Hammers UK: Claw, Club, Pin and Rubber Mallets

Klevaro stocks a working selection of hammers for UK households, gardeners and trades. Whether you need a daily-driver claw hammer for picture hooks and shelving, a heavy club hammer for masonry work, or a soft-faced rubber mallet for kitchen fitting and tent pegs, we have the right tool at a sensible price. Most of our range comes from Rolson Tools, a UK favourite stocked alongside a few specialist hammers from other trusted names. Browse the wider hand tools collection, or jump to all Rolson tools for the full range. For matched, ready-to-go sets that already include a hammer alongside drivers and pliers, see our tool kits page.

Claw Hammers for Everyday DIY

The claw hammer is the workhorse of the toolbox. Our standard pick is a 16oz model with a fibreglass shaft and a rubber grip: heavy enough to drive a 4-inch nail with two firm taps, light enough that your forearm survives a day of shelving and fencing. The curved claw pulls bent nails cleanly without chewing up the timber, and the magnetic nail-start groove on some models is genuinely useful when you are working overhead. For finer work like beading and picture hanging, a smaller 8oz or 12oz pin hammer is a sensible second purchase. Carpenters and joiners often run two hammers in their roll: a 16oz for general carcass work, and a lighter pin hammer for trim, beading and finishing nails.

Club Hammers, Lump Hammers and Mallets

Club hammers (also called lump hammers) are short, heavy two-faced tools for driving cold chisels, bolsters and masonry nails. They sit between a regular hammer and a small sledge: typically 2lb or 3lb, with a stubby handle that gives you control rather than reach. Rubber mallets are the gentler cousin: ideal for tapping kitchen units into place, knocking in tent pegs without bouncing, or seating wood joints without bruising the surface. Wooden mallets (carpenter's mallets) take the same role for chisel-and-mortise work in joinery. For paving, fencing and outdoor masonry work, a 3lb or 4lb club is usually plenty; anything heavier crosses into sledgehammer territory and the swing becomes the limiting factor rather than the head weight.

Caring for Your Hammers

A decent hammer should outlive a few houses. Keep wooden handles out of dry heat and humid sheds; both shrink the timber and loosen the head. Wipe down steel faces after use, especially if you have been working outdoors, and store hammers head-up on a peg rather than loose in a drawer. If the striking face starts to spread or chip, retire it: a damaged head can throw shards under impact. Replacement Rolson handles and wedges are widely available, so a loose wooden hammer is usually a 20-minute fix rather than a binning job.