My guess is they’re using recycled steel and there’s different quality of steel in the mix. I’ve seen this in forklift counterweights. You’ll be drilling into one nice and easy then the material gets a lot harder. I’d be interested to see if there’s a difference in the hardness of the those areas. That circular mark on the face almost looks like a partially melted ball bearing.
I have a theory that a lot of Amazon’s stock tends to be factory seconds/blemished product that otherwise wouldn’t sell on a shelf with inspection…especially when they’re marked down. (Essentially what would’ve traditionally been sold as clearance items back in the day with damaged packaging or whatnot) And they just hope folks would accept it, and if not, just gets processed as a return…
You answered your own question. This is what you get when you order from Amazon. You're playing Russian roulette with your money. That's obviously a "used" hammer someone had and then sent back to Amazon after one use. (they stapled the tag back on) I've seen these hammers, and NONE of them looked like this.
Like a lot of people are saying, I think it might’ve been on a pallet or in a box or on the shelf with something corrosive because it looks like it was in a puddle on that one side or the clear coating guys missed that section. It was in great shape when it left the factory, but then got rusted once I got out in the real world and sat on the shelf, but how perfect it is with straight edges. I think it’s sat in some liquid
Is it common practice to weld-fill voids in drop forged tools (especially near the striking face or cutting edge), or are these just cast? I know very little about the manufacturing of hammers, but I would assume there is some kind of heat treatment or hardening being done to the strike face(s), which it would then seem to me to be troublesome to weld-fill voids due to disrupting those qualities.
Definitely say something to Estwing. They should be embarrassed and look into their QC process. If you are going to leverage the flag to increase sales, respect the flag and make sure your product is not defective.
Just switch to Vaughan & Bushnell and get a proper hammer with a hickory handle. 155 years and still going strong, they're still the best. If you want a beater, order one of their severely discounted blemed Grayvik hammers for almost nothing from HJE.
I've been wanting an Estwing hatchet, because it looks cool... but each time I look at one in a store, it just looks horrible up close. The quality has gone down the hill, for sure.
I have no particular insight into Estwing, but I’m going to guess Home Depot was selling at least 30% of their tools. They are privately held, so we can’t know for sure, but it had to greatly effect their cost structure, and QC doesn’t help your unit volume. I looked a couple years ago at TTI’s annual report and Home Depot represented 50% of their sales worldwide!
If I was purchasing this hammer from Home Depot I’d grab another if I saw the blemish. If it was the last one I wouldn’t think twice. It’s a hammer for smashing
Where is that engineer hammer ever referred to as a lineman's hammer? The milwaukee I give the leeway to but a lineman's hammer is one of 3 types. There's a Bell system straight pein stepping hammer, a straight claw (Klein 832-32) and a Bell system "B" Lineman's hatchet. A lineman can use whatever hammer he likes but "Lineman's" hammers have specific features.
@@lastbesttool Strange, the common thread among "lineman" tools is multitasking, you're up a pole and you really don't want more tools dragging you down than necessary. That's just a hammer, I have that particular hammer, had it for years. I like the size of it, mostly concrete anchor setting.
The disressed flag design is just a design choice. It may be symbolic but probably people are tired of the bright printing and sometimes you just want to do some changes in tone, mute things and see how it looks in the real world on products.
The coating guy missed a spot..or QC had it ground after coating and they didn't touch it up before shipping.. Or...it's a return..somebody got it and didn't like the grind touched it up and ultimately decided to return it
We didn't have the diagonal star pattern flag at Iwo Jima either. The 48 star flag has a straight starfield. If it's straight it's 48. That's how I remember it. We didn't get the 50 star flag until 1960. The Battle of Iwo Jima was 1945. Indeed the Republic is a bit distressed these days. There's lot of unAmerican activities going on of late.
I would take it back if that was a fill weld I wouldn’t trust it maybe not the first hard strike but maybe several who knows but if the metal separates from the head it could be a potential hazard to safety at that point trust me I know I still have a piece of metal in my leg from 7 years ago from that situation from a sledgehammer on a job site and I always look my tools over before I start work and after I’m done and still got hurt because I couldn’t see it but afterwards you could tell exactly what the issue was so something that is as easily seen as that defect I would definitely not take a chance on
I just bought ESTWING Lineman's Hammer - 40 oz Electrical Utility Tool with Smooth/Milled Face & Shock Reduction Grip - E3-40LM From Amazon. Not happy with the quality control on what is effectively a supposedly top quality tool. Dinks, defects, missing paint...is this US workmanship ( i live in the UK). So, it's going back qnd im not buying Estwing again!
US manufacturing quality has fallen way behind what is coming out of other countries such as, Japan, Taiwan, Switzerland, Germany and Czech Republic. There is no doubt that the US can no longer compete with other countries. The current US work ethic is in the toilet. Even China is improving in quality. There is little doubt why manufacturing has left our shores. By going to other countries, manufacturers get a cheaper labor force that has more attention to detail. They can make things abroad, incur the shipping and still do better than utilizing American workers.
My guess is they’re using recycled steel and there’s different quality of steel in the mix.
I’ve seen this in forklift counterweights.
You’ll be drilling into one nice and easy then the material gets a lot harder.
I’d be interested to see if there’s a difference in the hardness of the those areas.
That circular mark on the face almost looks like a partially melted ball bearing.
Excellent idea. I have a set of hardness scratch testers. Stay tuned for that video assuming I discover something worth sharing.
@@lastbesttool Nice 👍🏻 I’m curious if that’s the case
I have a theory that a lot of Amazon’s stock tends to be factory seconds/blemished product that otherwise wouldn’t sell on a shelf with inspection…especially when they’re marked down. (Essentially what would’ve traditionally been sold as clearance items back in the day with damaged packaging or whatnot) And they just hope folks would accept it, and if not, just gets processed as a return…
For sure
interesting take. makes a lot of sense.
1000%, if they aren't a flat out counterfeit.
I have the same theory. They put them on sale and so the buyer doesn’t feel compelled to return the item.
Damn, you can’t even get a good looking hammer nowadays to take out on a date.
Where have all the pretty tools gone?
Someone did notice, that's why it was sold on Amazon
@Last Best Tool should do a shop tour!
That hammer was on the top or bottom of a box that got damp. Sometimes the wet boxes will eat through the lacquer over time and cause that exact look
That’s why I don’t order things like this from Amazon. I ordered a leatherman wave and I received one from 2009 that was scratched up.
Knipex is also a bit suspect on Amazon because it's never from the actual knipex store
You answered your own question. This is what you get when you order from Amazon. You're playing Russian roulette with your money. That's obviously a "used" hammer someone had and then sent back to Amazon after one use. (they stapled the tag back on) I've seen these hammers, and NONE of them looked like this.
Maybe the clear coat missed that area & some surface rust has occurred. See what happens if you hit that area with some fine sandpaper.
Its called a second
Not good enough for full price but good enough to sell
Explains the distressed flag
Estwing has a manufacturing place and a dc in my city. Not too far from where I live. I’ve been there a couple times. Kind of cool to see them made
Good to see you here in this comment as well!
Like a lot of people are saying, I think it might’ve been on a pallet or in a box or on the shelf with something corrosive because it looks like it was in a puddle on that one side or the clear coating guys missed that section. It was in great shape when it left the factory, but then got rusted once I got out in the real world and sat on the shelf, but how perfect it is with straight edges. I think it’s sat in some liquid
Send that thing back. I have never had a bad Estwing hammer. That one is awful.
Looks like it was damaged or somehow defected in forming. Somebody welded it back and then ground to shape. But didn't finish the job.
Is it common practice to weld-fill voids in drop forged tools (especially near the striking face or cutting edge), or are these just cast? I know very little about the manufacturing of hammers, but I would assume there is some kind of heat treatment or hardening being done to the strike face(s), which it would then seem to me to be troublesome to weld-fill voids due to disrupting those qualities.
My first thought exactly
I refurbished an old 6 lb sledgehammer head. I put it on an 18” handle. That will do some pounding lol
Yeah i like hammers and mallet too
Definitely say something to Estwing. They should be embarrassed and look into their QC process. If you are going to leverage the flag to increase sales, respect the flag and make sure your product is not defective.
Just switch to Vaughan & Bushnell and get a proper hammer with a hickory handle.
155 years and still going strong, they're still the best.
If you want a beater, order one of their severely discounted blemed Grayvik hammers for almost nothing from HJE.
My theory is that this hammer sat or came in contact with a corrosive. Then someone noticed and put it on the pallet to Amazon.
Also not that this hammer could have been left sitting in a puddle or against a wet box or damaged in shipping to Amazon.
“Maybe humans aren’t as good as robots” - they aren’t.
Estwing? 'you got some 'splainin to do"!
I've been wanting an Estwing hatchet, because it looks cool... but each time I look at one in a store, it just looks horrible up close. The quality has gone down the hill, for sure.
That area was probably missed with the clear coat and has surface corrosion
Its a nice hammer ,,,, but dont overthink it ,,, its a hammer.
I must go and find your Milwaukee review now.
I have no particular insight into Estwing, but I’m going to guess Home Depot was selling at least 30% of their tools. They are privately held, so we can’t know for sure, but it had to greatly effect their cost structure, and QC doesn’t help your unit volume. I looked a couple years ago at TTI’s annual report and Home Depot represented 50% of their sales worldwide!
Are You gonna send it back?
If I was purchasing this hammer from Home Depot I’d grab another if I saw the blemish. If it was the last one I wouldn’t think twice. It’s a hammer for smashing
It’s a second. Sold to you as a first
Where is that engineer hammer ever referred to as a lineman's hammer? The milwaukee I give the leeway to but a lineman's hammer is one of 3 types. There's a Bell system straight pein stepping hammer, a straight claw (Klein 832-32) and a Bell system "B" Lineman's hatchet. A lineman can use whatever hammer he likes but "Lineman's" hammers have specific features.
It’s called a lineman’s hammer on the Estwing website www.estwing.com/product/linemans-hammer/ and many other sites that sell it including Amazon.
@@lastbesttool Strange, the common thread among "lineman" tools is multitasking, you're up a pole and you really don't want more tools dragging you down than necessary. That's just a hammer, I have that particular hammer, had it for years. I like the size of it, mostly concrete anchor setting.
How about looking at the quality of steel, balance, handle.... I would take a rusty, bent, old estwing over something made in Taiwan or China
Yikes, it seems like it was torched...
The disressed flag design is just a design choice. It may be symbolic but probably people are tired of the bright printing and sometimes you just want to do some changes in tone, mute things and see how it looks in the real world on products.
Nothing is “just” design in marketing. There is so much psychology and symbolism involved. Everything in marketing has a purpose.
The coating guy missed a spot..or QC had it ground after coating and they didn't touch it up before shipping..
Or...it's a return..somebody got it and didn't like the grind touched it up and ultimately decided to return it
We didn't have the diagonal star pattern flag at Iwo Jima either. The 48 star flag has a straight starfield. If it's straight it's 48. That's how I remember it. We didn't get the 50 star flag until 1960. The Battle of Iwo Jima was 1945. Indeed the Republic is a bit distressed these days. There's lot of unAmerican activities going on of late.
I would take it back if that was a fill weld I wouldn’t trust it maybe not the first hard strike but maybe several who knows but if the metal separates from the head it could be a potential hazard to safety at that point trust me I know I still have a piece of metal in my leg from 7 years ago from that situation from a sledgehammer on a job site and I always look my tools over before I start work and after I’m done and still got hurt because I couldn’t see it but afterwards you could tell exactly what the issue was so something that is as easily seen as that defect I would definitely not take a chance on
I just bought ESTWING Lineman's Hammer - 40 oz Electrical Utility Tool with Smooth/Milled Face & Shock Reduction Grip - E3-40LM
From Amazon. Not happy with the quality control on what is effectively a supposedly top quality tool. Dinks, defects, missing paint...is this US workmanship ( i live in the UK). So, it's going back qnd im not buying Estwing again!
US manufacturing quality has fallen way behind what is coming out of other countries such as, Japan, Taiwan, Switzerland, Germany and Czech Republic. There is no doubt that the US can no longer compete with other countries. The current US work ethic is in the toilet. Even China is improving in quality. There is little doubt why manufacturing has left our shores. By going to other countries, manufacturers get a cheaper labor force that has more attention to detail. They can make things abroad, incur the shipping and still do better than utilizing American workers.
You’re being way to picky, just be happy that it’s American made!
It appears your new Estwing hammer has a Meth problem. I would take it to your local ER immediately for an intervention.
send it back for an exchange...
The linesman hammer would'nt have got out of a chinese factory ..it wouldn't paw quality!
That is today's work force lazy an don't care no more !!
How sad is that I would definitely send it back even though it will work its the principal of it
Its 2023. Customer service and quality are dead...
Nit picking hammers ,,,our priorties in America are gone ....no wonder were falling apart .....
You thought humans were grinding these 😂