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Best slater's hammer: who each of these five is for

Updated: 24 October 2026

You want the best slater's hammer you can order today, and the amazon.co.uk list runs from a £12.98 hammer with six ratings to a £76.97 Stubai. This page says which listing matches holing, which matches a one-piece roofing pick, and which to skip if you dress slate or trust stars alone. The [slate hammer comparison](/hub/hand-tools/slate-hammer) holds the prices and the badges. Peter F. compared the saved listings and the review themes, not a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You want the best slater's hammer you can order today, and the amazon.co.uk list runs from a £12.98 hammer with six ratings to a £76.97 Stubai.

Our top picks

Estwing Estwing E239MS roofer's pick

Best overall

Estwing Estwing E239MS roofer's pick
8.5/10about £62.02
View offer
Roughneck Roughneck ROU61800 slater's hammer

Best value

Roughneck Roughneck ROU61800 slater's hammer
8.7/10about £16.99
View offer
Stubai Stubai 275501 right-hand slater's hammer

Alternative

Stubai Stubai 275501 right-hand slater's hammer
8.6/10about £76.97
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What best means on this page
  2. 2.The £16.99 Roughneck for holing
  3. 3.The Estwing if you want one-piece steel
  4. 4.Gorilla, Stubai, and the £12.98 hammer

What best means on this page

Best here means the listing and the UK reviews describe the job you have. A 5.0 from six ratings is a thinner sample than a 4.5 from 228. The top pick is the Estwing E239MS at £62.02, with 4.6 from 116 and a UK review that names slate roofing. The best value is the Roughneck ROU61800 at £16.99, with 4.5 from 228 and reviews that describe holing. The Roughneck's score is the highest. The badge stays on the Estwing because the criterion is the forged roofing hammer, not the arithmetic maximum. Patterns, before names, are on the slate hammer buying guide.

The £16.99 Roughneck for holing

Open the Roughneck ROU61800 first if you are holing a modest number of slates and you want reviews that say so. It is a site pattern: pointed tip, central nail remover, rectangular face. UK reviews describe holing on a shed, on reclaimed slates, and on a roof. The same reviews say the point needed sharpening and the claw is short or thick. The included line says 454 g. The item weight says 750 g. The file does not say which is the head. Kellaway's £22.50 is not this Amazon row. There is no cutting edge. If you dress slate, this best-value row is the wrong tool.
Estwing Estwing E239MS roofer's pick

Testsieger

Estwing Estwing E239MS roofer's pick
8.5/10about £62.02
View offer

The Estwing if you want one-piece steel

The Estwing E239MS is the top pick if you want one forging, a leather grip, and a magnetised face, and you will pay £62.02 for that rather than for a larger holing sample. The bullets say a German-pattern head for the roofing trade, made in the USA. They do not say slate. One UK review does. Another says the claw is too fat for some clouts. The item weight is 1.02 kg. UK shops print about 620 g. Do not average them. German pattern is not a right-hand blade. Skip it if you need to dress slate, or if the budget was a hammer under £20.

Gorilla, Stubai, and the £12.98 hammer

The Roughneck Gorilla ROU11040 is the site hammer whose weights agree: 600 g on the title and the item weight, at £23.99, with 4.5 from 103 ratings. The lanyard hole tethers the tool. It does not hold you. Several UK reviews are about scaffolding or wood, so 4.5 is not a holing test. The Stubai 275501 is the only right-hand cutter, at £76.97 in the saved file, with 4.5 from 196. Reviews include a bent blade, a point that snapped after about 30 natural slates, and a right-hand order that arrived left-hand. A live price on 22 October 2026 was about £73.93. Check the hand on the right or left handed slater's hammer page. The AB Tools hammer at £12.98 has two reviews that do not describe a job. Climbing is a separate decision, on the replace a slate DIY page.

Common questions

Which of these five is the one for holing a few slates?
Start with the Roughneck ROU61800 at £16.99. UK reviews describe holing on a shed, on reclaimed slates, and on a roof, at 4.5 from 228 ratings. The AB Tools pick is cheaper and almost unreviewed. None of the site hammers is a dressing axe.
Why is the 5.0-star hammer not the top pick?
The AB Tools hammer is 5.0 from six ratings, with two one-line UK reviews. That can beat a 4.6 on a naive average and still say nothing about holing, or about 600 g in the title against 874 g item weight. The top pick is the Estwing. The best value is the Roughneck.
Is the Estwing badge a slate test?
No. It marks a one-piece roofer's pick at £62.02, with 4.6 from 116 ratings and one UK review that names slate roofing. The bullets do not say slate. The item weight is 1.02 kg. The badge is not a BS 5534 or BS 876 result.
Should a slater buy the Stubai on stars alone?
A 4.5 from 196 sits beside a bent blade, a point that snapped after about 30 natural slates, and a right-hand order that arrived left-hand. Buy it if you need that edge and you will inspect the stamp and the hand on the day it arrives.
Does the Gorilla have a magnet?
The amazon.co.uk bullets in this file do not list one. Two UK reviews say a magnet holds a nail, and Roughneck's V-series page lists a magnetic nail holder. Confirm it on the listing you pay for.
What should I skip if I need to dress the edge of a slate?
Skip the site hammers and the Estwing. Their listings do not give you a handed cutting edge. The Stubai 275501 is the row sold as right-hand. If you are left-hand, this comparison does not include the 275502 twin.

Related pages

How to hole a slate

Slate hammer

Slate hammer buying guide: three heads, then weight

Right or left handed slater's hammer: the cutting edge

Replace a slate DIY: hole it on the ground, then stop

Sources

Prices, stars, and review counts are the amazon.co.uk saved listings for B0CBVW35XX, B004VRPXUU, B097BJ7444, B0002JT0BE, and B0001JZYL0, scored on 22 October 2026. Public sources cover work at height, PUWER, BS 5534, BS 8000-6, and holing practice. None of these listings is certified to those standards. This is not a lab strike test.

  1. HSE: Work at height FAQs (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. HSE: PUWER and work equipment (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. NFRC: standards and regulations (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. LABC: fixing of roof tiles (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. CUPA: fixing guide for natural slate (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. SSQ: nail fixing guide (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Kellaway: Roughneck slater's hammer (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  9. Metal Roofing Tools: Stubai slater's hammer 275501 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  10. Wow Tools: Estwing E239MS roofer's pick (retrieved 22 October 2026)