When was the hammer invented?
Tools and Tips

When was the hammer invented?

The hammer is one of the most commonly used tools of human civilization.

Our ancestors used it to break bones or shells to get food. We currently use it to shape metal and drive nails into objects. But have you ever thought about the origin of the hammer?

Our ancestors used hammers without handles. These hammers are known as hammer stones. In the Paleolithic Stone Age in 30,000 B.C. they created a hammer with a handle that included a stick attached to a stone and leather strips. These tools can be categorized as the first hammers.

History of the hammer

The modern hammer is the tool that most of us use to hit things. It can be wood, stone, metal or something else. Hammers come in different variations, sizes and appearance.

Quick-Tip: The head of a modern hammer is made of steel, and the handle is made of wood or plastic.

But before all this, the hammer was a popular tool in the Stone Age. According to historical data, the first use of the hammer is recorded in 30000 3.3 BC. In other words, the hammer has an incredible history of XNUMX million years.

Below I will talk about the evolution of the hammer over these 3.3 million years.

The world's first hammer

Recently, archaeologists discovered the world's first tools used as hammers.

This discovery was made at Lake Turkana, Kenya in 2012. These findings were made public by Jason Lewis and Sonia Harmand. They found a large deposit of stones of various shapes used to strike bone, wood and other stones.

According to research, these are hammer stones, and our ancestors used these tools for killing and chopping. These tools are known as embryonic hammers. And these include only heavy elliptical stones. These stones weigh from 300 grams to 1 kilogram.

Quick-Tip: Hammer stones did not have a handle like modern hammers.

After that, this embryonic hammer was replaced by a stone hammer.

Imagine a wooden handle and a stone connected with leather strips.

These are the tools our ancestors used 3.27 billion years ago. Unlike the embryonic hammer, the stone hammer had a handle. Hence, the stone hammer is much more similar to the modern hammer.

After mastering this simple hammer, they move on to tools such as knives, curly axes, and more. This is why the hammer is a much more significant tool in our history. It helped us evolve and understand a better way of life in 30000 BC.

Next evolution

The next development of the hammer was recorded in the Metal and Bronze Ages.

In 3000 B.C. the head of the hammer was forged from bronze. These hammers were more durable due to the molten bronze. During the casting process, a hole was created on the hammer head. This allowed the hammer handle to connect with the head.

Iron Age Hammer Head

Then, around 1200 BC, people began to use iron to cast tools. This evolution led to the iron head of the hammer. In addition, bronze hammers have become obsolete due to the popularity of iron.

At this point in history, people began to create various forms of hammers. For example, round edges, cutting edges, square shapes, reliefs, etc. Among these various shapes, hammers with claws have gained considerable popularity.

Quick-Tip: Claw hammers are great for repairing damaged nails and fixing bends. These remanufactured items were designed to be reused in the meltdown process.

Discovery of steel

In truth, the discovery of steel marks the birth of modern hammers. In the 1500s, steelmaking developed into a major industry. With that came steel hammers. These steel hammers have been useful for many different uses and groups.

  • Masons
  • Home construction
  • Blacksmiths
  • Miners
  • masons

modern hammers

In the 1900s, people invented many new materials. For example, casin, Bakelite and new metal alloys were used to make hammer heads. This allowed people to use the handle and face of the hammer in different ways.

These new era hammers were created with aesthetics and ease of use in mind. During this time, many modifications were made to the hammer.

Most of the leading companies such as Thor & Estwing and Stanley were founded in the early 1920s. At the time, these commercial companies were focused on making complex hammers.

F.A.Q.

When was the nail hammer invented?

In 1840, David Maidol invented the nail hammer. At that time, he introduced this nail hammer, specifically for pulling nails.

What is the use of the hammer stone?

The hammer stone is a tool that our ancestors used as a hammer. They used it to process food, grind flint, and break bones. The stone hammer was one of the first tools of human civilization. (1)

How do you know if a stone has been used as a hammer?

The first thing you should pay attention to is the shape of the stone. If the shape is intentionally altered, you can confirm that the particular stone was used as a hammer or tool. This can happen in two ways.

“Through shelling, someone can change the shape of the stone.

– By removing small fragments.

Take a look at some of our articles below.

  • How to knock a nail out of a wall without a hammer
  • How to replace a sledgehammer handle

Recommendations

(1) broken bones - https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases-conditions/fractures-broken-bones/

(2) human civilization – https://www.southampton.ac.uk/~cpd/history.html

Video links

How to Choose which Hammer to Use

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