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Looking for a fossil hammer for under $15 that does as good of a job as an Estwing 22 oz rock hammer. Do any exist?


LexonTheDragon

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Have you tried HarborFreight? Not sure about quality as one usually gets what one pays for when it comes to tools. 

...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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3 minutes ago, Kane said:

Have you tried HarborFreight? Not sure about quality as one usually gets what one pays for when it comes to tools. 

I have but I could not find any rock picks on there.

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Moved to COLLECTING GEAR.  ;) 

 

Do a search for Geologic hammers on our favorite auction site.

Under $15.00 is a big ask.  :unsure: Under $20.00 may be possible.

Flea markets and tag sales may be another option.

Letgo, craigslist, and FB Marketplace are also options.

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    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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47 minutes ago, LexonTheDragon said:

I have but I could not find any rock picks on there.

If you're going where you need a rock pick then you need to get some knee pads...an oft overlooked inexpensive luxury.

The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true.  -  JJ

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I see that there are under $20 rock hammers on Amazon. I you want to share hammers, I see a two pack with both chisel and pick end hammers for under $32.  I have no idea how they compare to an Estwing in quality. A really important thing is for the head and handle to be one piece. You don’t want the head to fly off. Here is photo of one that is under $20; hopefully the metal of the handle extends all the way to the end of the rubber handle cover.

 

 

F97E10B9-B146-40A5-AB57-D3D0F6096256.jpeg

My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned.   

See my Arizona Paleontology Guide    link  The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere.       

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I hate to say this to you, but in my opinion you're probably not going to find anything with a quality close to an Estwing's for any much cheaper than you would pay for one. Be prepared to have to replace your cheaper one sooner than you would the Estwing.

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Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger

http://www.steinkern.de/

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Keep in mind, while some may be under 20$, there will likely be shipping added. ;)

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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Yeah, personally I wouldn't skimp out on your hammer of all things - it's such an important tool that you'll be using often, so you really should go for something that's high quality and durable.

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dont skimp out on tools, especially something like a rock hammer.  Cheap hammers can break and throw metal splinters.  Anything that is plated is an absolute "no-go" because that just covering cheap metal that will be immediately rusting as soon as the plating begins flaking off.  A good geology or masonry hammer is meant to beat on rocks all day.

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"There is no shortage of fossils. There is only a shortage of paleontologists to study them." - Larry Martin

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5 hours ago, hadrosauridae said:

dont skimp out on tools, especially something like a rock hammer.  Cheap hammers can break and throw metal splinters.  Anything that is plated is an absolute "no-go" because that just covering cheap metal that will be immediately rusting as soon as the plating begins flaking off.  A good geology or masonry hammer is meant to beat on rocks all day.

I agree... a 40 dollar real rock hammer made by Estwing will last you a lifetime and not break or chip

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I tend to lose things incl hammers, so this round I bought 2 Chinese rock hammers on Amz for $16 ea.

Grüße,

Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas

"To the motivated go the spoils."

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  • 3 weeks later...

i was chipping away at some quartz the other day with a supermarket hammer . the head cracked clean in half and flew off in opposite directions . 

 

probably best to not skimp out on the hammer , of all things . 

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On 6/5/2022 at 11:20 PM, DPS Ammonite said:

I see that there are under $20 rock hammers on Amazon. I you want to share hammers, I see a two pack with both chisel and pick end hammers for under $32.  I have no idea how they compare to an Estwing in quality. A really important thing is for the head and handle to be one piece. You don’t want the head to fly off. Here is photo of one that is under $20; hopefully the metal of the handle extends all the way to the end of the rubber handle cover.

 

After my wife and I lost 2 Estwings within a month, I bought some of the Chinese copies shown above.  The handles started to slide off the shanks, but that's nothing a little clear Gorilla glue couldn't remedy.  As with all rock hammers, best not to use one as a chisel as they can shatter.  I'd be even more wary of that with cut rate hammers with possibly less robust metallurgy.  I have a buddy who broke this rule, struck hammer on hammer, and had a steel "missile" tear up the palm of his hand, requiring surgery.

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Grüße,

Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas

"To the motivated go the spoils."

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Chinese hammers and Russian computer security software; why take a chance.

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My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned.   

See my Arizona Paleontology Guide    link  The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere.       

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  • 1 month later...

I didn't see this mentioned above, but have you thought about looking to see what some area pawn shops have?  You could very well find an Estwing within your price point or maybe not exactly what you are looking for you could pick up a "Brick layers hammer' which is similar to a rock hammer.  Just throwing an idea out there.  Also look for the OLD pawn shops that are owned by a community member / person not a national chain of pawn shops.  

 

A lot of times at pawn shops you can "Haggle" over the price.  You may find something else in there that you like that is of a higher value and have them throw the brick or Rock hammer whichever one you find in with the dea.  Or you may have them throw in a "Hammer Loop" or maybe a couple of used stone chisels that need sharpened with whatever hammer you end up finding. 

 

I am on disability due to an one the job accident in 2012, so I have found some creative ways to look outside the box for some of the tools and supplies that I need for my hobbies.  Best of luck and do not forget to look into any toolboxes that are full or tools or five gallon buckets full of tools for one price to maybe find the hammer there.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Bobo

 

 

Brick hammer.jpg

Edited by Bobo Greybeard
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Hi,

 

The advantage of the Estwing brand is that it is made of materials that are not likely to go to pieces when tapping on a very hard rock. Of course, fragments of rock can fuse, but never the material of the hammer. You cannot have this guarantee of security with a material not adapted to the geology.

 

Coco

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OUTIL POUR MESURER VOS FOSSILES : ici

Ma bibliothèque PDF 1 (Poissons et sélaciens récents & fossiles) : ici
Ma bibliothèque PDF 2 (Animaux vivants - sans poissons ni sélaciens) : ici
Mâchoires sélaciennes récentes : ici
Hétérodontiques et sélaciens : ici
Oeufs sélaciens récents : ici
Otolithes de poissons récents ! ici

Un Greg...

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