November 4, 2007
Back in August of this year, Ebay vendor "toolsandtiques" offered a carpenters hammer that I hadn't seen illustrated in any of the C. DREW & CO. catalogues that I've had an opportunity to examine over the years. Based on the shape of the hammer head, it appears to be what is popularly referred to as a "ripping hammer."
Ripping hammers were offered in C. DREW's unillustrated price list of January 1, 1967:
Hammers (Ripping):
The distinctions between the two varieties weren't specified in the price list.
Ray Larsen notes: " . . .a box of claw hammer handles . . . had more or less (mostly less) survived the big fire at C. Drew, so I knew that they made claw hammers at some point, but I never saw or made any." So by inference, C. DREW ripping hammers may have been made as late as 1980, the year of the fire.
Below are photos of a C. DREW ripping hammer that we present with the kind permission of Ebay vendor "toolsandtiques":
