A friend on an Austrian gun board introduced me to the Dead On Tools Annihilator Demolition Hammer. Just the photo was enough to convince me to pick one up for a try.
The balance is a bit forward, but there’s plenty of grip surface to choke up on if needed. The hammer end made short work of a 2” concrete block, and the chisel end’s impact split them readily. Note that it will need re-sharpened with a file from time to time. After the block, I tried a chunk of sandstone with some full swings. I got sparks and chipped off a few corners, but didn’t make serious headway. On the other hand, I proved it was tough enough to take the impact. (A reviewer elsewhere claimed he managed to break two of them. I’m presuming there was a run of poor heat treatment in that lot. He was given free, no-questions-asked exchanges by the company.)
The claw puller on the head has fantastic leverage, with that broad head, and made ripping nails loose an amusement rather than a chore. I even hammered a few extra 20d nails in for the fun of it, then ripped them back out.
As the image shows, there are prying surfaces everywhere—front, back, head, base of handle. There’s a wrench section for 2x4s, a drywall axe which would probably work for glass in an emergency (with the proper safety gear), and a couple of standard wrenches. The head is advertised to work as a bottle opener for when the chore is done, and it does, though it’s of marginal use. It will take a cap off, but there are easier ways.
Now, obviously, this tool looks positively medieval, and it does make a very effective war hammer, with one side for impact, one for crushing and splitting blows, and the butt spike for traumatizing jabs. Anyone with bayonet training can grip this appropriately and hack through a crowd of zombies, or heft it like an axe and use it on single opponents.
The retail price is $49.95, but several major hardware and farm chains carry them for $30, often on sale for $25. It’s worth having one in every vehicle, and one in the shop for those special jobs, and occasional stress relief. – Michael Z. Williamson. SurvivalBlog Editor At Large