 12 volt batteries sitting in your garage. Figured he'd set off all the alarms, anti-theft devices first. Then I could just waltz on in and take my rivets (that was a funny, very very funny post in the classifieds by the way).
"Ya can't take a shower in a parakeet cage."
Live by the sword, die by the sword....choose your sword wisely.
ROAR! Yea he definatley gets all wadded up over some things. Like Panasonic batteries and spelling definatley wrong. It's like he has radar or something. :)
"You can't roller skate in a Buffalo herd." Roger Miller
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x8B6C54ggY&feature=related
Hey guys, I've enjoyed this post - after dreamily eyeing the ads for Douglas hammers I eventually ordered one a year ago. I'm in Canada, and the hammer ended up costing me about a hundred bucks - that was a tough choice, considering I can buy an Estwing or Vaughn for 30 anywhere here. Anyway, I love the head on the hammer, but after using the Stanley I-beam (plastic over steel shaft with rubber handle) I find that the wood handle is hard on my forearm. Also, I find the handle a bit big for my little sissy hands. I thought wood was supposed to be the s$$t! As I said, I love the head, but I miss the handle of my old Stanley. Anybody else feel the same? I'm thinking about going out and buying one of those 30 dollar hammers now. Thing is, the Douglas sure is sexy - nobody around here has ever heard of them!
Take a belt sander and sand the handle down until its narrow enough for your hand. Thats what I did with mine. Feels much better.Live by the sword, die by the sword....choose your sword wisely.
I've been thinking about doing just that - what about the shock, though? I thought that wood was supposed to be kind that way. I find it kind of jarring. This is my first woody.
" This is my first woody."
yer making it too easy. <G>
As I understand it the wood handles are supposed to be better than steel. How it compares to fiberglass I dont know. What size douglass do you have? I have the 20 and 18 oz. Havent really noticed any pain with using it, but havent really been swinging it a lot.
You could also try wrapping it with tennis racket tape. Ive heard of some guys doing that.Live by the sword, die by the sword....choose your sword wisely.
Well, it's a bit subjective, since everyone swings their hammer a little differently, how they grip it, etc. My old stanly was a 20 oz steel with rubber handle, but the rubber was quite soft and I found it very comfortable. It had a shorter handle, though, and the steel shaft added quite a lot of mass in a balanced sort of way.My Douglas is the 20 oz finish (basically the framing but without the meat-tenderizer). It has a longer handle than I'm used to, and I tend to choke-up a lot whenever I'm doing light work ie. not framing. I only frame a couple months of the year. Like I said, I love the head on the Douglas, but I'm not sure about the handle. I may just have to go back to a synthetic handle. Hey Douglas Tool, are you out there? Put a graphite shaft on your existing hammer head!
I've got the handle of my Stiletto wrapped with hockey tape. It's awesome in the summer when everything gets slick with humidity and sweat. Or wet with snow in the winter.
I am about to take my turn with Douglas customer service. My 22oz framing hammer broke a while back. It has been sitting in the truck for some time. I have just sent my initial e-mail to douglas with links to photos of the hammer. I've broke many handles, but I've never had the head on one break like this.
Try these files to make it easier for everyone to see what you're talking about.Hope this helps. Rich
How'd that happen??
Dont expect any lightning results. Even after the owner posted here and told me to e-mail, it took a while to get a response. They did come through for me in the end, but the time it took was a joke.
Live by the sword, die by the sword....choose your sword wisely.
I was driving cut nails. I loved that hammer. I had replaced three handles, but never dreamed of that happening.
Brady,
Wow, that hammer has been uuuuused! By the looks of it, you got your moneys worth.
Actually, it's not near as used as it looks. It was just around a year old when it broke. I let it sit in my jeep (rain, dust, mud) for the past year. This is when and where all the rust developed. If I buy a $100 hammer, I fully expect it to last longer than one year. More photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/nalcontractorservices/DouglasHammer
I suggest you contact Andrew at Douglas by e-mail <[email protected]> they have been known to replace broken hammers (even past the two year warranty) with no questions asked.
Yeah, I already did. Still waiting to hear back from them.
I am totaly surprised that you can break them like that. I have had mine for about 3 years and I am not nice to it. I break concrete, pound strip ease ties off with it, drive pounds of nail and haven't had any problems. Although a coworker said that he tried to buy one recently and most supplies stopped selling them. Maybe it is a new batch of #### there producing. I wouldn't change mine for anything I hate stilleto hammers with a passion.
I ended up getting my replacement hammer from someone other than Andrew at Douglass tool. He text messaged me about 30 seconds after I pulled up in front of their shop to say he had been unavoidably detained. Another guy was sitting in a truck in the parking lot scrutinizing a hammer (I think a prototype of a new design) and he ended up unlocking the shop and setting me up with a replacement.He explained the outfit that did the casting for them had changed heat treating processes and they ended up with a lot of inadequately hardened hammers being sold before the problem made itself apparent. They had to recall all the unsold hammers and switch to another casting outfit. Apparently it cost them a bundle and they are still struggling to recover from the financial cost of it.My hammer was purchased a year and a half ago in October or November and I broke mine driving stakes for concrete forms.I don't know what to suggest in terms of reaching andrew. If you don't get a reply I may be able to dig up his cell phone number. I just checked in text message mail box and I do have his cell phone. Give me a private email address and I will send you his cell number.It was a hassle to find the time to deal with getting the hammer replaced (even though I live in the town they work out of) but I like the hammer and have no regrets about buying it.Karl
Brady T, I looked through our email with no avail but I am here to help you out. We stopped making that model shortly after the end of the cold war... and by the looks of it you have been using it (hard) ever since. In all seriousness we have no problem sending you a new hammer. Please email me at my personal email address for further instructions. [email protected]Thanks for swinging a Douglas and hope to hear from you soon.Andrew Coonrad - Sales/Customer Relations
[email protected]
[email protected]
Andrew, has the supply of Douglass hammers dried up? I'm having trouble finding them for sale anywhere.
jt8
"A single rose can be my garden...a single friend, my world." --Leo Buscaglia
I'm going to jump in here to clarify one bit of miss-information from Acoonrad. Hart Tool Company was sold originally to Dead On Tool (Bob Hart was scammed out of his company by an insider and forced into chapter 11), and just recently, I believe Milwaukee Tool (who now owns Stiletto, has purchased the Hart Trademark.
Vaughan and Bushnell does not own Hart.
Even so, I will probably put the Woody in a time capsule. I like to gather up stuff every five years or so and box it for the future. This concept was introduced to me by my wife. I now have a few time capsules that contain things I have forgotten.
Until then, I still have at least a little bit of use for my hammers. When I get a chance to use one, it brings memories. I have a B&D router from circa 1980 that does the same thing. I guess the oldest tool I have is a micrometer that was given to me in 1972 by someone who I greatly respected. It has been carefully used again and again and you could not tell it from a new one.
Before finally signing off of this thread, I will also mention that I have an analog multimeter, acquired about 1977, that I use to verify that my digital multimeter is working correctly. After each use, I remove the batteries for fear that they will corrode and ruin the instrument. The analog MM is still working flawlessly.
Is there any chance you could post a picture of the bent Estwing??? Inquiring minds would like to see that.
I bought my 22 oz Estwing with the cross pattern head in 68 to use on crib jobs and concrete forms for elevators and used for about 15 years. I still have it but don't do much framing anymore. I must own 5 or 6 different Estwings at the moment.
Jim H
Sorry. I wish I had kept it. We were in a rush to finish a duplex and I just showed it to my crew and threw it back in the mud. I remember thinking at the time that someone must have somehow wedged it into a loader bucket or something because it would have to be one bad dude to bend that hammer, like Superman or the Hulk.
I've broke 2 28OZ Estwings in the last 20 some years. Both times just below the head, and just yanking nails..one was a bottom plate door cut out, the other was a duplex nail on a crete form.
The first one I went to a store and showed it and they gave me new one , said it was a lifetime garuntee, well they let me keep the old one, and a buddy tookit elsewhere and same deal..so he gave it to another guy who went elsewhere, and they kept it that time..LOL
I just broke a hart Woody a few yrs ago, the claw snapped pulling a cut nail outta a log..I welded it back and it is still OK, but I take it REAL easy with it now.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"If you want something you've never had, do something you've never done"
You took a welder to your woody?
brave man. ;)
jt8
"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it." --Upton Sinclair
Edited 11/21/2007 3:50 pm by JohnT8
That's interesting. I never heard of anyone breaking an Estwing before, but I know of several folks who broke one of the teeth on a duplex nail in crete - don't remember the hammer brand.
Now that you have hinted around to a new line of hammers you have me interested. Maybe I shouldn't buy the V-5 yet.
When can we expect the new hammers to hit the market? I hope that the improvements you wrote about are true. The weight and feel of the steel in the S-2 is very nice.
I am about through my titanium phase, as they are not holding up as well as a steel hammer would. Too costly to replace every 3-4 years.
This high quality steel you have in the making, whats the life expectancy? Does it mushroom out?
Matt- Woods favorite carpenter.
Thank you for taking the time. Very informative.
roger
I make the funky handles on my lathe, I really like the feel of a wood handled hammer but I seem to break way too many. I started making them for fun, then to save a little money.
Shipping and having to carry two hammers in the truck is what started to put a sour taste in my mouth. I didn't want to be without a hammer so I carried two for the inevitable break.
I was going to sell my wooden handled Stilletto and my Douglass because they started to become unwanted maintainence Which is a shame because they are my two favorite hammers. I was going to buy a V-5 to replace my wooden Douglass, no more worrying about pulling nails. I have carried a cats claw since I started buying these expensive hammers and still have them snap on something.
One Douglass handle snapped when I tried to pull a ring shank 8d nail with the side of the head nail puller. I will give Douglass handles some credit, Stilletto's handles seem to be made of very low grade Hickory and don't take near the abuse the Douglass's do.
My wooden handled Stilletto's head has begun to mushroom out pretty bad. Enough so that when I hit my finger with it, it debarks the finger insted of bruising it.
As the Douglass rep said high quality steel that is lightweight. That S-2 I just bought is just as light as my Stilletto TiBone with the steel head that doesn't mushroom. Titanium is light, but that steel head they have produced is remarkably light and probably alot more durable.
I will look forward to their new lines of hammers. It's a credit to their design that I am buying an all steel version to replace my wooden version. I can only hope the V-5 is as good as their hammer.
Matt- Woods favorite carpenter.
http://www.hammersource.com/Framing_Hammers.html
Matt- Woods favorite carpenter.
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You should fire off a message to the sysops and see if they could change the title of this thread. Based on the feedback in this thread, their customer service has been excellent and I cringe whenever I see the thread title with "disaapointing" pop up.
jt8
"A single rose can be my garden...a single friend, my world." --Leo Buscaglia
The title has already been changed once. And from my intial experience the customer service was very dissapointing.
Live by the sword, die by the sword....choose your sword wisely.
I agree. I'm not pointing finger at any one person. but I think as a whole we have gotten spoiled by large companies that just replace stuff like it is nothing.
I ride bicycles and they have gotten a lot more expensive and light. So when a light high end part breaks people freak out because they spent so much on it. Most small companies will make it right. They do have problems some times though and it can be a while.
I always try to buy from small companies like Douglass.
Andrew has e-mailed me. He needed my address and shirt size. So I guess you know what this means...... free t-shirt!! I love free t-shirts. On a more serious note, he is replacing the hammer. Great guy and a great company. I'll post further when I receive it.