Sledgehammer: Hickory or Fibreglass?

[cotswoldcs]

As above, which would you buy and why?

Is 10lb a sensible size?

 

[Badshot]

14lb, and fibreglass, i'm fed up of rotten handles where others leave them outside, i have to replace them.

 

[olivia]

Hickory if you use it properly. If you're a heathen or someone else is using it go for fibreglass.

 

[roscoe erf]

Can't beat a nice bit of hickory

 

[mx110]

Of going fiberglass don't go cheap and nasty, not good when a 14lb head sets itself free.

 

[Henarar]

There's nothing like a nice piece of hickory

 

[Blue.]

1"1/2 galv pipe They last forever,well till you lose it.

 

[multi power]

14lb hickory

 

[Jock]

Of going fiberglass don't go cheap and nasty, not good when a 14lb head sets itself free.

Had that happen the other day with my Roughneck 14lb fencing maul.
Had it 4 years. Going back to Hickory now.

 

[Longlowdog]

sledge/hammers/fencing hammer that do not rely on follow through for energy = fibreglass, axes and picks hickory. F'glass absorbs vibrations very well and will protect your wrists and elbows at the expense of a little energy. Axes and pickaxes require less damping to allow the whole extent of the energy to be transferred to the job. Buy well, cry once.

 

[AJR75]

Hickory. 14lb, can't be doing with these fibreglass type things

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Loadal

 

[Notquiteretired]

I've just replaced my shank at the weekend (we call them a Mel) last one luckily smashed off on impact and not on the way up!

Carefully got the two metal edges out and made a 2-3" wedge out of the old shank. New shank in, old shank wedge in at 45 degrees as you look down and the 2 metal wedges in nicely spaced 90 degrees to the wooden wedge then the excess hickory battered and splayed across the top of the head and left in water over night. As good as new with a little bit of the old one for good luck!

 

[smcapstick]

Better than both - staff.

 

[Gatehouse Farm]

1"1/2 galv pipe They last forever,well till you lose it.

Yep do the same here. Fed up with handles breaking, hickory or fibreglass.

 

[exmoor dave]

Yep do the same here. Fed up with handles breaking, hickory or fibreglass.

but doesn't any shocks travel right up the metal handle in to you wrist?

 

[Landy Nick]

Hickory for me all the time. Oil the handles yearly, seems to extend the life IMHO.

With axes, I have carved out Ash handles before.

 

[Gatehouse Farm]

but doesn't any shocks travel right up the metal handle in to you wrist?

Yes but I try not to use it more than necessary

 

[aidan]

fiberglass

when buying new, its possible that if its an expensive one it just might have a hickory handle

hickory is good stuff and will last a while 4-5yrs maybe all depends how much u use it, but eventually it will break, thus u need a replacement and its impossible in Ireland anyway get a good quality replacement handle

thus buy one with a fiberglass handle

 

[roscoe erf]

Handles tend to break when you miss. And hit the shaft can't say I've ever had one rot