Ball Peen Hammer Uses in the Garage
A ball peen hammer shapes sheet metal, strikes punches and chisels, and peens rivets, with the flat face for striking and the ball end for shaping.
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A fender panel with a dent to smooth and a rivet that needs setting sit on the same bench, and both jobs call for the same hammer. Ball peen hammer uses center on the ends of the head: the flat face strikes, and the ball end shapes metal. This guide explains what each end does and how the listings compare.
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ESTWING Ball Peen Hammer
A 16 oz ball peen hammer forged from a single piece of steel, with a shock reduction grip and a smooth rounded ball end for shaping sheet metal.
Pros
- 16 oz head for forming and shaping sheet metal
- Forged from a single piece of solid steel
- Shock reduction grip reduces impact vibration by 70%
- Stated for striking punches and chisels and peening rivets
Cons
- No warranty term is stated
- No storage case is stated
- The other head weights are listed for the line, not this 16 oz hammer
- No rubber cushion grip is stated; the grip is molded vinyl
C&T 5-Piece Ball Peen Hammer Set, 8, 12, 16, 24
A 5-piece ball peen hammer set in 8, 12, 16, 24 and 32 oz, with forged carbon steel heads and fiberglass core handles.
Pros
- 5 head weights from 8 to 32 oz in one set
- Forged carbon steel heads with a mirrored polish
- Fiberglass core handles with soft grip ergonomic handles
- Smaller hammers for lighter-duty metals, larger hammers for heavy-duty metals
Cons
- No warranty term is stated
- No shock reduction figure is stated
- No storage case is stated
- No handle length is stated
VAUGHAN Ball Pein Hammer 20 Oz, Metalworking Tool
A 20 oz ball peen hammer in drop-forged high carbon steel, with a compression wedged hickory handle and a polished face, bevel and peen.
Pros
- 20 oz head for blacksmithing and metalworking
- Drop-forged and heat-treated American high carbon steel
- Compression wedged hickory handle reduces shock
- Polished face, bevel and peen for detailed metalwork and pin setting
Cons
- No warranty term is stated
- Only 20 oz is stated; no other head weight is listed
- No shock reduction figure is stated
- No storage case is stated
Performance Tool M7032B 16 oz. Ball Pein Hammer
A 16 oz ball peen hammer with a drop forged high carbon steel head, a fiberglass handle and a rubber cushion grip.
Pros
- 16 oz head for automotive and metal peening work
- Drop forged high carbon steel head
- Fiberglass handle with a rubber cushion grip
- Listed size of 16.2 by 2.4 by 0.8 in
Cons
- No warranty term is stated
- Bullets state only the product type, quantity and country of origin
- No shock reduction figure is stated
- No ball end or face detail is stated
Ball peen hammer uses: the quick answer
A ball peen hammer is a metalworking hammer with a flat face on one end and a ball end on the other. The listings here use it for shaping sheet metal, striking punches and chisels, and peening rivets. The flat face drives the punch or chisel, and the ball end rounds and shapes the metal. Head weights in these listings run from 8 oz to 32 oz, with 16 oz the weight stated for the Estwing and Performance Tool hammers and 20 oz for the Vaughan. The table below puts the 4 listings side by side.
| Hammer | Head weight | Handle | Stated uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estwing 16 oz | 16 oz | One-piece steel, shock reduction grip | Shaping sheet metal, striking punches and chisels, peening rivets |
| Performance Tool 16 oz | 16 oz | Fiberglass, rubber cushion grip | Automotive and metal peening work |
| C&T 5-Piece Set | 8, 12, 16, 24, 32 oz | Fiberglass core, soft grip | Peening rivets, striking chisels and punches, shaping unhardened metals |
| Vaughan 20 oz | 20 oz | Hickory, compression wedged | Blacksmithing and metalworking, detailed metalwork, pin setting |
Step 1: Know the flat face and the ball end
The flat face is the striking end. The Estwing listing names striking punches and chisels, and the C&T listing names striking chisels and punches. The ball end is the shaping end: the Estwing listing describes a smooth rounded ball end to shape metals to the right contour, and the Vaughan listing pairs a polished face, bevel and peen with precise strikes and smooth shaping for detailed metalwork and pin setting. Use the face for the punch or chisel, and the ball end for rounding and shaping the metal.
Step 2: Pick the head weight
Head weight follows the metal, per the C&T listing. The C&T listing splits the choice by the metal: smaller hammers from 8 to 16 oz for lighter-duty metals, and larger hammers at 24 and 32 oz for heavy-duty metals. The Estwing and Performance Tool hammers here are 16 oz, the Vaughan is 20 oz, and the C&T set holds all 5 weights from 8 to 32 oz. The Estwing listing lists the same 5 head weights for its hammer line. Pick the weight from the metal and the job, and check the listing before ordering.
Step 3: Check the handle and the grip
Handles differ across the 4 listings. The Estwing is forged from a single piece of solid steel with a molded vinyl grip that the listing says reduces impact vibration by 70%. The Performance Tool and C&T hammers use fiberglass handles, with a rubber cushion grip on the Performance Tool and soft grip ergonomic handles on the C&T set. The Vaughan uses a compression wedged hickory handle that the listing says reduces shock. Match the handle to the work and the grip to the hand, and check the listing for the handle material before ordering.
The ball peen hammers
Each listing below handles a different part of the work, from the one-piece steel head to the 5-piece set and the hickory handle.
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How the points were given
The Shop Score weighs performance, build, value, safety and warranty. For ball peen hammers, performance covers the stated uses and how completely the hammer covers the metalworking job, build covers the stated materials and construction, and value weighs the stated pieces and weights against the other hammers here. Safety covers stated safety-relevant features, and no hammer here states a certification, so safety scores zero for all 4 listings. Warranty covers the stated term, and no listing here states a warranty term, so warranty scores zero for all 4 listings. How we pick explains the weights.
FAQ: garage tools
What is a ball peen hammer used for?
Shaping sheet metal, striking punches and chisels, and peening rivets. The Estwing listing names forming and shaping sheet metal, striking punches and chisels and peening rivets, and the C&T listing names peening rivets, striking chisels and punches and shaping unhardened metals. The Vaughan listing adds detailed metalwork and pin setting.
What is the ball end of a ball peen hammer for?
Shaping metal and peening rivets. The Estwing listing describes a smooth rounded ball end to shape metals to the right contour, and the Vaughan listing pairs a polished peen with smooth shaping for detailed metalwork.
What weight ball peen hammer should I pick?
The C&T listing splits it by the metal: hammers from 8 to 16 oz for lighter-duty metals, and 24 and 32 oz for heavy-duty metals. The hammers here are 16 oz for the Estwing and Performance Tool, 20 oz for the Vaughan, and the C&T set holds 8, 12, 16, 24 and 32 oz.
Can a ball peen hammer strike a chisel?
Yes. The Estwing listing names striking punches and chisels, and the C&T listing names striking chisels and punches. Use the flat face for the punch or chisel, and match the hammer weight to the metal.
What handles do ball peen hammers have?
It varies by listing. The Estwing is forged from a single piece of steel with a molded vinyl grip, the Performance Tool and C&T hammers use fiberglass handles, and the Vaughan uses a compression wedged hickory handle.
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