DALLUGE 16 oz Titanium Framing Hammer

Best hammer i own

I grew up in construction on a 24 ounce Vaughan steel framing hammer. I still have the original 24 ounce head, though I've been through a few handles. Been out of the business for decades, but in preparation for building my own house start to finish, I looked into titanium because I knew my elbow wouldn't take almost a year of the old Vaughan. I picked up this 16 ounce Dalluge based upon great reviews. I also picked up a 12 ounce Stilleto and a 14 ounce Stilleto for my sons. Wish I could return the Stilleto's as there is no comparison. In fact my son broke his handle right off (his fault) and the magnet also fell out. Stilleto was kind enough to send him a replacement magnet. I dont' think he would have broken this Dalluge handle though, in fact I'm certain. Having handled two Stilettos, the old Vaughan, and various old fiberglass types, I can't say enough about this Dalluge. -There is no comparison whatsoever to a steel hammer: I'll never go back. -When swinging, it 'feels' lighter than the 14 ounce Stiletto. Probably the balance, which is exquisite. -The head design is impressive. Straight/swept and strong claw, magnetic nail holder, and side nail puller. The top of the head and the face are flat, and after a while you sort of realize it, because you're making the nails flush up easily in corners and tight spots that would have been a pain with the rounded face. The nailing face is large and just the right size. -The hickory handle has nice grain quality. The straight handled version is the way to go and helps swing with deadly accuracy. The grip shape is just right, at least for my hand. No grip or tension issues. -The Douglas handle to head mounting system is unique and strong. I believe the shock absorbing claim of this method... at least my elbow sure does. I had to tighten the two allen screws a few weeks into using it. Haven't had to touch them again in a year. Appears to be just a breaking-in procedure between the head and handle. -Break the handle in with good old fashioned sweat before considering wrapping it with racket tape. I never have found the need. The handle is so tuned with use/age now, I can't tell what sort of original finish it was compared to the Stiletto. What I can say is that it now feels like it is closer to natural wood and grips very well, whereas both Stilettos still have a shiny finish and don't grip as well. I have always lightly sanded down my new handles in the past, but the Dalluge didn't need this. -As for durability, a year later and there is not a single ding on the handle, due to its design, though I know for a fact I chunked the handle a few times pretty hard... it happens. The titanium has held up well, no chips to speak of and still has a decent waffle pattern for talking to nails, though after so much mistreatment the waffle is pretty worn. This includes having shown no mercy whatsoever on hitting steel tools with this hammer... catspaw and flatbar. Tried not to, but did so in the interest of expediency on many occasions. -The Dalluge swings fast, accurate, and hard. I've never swung a hammer that immediately felt so perfect to me. There was no 'getting used to it'. It was just right from day one. I've picked up my old 24 ounce steel Vaughan a few times and just cringe at the weight and balance. I absolutely can't believe I used to swing that hammer 50 hours a week. Insane. Even my 20 ounce smooth-faced decking hammer feels terribly heavy and unbalanced. If I wasn't planning a blind-fastener system for my deck, I guarantee I'd be buying the Dalluge DDT16P smooth faced version too - may just buy it anyway on principle. To top it off, it's got an original look that oozes 'I mean business'. The price just compounds the beating-down of the competition. If I was once again a full time framer - I'd only be using the Dalluge for sure. Look no further and give this framer a try. Dalluge 7180 16 Ounce Titanium Hammer

I bought this hammer 9 years ago, and have used it just about every day since then. The once waffled face is worn smooth (a problem with all titanium hammers...steel nails are harder metal than the face of the hammer), and the little magnet on top that once started nails fell out years ago. I replaced the handle immediately with a custom one made from Bacote (because it looks awesome, and I’m a carpenter) which attracts a surprising amount of attention. There’s nothing wrong with the hickory one, some day I’ll probably break the exotic one and need a replacement. When comparing hammers, weight is the single most important consideration. The advertised head weight is only one factor. The stilleto, for example is a titanium alternative I considered. The issue is, the all Ti construction is actually HEAVIER than a 24oz wood handled hammer. I’m sure it reduces vibration compared to steel handles, but not better than wood. The problem with wood is that it tends to break at the head. This hammer design gives you the strength of A Ti neck, and the great balance, low vibration, and light weight of a Ti head. The claws are the perfect shape. Perfect. Easy to swing under a plate, great for nail pulling. The side puller is part of the head casting, and easily my favorite feature. Nails are never too close to adjoining surfaces for the side puller. My only caveat is that it doesn’t have the weight to drive plates flush, or really anything where a sledge would be a better choice. Carry a light hammer, you’re compromising your bashing power. True of all Ti hammers. I think it has an eye catching design. I know it has great ergonomics. I can attest to the durability of the construction. It’s crazy light, but I can still drive 16’s in two strokes. I wish dalluge was paying me to say these things, and I’ll happily accept any endorsement money they think I deserve, but I’m extolling this hammers virtue because it’s true.

I purchased this to replace my 25 oz framer. I like the way I can pull a nail from the side. I like length of the handle and the way the hammer swings, However for me it will take some getting used to the lighter weight. Also, I think the titanium waffle face will wear quicker than the steel. Finally, in my opinion wood is easier on the elbow than steel or fiberglass.

Handle is GARBAGE!! Broke after 1 month of use. I use for framing walls in a factory. Featherweight and packs a punch. Nicely balanced. The handle needs to be thicker to make it more durable, and curved for better grip. We'll see how long it holds up.

I had already removed the labels and stickers (voiding the warranty) by the time I noticed the magnet is missing (didn’t find it loose in the parcel either) and the fit and finish of the handle isn’t exactly precise: either the top of the handle wasn’t shaped properly, or the head is not sitting square on the handle. Haven’t had a chance to get a feel for it yet, but overall I expected more from a $150+ hammer.

I had a hard time finding the total weights for different hammers to help decide if it's worth the extra bucks to go with this Dalluge 7180 16 Ounce Titanium Hammer so here's what I measured on my scale. Here are the weights of some hammers. And no, I don't have weight info on a particular hammer if it's not in the below list. Milwaukee 19oz milled face steel head, 16" hickory handle, Framer, Total weight 29.2oz Vaughan 19oz smooth Face steel head, 17" curved axe style wood handle, California Framer Model CF2-HCP, Total weight 31.1oz Dalluge 16oz milled face titanium head, 17" curved axe style wood handle, California Framer Model 7180 Total weight 22.5oz Estwing 15oz milled face steel head, 16" steel shaft into rubber handle, Model Ultra, Total weight 30.2oz Estwing 16oz Milled face steel head, 13" steel shaft into rubber handle, unknown older model, Total weight 26.1 oz (mid curved claw, my recent daily carry) Estwing 19oz milled face steel head, 16" steel shaft into rubber handle, unknown older model, Total weight 34.2oz (mid curved claw, my recent daily carry) Estwing 19oz milled face steel head, 16" steel shaft into rubber handle, Ultra, Total weight 35.1oz Estwing 22oz milled face steel head, 16" steel shaft into rubber handle, Model E3-22SM, Total weight 33.2 oz Estwing 28oz milled face steel head, 16" steel shaft into rubber handle, Model E3-28sm, Total weight 38.0oz Estwing 25oz milled face steel head, 18" curved axle style wood handle, Sure Strike California Framer Model MRW25LM Stanley 16oz smooth face steel head, 13" hickory straight handle hammer model #51-616 weighs 22.1oz (cheap model for reference) For what it's worth I backed out the handle screws to put blue threadlock on and discovered that there was some factory threadlock on them. I still think it's better to add your own threadlock since there was such a small amount on the threads from the factory and then hand tighten/torque the screws because one of the screws on mine was definitely too loose. In my experience I didn't find much if any difference in striking power between similarly weighted steel and titanium hammers. The longer handle on the Dalluge 7180 is definitely a plus over one with a shorter handle when it comes to pulling stubborn nails. So for me it really came down to preferring to carry a lighter and less robust hammer and figuring that if I break the handle then I'll just have to climb down and grab my nearly indestructible Estwing.

This is an amazing hammer. Having said that it is a bit slippery in the hand. Suggest hammer wrap tape, works like a charm. Having worked steel hammers all my life, it takes some getting used too.. but before long you're elbow and wrist will thank you.