Marples upholstery hammer

**Mountain Ash** · 15th October 2023, 11:03 AM

Hi all. Picked up this little bargain the other day. I am intrigued by the handle shape (although this is not as swollen as some) and the method of fixing head to handle. I probably don't need another hammer, but I definitely didn't have one of this size. Does anyone have any more info about these? Is the swollen handle end particularly English? Head is 5/8" in diameter with grooves cast into the face. Handle has some damage to wood (in the "overstrike zone"). Cleaned and oiled beech handle and used little nylon bristle wheels in my Dremel, on the steel, working through the grits. Last 2 photos are a screenshot off Ebay.

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**Bushmiller** · 15th October 2023, 02:15 PM

A little reminiscent of the "Perfect" handle screwdrivers.

Regards
Paul

**Chief Tiff** · 15th October 2023, 06:24 PM

Interesting find there Julian; you have a "Benwell's Upholstery Hammer" with a "strapped head". Looks like the claw has been been somewhat abused... There some also be some markings on one side of the strap; hopefully a model number so that would help you date it a bit more precise than somewhere between 1873 and 1969 which was the production timeline for it.

The upholsterer's tools page of the William Marples & Sons Ltd old tools site is HERE: Looking at other hammers it seems Marples were quite fond of the bulb ended handle for their lightweight hammers.

Any chance of picture of the hammer face?

**Arron** · 15th October 2023, 08:27 PM

i think that in the way this hammer is used the bulbous end is kind of necessary, or at least it would feel a lot better then without. I’m assuming this is one of those upholstery hammers that you load a tack into the face of and then swing down driving the tack in, all in one go. Obviously it’s making it difficult if you fail to drive the tack home with one shot, so one would hold the hammer at the end of the handle to generate the required force - not the normal way to hold a hammer but then you’re not trying to accurately hit a stationary nail, and you need a safety margin of excess force to make sure you get that tack in all the way. If you are holding a hammer at the end of the handle and the handle had a straight profile then it would feel like it was always about to slip out.

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Edit. Oops, sorry, just reread your post and realised this is not one of the type of hammer I had in mind at all. Ignore my post.

**Mountain Ash** · 16th October 2023, 07:10 AM

Thanks Paul, Ian and Arron. The only markings I can see are a #1 and W Marples. Great link. These would have been a pain to fit a wooden handle too. Not sure how you bend claws this badly! The other smaller hammer has a vertical slot cut in one head, is this what you were getting at A.?

**Arron** · 16th October 2023, 07:35 AM

Originally Posted by Mountain Ash

Thanks Paul, Ian and Arron. The only markings I can see are a #1 and W Marples. Great link. These would have been a pain to fit a wooden handle too. Not sure how you bend claws this badly! The other smaller hammer has a vertical slot cut in one head, is this what you were getting at A.?

Yep, slip a tack into the head of the hammer, then bang it down.

Upholstery tacking doesn’t normally need great accuracy, and you often can’t use two hands because the other is stretching fabric.

**Mountain Ash** · 16th October 2023, 04:14 PM

Here's the striking face of the hammer.

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