Introduced in the 1930's, the classic Thor copper faced or copper / hide faced hammers were popularised by being included in car toolkits for undoing and tightening the spinners in the middle of spoked wheels. Over the years motoring enthusiasts discovered that they're also just the job for freeing off seized drum brakes, easing apart machined castings and nudging things home without the risk of denting or cracking them. As well as being a excellent soft faced tool for the automotive industry they have since proved their usefulness in all sorts of general engineering, millwrighting and industrial situations and remain the company's most popular products to this day.
In the 1970's the beautiful branding cast into the head was replaced with just a number on the side and a sticker, thankfully some bright spark squirrelled away the original dies and they have recently been brought back into service to produce the Classic range.
This version has the Thor branded head fitted with two copper faces to give a safe but high-impact blow. The copper faces are designed to wear and mushroom over the malleable iron head, at which point the hammer is 'worn in', the hammer is 'worn out' when the malleable iron reappears with a little copper circle in the centre - it usually takes decades of hard use to get from one condition to the other. In theory the faces are replaceable but it's a right bear of a job (classic apprentice task) and usually works out cheaper to use the hammer to destruction and buy a new one.
- Overall length: 297mm (11.69") approx
- Head width: 100mm ( 3.93") approx
- Face diameter: 37mm (1.45") approx
- Weight: 44.44oz (1260g)
- Ash wood handle
If buying to complete an O/E toolkit please check with your classic car club to ensure the correct size/spec of hammer for your vehicle.