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

Curved claw vs straight claw hammer for pull or pry

Updated: 23 October 2026

You are choosing which claw pulls a nail with less effort, and which claw you can trust when a board needs to come apart. Curved is the usual claw for pulling nails in a house. Straight, often called a rip claw, is the shape for prying and splitting. Neither is a wrecking bar. Head weight is a different decision, on [16 oz or 20 oz claw hammer](/hub/hand-tools/hammer/sub/hammer-16oz-vs-20oz). The photos are on the [hammer comparison](/hub/hand-tools/hammer). Peter F. updated this on 22 October 2026 from those listings. We did not score leverage in a lab. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are choosing which claw pulls a nail with less effort, and which claw you can trust when a board needs to come apart. Curved is the usual claw for pulling nails in a house.

Our top picks

Estwing Estwing E16C 16 oz leather grip

Best overall

Estwing Estwing E16C 16 oz leather grip
9.4/10about £37.00
View offer
Stanley Stanley FatMax FMHT1-51275 16 oz

Rank 2

Stanley Stanley FatMax FMHT1-51275 16 oz
9.2/10about £27.95
View offer
Fadayunn Fadayunn 11 oz straight claw hammer

Rank 3

Fadayunn Fadayunn 11 oz straight claw hammer
8.2/10about £5.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Curved claw when you pull nails
  2. 2.Straight claw when you pry
  3. 3.If the listing says both, trust the photo
  4. 4.Smooth face, not a waffle, for visible timber

Curved claw when you pull nails

A curved claw arcs back toward the handle and gives a longer lever when you roll the head onto a scrap. Toolstation and BuildWiz UK treat that as the homeowner default for pulling. Titles that say curved here include the Estwing E16C at about £37.00 and the Stanley FatMax at about £27.95. The ASelected two-hammer set, about £8.99, has a head-style row that says curve. For skirtings, curved is the shape to search for. The pull is on how to use a claw hammer. A curved 8 oz hammer still lacks mass for a fence nail.

Straight claw when you pry

A straight claw, or rip claw, is sold for prying and splitting boards, often beside a heavier head. Toolstation and Screwfix use the same split: curved for nails, straight for ripping. Fadayunn's title and head-style row both say straight, at about £5.99, 27 cm and 330 g, with 4.1 from 54 reviews. That is not a 20 oz rip hammer. Roughneck's mini-claw is an extra notch, not a rip claw. Wonkee Donkee notes that either claw can snap if you lever a tongue-and-groove board.
Estwing Estwing E16C 16 oz leather grip

Testsieger

Estwing Estwing E16C 16 oz leather grip
9.4/10about £37.00
View offer

If the listing says both, trust the photo

The Amtech hammer, ASIN B003XKMSAE, about £6.81, will not tell you the shape. The title says straight claw, 8 oz / 225 g. A bullet says curved-claw leverage. If the photos are too small to tell, skip the listing. Reviews fit pictures and tent pegs, and several say it bent on fence nails. That is an 8 oz head on a harder pull, whichever way the claw curves. The Rolson tubulars only say claw hammer, so the photo is the check. Weight questions go to the claw hammer buying guide.

Smooth face, not a waffle, for visible timber

A smooth face is less likely to brand the timber. A milled or waffle face grips the nail and leaves a pattern. Stanley's sheet for FMHT1-51275 states a smooth face on the FatMax. None of the technical rows claims a milled face, so do not infer one from a black grip. For architrave, a smooth curved claw matches the job. The Roughneck bullets do not say waffle. A miss with any face dents timber. A milled miss brands it.

Common questions

Which claw pulls nails with less effort?
The curved claw. The arc gives you more leverage when you roll the head onto a scrap of timber. Toolstation and BuildWiz UK treat that as the homeowner default. A straight claw still pulls. It does it with less of that roll, so the same long nail is harder on the wood if you skip the block. Effort also depends on a blunt claw and a nail that is clenched. Shape does not rescue a nail that needs cutting.
Which claw is for prying boards?
The straight, or rip, claw. It is the shape sold for prying and splitting, often with a heavier head. Fadayunn is the listing here whose title and head-style row both say straight, on a 330 g tool, so the shape is right and the mass may not be. Prying a packing board is in scope. Lifting a tongued floorboard is not. That remains a bar, on either claw.
Will a straight claw ruin trim?
It can mark and dent trim more readily because the pull is a poorer roll, and because rip hammers are often paired with a face meant for framing. A straight claw is a usable puller with a scrap under the head. For architrave and door linings, a curved claw with a smooth face is the kinder search. The FatMax sheet states a smooth face. A milled face, which these technical rows do not claim, would brand the timber on a miss.
What is a milled face and do these listings have one?
A milled or waffle face is a textured striking face that grips the nail and leaves a pattern in the wood. It belongs on framing hammers. None of the technical rows in this set states a milled face. Stanley's FMHT1-51275 sheet states a smooth face. If a listing does not say milled, do not assume the black head in the photo is textured. Check the picture at full size if the face matters.
The Amtech title and bullet disagree. Which is it?
The file does not say. The title says straight claw and a bullet says curved-claw leverage, on an 8 oz / 225 g hammer at about £6.81. Look at the photograph. If you still cannot tell, buy a listing whose title and head-style row agree, such as the Fadayunn for straight or the Estwing and FatMax for curved. The disagreement is a data fault, not a third kind of claw.
Can I lift floorboards with either claw?
No. Wonkee Donkee points out that a claw is often too thick to enter the gap and can snap when you lever tongue-and-groove boards. Curved and straight fail that job in the same way. Use a moulding bar or a wrecking bar, and use the hammer only to tap the heel of the bar. A mini-claw on the Roughneck is a notch for a sunken nail, not a board lifter.

Related pages

Best claw hammer for each job

Hammer

16 oz or 20 oz claw hammer for the nails you drive

Claw hammer buying guide: job, then ounces, then the handle

How to use a claw hammer without bending the nails

Sources

Public UK sources listed below. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures used in this comparison, not a fresh check on 22 October 2026.

  1. BuildWiz UK, claw hammer (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. BSI, BS 876:1995 Specification for hand hammers (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. HSE, PUWER overview (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. HSE, types of ladder (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. HSE, using the right type of PPE (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Stanley FatMax FMHT1-51275 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Roughneck V-Series claw hammers (retrieved 22 October 2026)