slick hammer handles

[Brian C.]

This dry, very low humidity wintery weather is giving me problems holding onto my hammers. They seem awfully slick. Anyone else having this problem? What do we do about it? Something to rub onto the hands, or onto the handles of the tools?

[irnsrgn]

I rough all my hammer handles up a bit with the coarse end of a small shoe rasp as I sweat a lot and my handles get slick, I like a slightly rough handle its easier to hold on to.

[ApprenticeMan]

You can take an old rubber inner tube, and cut it into strips, then wrap and tie those around the handle, it gives a nice cushy grip even when wet or dry. Add a little oil if you are worried about it cracking and drying out.

[JerryCarroll]

I heat the end of a length of 1/8" rod and burn a shallow cross hatch pattern on most of my rounded handles followed by rubbing a coat of linseed oil on--not much, just enough to coat the burn marks. Most of the handles I make I shape octagon. Thet seem easier to hold for me.

[Ian]

The other thing you might try is taking your handles straight from the tree and leaving the bark on them, I know this might sound rather strange but a swedish smith I met called Kaj Adler did that with all his hammers and handled striking tools. I tried them and believe me, your hands can be dripping wet but you won't slip a fraction on the handle. Failing that then how about using some of that towelling tape that people use on tennis rackets? Roughing the wood and linseed oil also seem to be very good ideas and perhaps a little more traditional looking.

[Strine]

Is this a common problem among blokes that use their hands a lot (read blacksmith). Could it be the slickness of the hammer is more due to your tough hands than the state of the handle. I find a dab of raw linseed oil fixes it in a flash. I don't know whether it's a treatment for the hand or the hammer but it works. Seems though that to fix a slick handle just make it slicker? Following this through, I wonder whether roughening the handle just makes your hands tougher and therefor the handle slicker. Who knows, but if it works for Junior it might work for you...problem solved.

I do know for absolute sure that applying linseed oil to your handles creates a beautiful patina after a while. That's good I suppose if you just want to look at the handle

[teejay]

Take a horseshoe rasp and heat it then drive the coarse side into the handle,it will give you a checkering pattern like on a gunstock. Easy on the hands but will give a good grip then coat with linseed oil.

[clark-kentski]

I keep a roll of paper towels handy to wipe the sweat out of my glasses and off my face.My favorite hammers are my hofi hammers which i dont want to file or burn.so i have doubles of my favorites and just rotate. wiping one down and switching to another.

[Dodge]

I drill dimples around the handle. These dimples allow for a terrific grip. For a 3#er I used a 1/2" bit and make the dimples the depth of the point. 20 - 30 per handle. On smaller hammers I use a 3/8". Make your own signature pattern or just randomize. Or perhaps ergonomically engineered patterns

[HWooldridge]

Interesting answers... My grandfather was both blacksmith and carpenter for most of his 90 years above the turf. He slicked his hammer handles about like a silk scarf but he also put a slight swell at the end of the handle so it would slip in his grip to that point and not go flying. He swore by all that was holy that any roughness on the handle would cause blisters if you worked at it all day long. Believe me when I tell you that he had hard callused hands but he didn't want any roughness on a handle - he also felt that "texture" could cause a stress riser and start a crack, which would lead to a broken handle. I learned that the hard way when I put some rasp marks on a new ax handle and promptly broke the handle while cutting brush (this happened shortly after he had told me not to do it).

Based on his advice those many years ago, all of my handles are polished about like a gunstock but they also have a swell in the end. I don't have any trouble with hammers flying across the shop nor do I get blisters after a long day's work. I guess I am in the minority but it has always worked for me.