Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

How to use a claw hammer

Updated: 22 October 2026

You have a nail, a piece of timber, and a claw hammer. The two moments that go wrong are a full swing while your fingers still pinch the nail, and a full-length pull on the claw. This is how to use a claw hammer for those two jobs, and where to stop. It does not choose 16 oz against 20 oz. Peter F. updated this on 22 October 2026 from BuildWiz, a Stonebridge UK training note, and Sealey’s hammer instructions. Failures in this amazon.co.uk set are reasons to stop, not rates. There is no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices are on the [Claw hammer comparison](/hub/hand-tools/claw-hammer).

You have a nail, a piece of timber, and a claw hammer. The two moments that go wrong are a full swing while your fingers still pinch the nail, and a full-length pull on the claw.

Our top picks

HOUSERAN HOUSERAN 500 g claw hammer

Best overall

HOUSERAN HOUSERAN 500 g claw hammer
6.0/10about £13.99
View offer
Bargain Hound Bargain Hound 16 oz and 8 oz set

Rank 2

Bargain Hound Bargain Hound 16 oz and 8 oz set
6.4/10about £8.47
View offer
MAXPOWER MAXPOWER 8 oz claw hammer

Rank 3

MAXPOWER MAXPOWER 8 oz claw hammer
8.1/10about £9.78
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Before the first blow
  2. 2.Starting and driving the nail
  3. 3.Pulling a nail
  4. 4.When to put the claw hammer down

Before the first blow

Put impact eye protection on before the first tap, including for a few picture hooks. Sealey’s instructions and Toolstation’s guide both ask for it, and a nail head can leave the timber. Clear the swing so you are not driving toward glass, a pipe, or your hand. The face should be clean, and the head should not shift when you press it. A loose head, a split shaft, or a chipped claw comes out of use. A magnetic nail starter, on the Bargain Hound pair, the OX, or the Uadme, only holds the nail while you tap. It does not make the claw stronger.

Starting and driving the nail

Hold the handle near the end for the real blows. Choking up under the head shortens the hammer. Stonebridge has you rest the face on the nail so the aim is square, then a light tap, then the swing. BuildWiz says the same: set the nail with light taps, then move the hand that was steadying it. Keep your fingers low and to the side for those taps, and take the hand away once the nail stands. A square face drives. A glancing face bends the nail. If the nail bends, stop. A bent nail is a pull, not a cue for a harder hit. On finish timber, set the nail below the surface with a nail punch. BuildWiz puts a punch at about £5 to £9. That is their range, not an ASIN here.
HOUSERAN HOUSERAN 500 g claw hammer

Testsieger

HOUSERAN HOUSERAN 500 g claw hammer
6.0/10about £13.99
View offer

Pulling a nail

Seat the claw under the head and pull only part of the way. Slide a scrap of timber under the hammer head and pull again. Stonebridge describes that block as extra leverage that also spares the handle. A longer lever on a bare claw is how you mark the timber and how you load a cheap claw. On the Amtech 8 oz, pulls on fence nails line up with a bent claw or a head that came off. On the Arcjunys, a claw tooth snapped on a 4 inch nail. If the handle creaks or the claw opens, finish with a pry bar or a cat’s paw. The shape difference is on curved claw or rip claw.

When to put the claw hammer down

Do not strike a bolster, a cold chisel, or masonry with a claw hammer. That is a club-hammer blow. Do not keep levering once the claw has opened or the shaft has cracked. Do not hunt for a cable or a pipe with the claw. If the fixing is beside hidden services, if you are at height and a dropped hammer is the hazard, or if the task has become demolition, a different tool or a competent person takes over. A loose head ends the session. Do not keep striking to tighten the joint. None of these listings claim BS 876, so a star rating is not a certificate you can lean on when the head moves.

Common questions

Where should I hold the handle?
For the driving blows, hold near the end of the handle so the head does the work. BuildWiz and the Stonebridge note both start with a light tap while you steady the nail, then you move that hand and swing. Choke up only for the first taps in a tight corner, then return to the end of the handle. Gripping under the head for every blow shortens the hammer.
How do I start a nail without hitting my fingers?
Rest the face on the nail so the aim is square, and set it with two or three light taps while your fingers stay low and to the side. Take the hand away once the nail stands, then swing. A magnetic starter, where the listing has one, only holds the nail for those taps. It is not a reason to keep your fingers on the shank for the full blow.
How do I pull a nail without denting the timber?
Seat the claw and pull only part of the way. Slide a scrap of timber under the hammer head and pull again, so the head bears on the scrap. Stonebridge and BuildWiz both describe that block. It adds leverage and it spares the handle. If the nail is still proud on finish timber, a nail punch is the next tool, not the edge of the hammer face.
When should I stop and use a pry bar or a cat’s paw?
Stop when the claw, the shaft, or the head complains, or when the nail needs more lever than a scrap block can give. Pasted reviews in this set describe bent claws, snapped teeth, cracked shafts, and heads that came off during a pull. Those texts are not a percentage. A cat’s paw or a pry bar finishes a buried nail. Keep a block under it if the surface matters.
What do I do if the head feels loose?
Stop using it. A loose head, a split shaft, or a chipped claw comes out of use. Do not keep striking to tighten the joint, and do not treat glue at the head as a repair. If this hammer is work equipment, PUWER expects it to be suitable and maintained. At home the same rule applies: a head that moves can leave the handle.

Related pages

Claw hammer buying guide

Best claw hammer

Claw hammer

16 oz or 20 oz claw hammer: which head you should choose

Curved claw or rip claw: pull a nail or prise boards

Sources

The standard identifier is BS 876:1995, with HSE guidance on work equipment and eye protection, plus a UK retailer hammer guide. Prices, stars, and review counts are amazon.co.uk captures from 19 October 2026, scored on 22 October 2026. They are not a lab test.

  1. BSI Knowledge: BS 876:1995, specification for hand hammers (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. ANSI webstore: BS 876:1995 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Intertek Inform: BS 876:1995 contents (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. HSE L22: Safe use of work equipment (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. HSE: Using the right type of PPE (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Toolstation: hammer buying guide (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Sealey: hammer instructions (retrieved 22 October 2026)