Lathing Hammer

Date1650-1750

MediumIron, steel, and wood

DimensionsOverall length: 13 1/8" Head: 5 15/16" x 1 11/16"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number2000-66

DescriptionLathing hammer with flared axe blade on one side and flared, round-section hammer head on the other. Integrally forged side straps secure the head to the rectangular sectioned haft by two rivets. Made without a visible eye at the top, there is a decorative groove filed into the hammer head.
Label TextThough called a hammer, this combination tool is equally a hatchet too. These were intended for splitting and nailing thin strips of wood, called lath, to a structural frame as a foundation to a layer of plaster. Clearly versatile, lathing hammers were used for many other jobs in early America.