Editing Hammer (section)

== Designs and variations ==
[[File:Peen hammers.png|thumb|The parts of a hammer are the ''face'', ''head'' (includes the ''bell'' and ''neck'', which are not labeled), ''eye'' (where the ''handle'' fits into), ''peen'' (also spelled pein and pane). The side of a hammer is the ''cheek'' and some hammers have ''straps'' that extend down the handle for strength. Shown here are: A. Ball-peen hammer B. Straight-peen hammer C. Cross-peen hammer]]
[[File:Prying up a long nail.jpg|thumb|upright|The claw of a carpenter's hammer is frequently used to remove nails.]]
A large hammer-like tool is a ''maul'' (sometimes called a "beetle"), a wood- or rubber-headed hammer is a ''[[mallet]]'', and a hammer-like tool with a cutting blade is usually called a ''[[hatchet]]''. The essential part of a hammer is the head, a compact solid mass that is able to deliver a blow to the intended target without itself deforming. The impacting surface of the tool is usually flat or slightly rounded; the opposite end of the impacting mass may have a ball shape, as in the [[ball-peen hammer]]. Some [[upholstery hammer]]s have a [[magnet]]ized face, to pick up tacks. In the hatchet, the flat hammer head may be secondary to the cutting edge of the tool.

The impact between steel hammer heads and the objects being hit can create [[Spark (fire)|sparks]], which may ignite [[flammable]] or [[explosive]] [[gas]]es. These are a [[hazard]] in some industries such as [[underground coal mining]] (due to the presence of [[methane]] gas), or in other hazardous environments such as [[petroleum refineries]] and [[chemical plant]]s. In these environments, a variety of non-sparking metal tools are used, primarily made of [[aluminium]] or [[beryllium copper]]. In recent years, the handles have been made of durable plastic or rubber, though wood is still widely used because of its shock-absorbing qualities and repairability.

===Hand-powered===
* [[Ball-peen hammer]],<ref name="bs876">''British Standard BS 876:1995 Specification for Hand Hammers''</ref> or mechanic's hammer
* Boiler scaling hammer<ref name="bs876" />
* Brass hammer, also known as non-sparking hammer or spark-proof hammer and used mainly in flammable areas like oil fields
* Bricklayer's hammer
* Carpenter's hammer (used for nailing), such as the [[framing hammer]] and the [[claw hammer]], and pinhammers (ball-peen and cross-peen types)<ref name="bs876" />
* Cow hammer – sometimes used for [[animal slaughter|livestock slaughter]], a practice now [[deprecation|deprecated]] due to [[animal cruelty|animal welfare]] objections<ref name=FAO>{{cite web|title=Slaughter of livestock|url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x6909e/x6909e09.htm|website=FAO Corporate Document Repository|publisher=[[Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations]]|access-date=2015-07-10|archive-date=27 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160627204715/http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x6909e/x6909e09.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Cross-peen hammer,<ref name="bs876" /> having one round face and one wedge-peen face.
* [[Dead blow hammer]] delivers impact with very little recoil, often due to a hollow head filled with sand, [[lead shot]] or pellets
* Demolition hammer
* [[Lump hammer|Drilling hammer]] – a short handled sledgehammer originally used for drilling in rock with a chisel. The name usually refers to a hammer with a {{convert|2|to|4|lb|adj=on}} head and a {{convert|10|in|adj=on}} handle, also called a "single-jack" hammer because it was used by one person drilling, holding the chisel in one hand and the hammer in the other.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/recreational_trails/publications/fs_publications/05232810/page15.cfm |title=Tools for Pounding and Hammering |access-date=2014-08-03}}</ref> In modern usage, the term is mostly interchangeable with "engineer's hammer", although it can indicate a version with a slightly shorter handle.
* Engineer's hammer, a short-handled hammer, was originally an essential components of a [[railroad engineer]]'s toolkit for working on steam locomotives.<ref>{{cite journal |journal=[[American Engineer and Railroad Journal]] |date=February 1909 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WDkOAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA55 |page=55 |title=Handling Locomotive Supplies, Part III.--Standardization |author=Fish Ensie, E. |access-date=2013-08-03}}</ref> Typical weight is 2–4&nbsp;lbs (0.9–1.8&nbsp;kg) with a 12–14-inch (30–35&nbsp;cm) handle. Originally these were often cross-peen hammers, with one round face and one wedge-peen face, but in modern usage the term primarily refers to hammers with two round faces.
* [[Gavel]], used by judges and presiding authorities to draw attention 
* [[Geologist's hammer]] or rock pick
* Joiner's hammer, or [[Warrington hammer]]<ref name="bs876" />
* Knife-edged hammer, its properties developed to aid a hammerer in the act of slicing whilst bludgeoning
* [[Axe|Lathe hammer]] (also known as a lath hammer, lathing hammer, or lathing hatchet), a tool used for cutting and nailing wood [[lath]], which has a small hatchet blade on one side (with a small, lateral nick for pulling nails) and a hammer head on the other<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/lathing+hammer|title=Lathing hammer|journal=[[The Free Dictionary]]|author=Farlex}}</ref>
* [[Lump hammer]], or club hammer
* [[Mallet]]s, including versions made with hard rubber or rolled sheets of [[rawhide (material)|rawhide]]
* Railway track keying hammer<ref name="bs876" />
* Magnetic double-head hammer
* Magnetic tack hammer
* [[Rock climbing hammer]]
* Rounding hammer, Blacksmith or farrier hammer. Round face generally for moving or drawing metal and flat for "planishing" or smoothing out the surface marks.
* Shingler's hammer
* [[Sledgehammer]]
* [[Soft-faced hammer]]
* [[Spiking hammer]]
* [[Splitting maul]]
* Strike Tack hammer
* [[Stonemason's hammer]]
* [[Tinning|Tinner]]'s hammer
* [[Upholstery hammer]]
* [[Welding|Welder]]'s chipping hammer<ref name="bs876" />

=== Mechanically powered ===
[[File:Boxholms bruksmuseum, den 18 oktober 2008, bild 38.JPG|thumb|upright|Steam hammer]]
Mechanically powered hammers often look quite different from the hand tools, but nevertheless, most of them work on the same principle. They include:
* [[Hammer drill]], that combines a jackhammer-like mechanism with a [[drill]]
* [[High Frequency Impact Treatment]] hammer – for after-treatment of weld transitions
* [[Jackhammer]]
* [[Steam hammer]]
* [[Trip hammer]]
* [[Nail gun]]
* [[Staple gun]]