Dead blow hammer

A dead blow hammer is a specialized mallet helpful in minimizing damage to the struck surface and in controlling striking force with minimal rebound from the striking surface. The head of these hammers are commonly hollow and filled with sand or lead shot, which both absorbs the impact of a strike and concentrates all of the energy of the blow in a focused point.

Use of a dead blow hammer may be restricted in settings where contamination by foreign material, in this case the sand or shot, could occur, such as a clean room manufacturing setting.

Commonly constructed of polyurethane, they regularly appear in solid orange and black. Composite heads and fiberglass handle models are also available. Options include shock absorbent rubber grips, head cavities filled with shot and replaceable faces with metal screws for quick replacement.

Dead blow hammers have many uses. For example, in auto repair they are commonly used for chassis work, dislodging stuck parts and sometimes used for hubcap installation and removal (e.g. knock-off hubs). They can be used to pop out small dents as well.