Shovelglove Handle? What kind to buy?

Take a sledgehammer and wrap an old sweater around it. This is your "shovelglove." Every week day morning, set a timer for 14 minutes. Use the shovelglove to perform shoveling, butter churning, and wood chopping motions until the timer goes off. Stop. Rest on weekends and holidays. Baffled? Intrigued? Charmed? Discuss here.
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Which material is best for a SG handle?

Hickory
7
70%
Fiberglass
3
30%
 
Total votes: 10

s2pidityFtw
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Shovelglove Handle? What kind to buy?

Post by s2pidityFtw » Sat Apr 25, 2009 6:47 am

Hi people,

Found this awesome website and idea a while ago, but I have finally set my mind to starting sg. So anyways, I was checking out the sledgehammers in the online store (or on Amazon) and there are evidently two different choices of handle material: hickory and fiberglass. Seeing the price difference, I'm just wondering if the fiberglass handle is worth the extra money in terms of durability or comfort, seeing as I'll have my hands on the handle quite a bit. Would wearing gloves be advised? Oh, and are there any other materials used in sledgehammer handles? I plan to buy a twelve-pounder if that matters.

Also, are the prices on Amazon for the sledgehammers average, reasonable prices? Would it be more cost efficient to buy a hammer from a local store (although I currently have no idea where to find one)?

Thx in advance for any help, actually any advice in general on buying SG hammers would be appreciated :roll:
Flyy me to the moon.

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gratefuldeb67
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:02 am

I have a twelve pound hammer with a wooden handle.
I am interested in getting an 8 lb one and getting rid of the 12 lb one.
The fiberglass ones are kinda plasticky feeling and I never liked the look.
The wood ones feel fine. Most of them have a polyurethane coating.
Gloves aren't really necessary, but I guess if you just feel you would prefer to do SG that way it would be okay as long as they don't interfere with you gripping it.
The only reason fiberglass are more is because it is probably more durable in the long run if you are using it for demolition, and hitting stuff.
I wouldn't worry about needing that for SG.
Good luck!
8) Debs
There is no Wisdom greater than Kindness

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gratefuldeb67
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:05 am

Just go to a hardware store, or to Home Depot or Lowes.. They usually have them in the Gardening section actually..
Try them out before you buy, and you can see for yourself.
That's the best way.
I paid around 30 dollars about four years ago for mine.
I got it at a small hardware store here in my town, tho I did go and try them out at other places and shopped around a bit.

8) Debs
There is no Wisdom greater than Kindness

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Sun Apr 26, 2009 12:20 am

I've used both (my 12 pounder is hickory, 16 and 20 are fiberglass).

I like the idea of the hickory better, but I honestly don't notice the different after the first swing.

I hadn't noticed that one kind was consistently cheaper than the other. I would just go with price.

The prices on amazon are insanely arbitrary and fluctuate wildly. You can get hammers in the 20 dollar range including shipping, or pay several times that without shipping. 20 pounders are harder to find and expensive, but less than that I wouldn't expect to pay more than 20-30 dollars.

Reinhard

DC++
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Post by DC++ » Sun Apr 26, 2009 3:30 am

I have used both hickory and fiberglass and much prefer the hickory. The fiberglass handle on my log splitting maul has a noticeable seam from the molding process which annoys me while the hickory feels smooth and nice.

Like Reinhard I also like the idea of hickory, but in my case aesthetic preferences are backed up by comfort and price.

I usually wear fingerless leather gloves with the mesh back (like those worn by cyclists and weightlifters) since they give me a sure grip when my hands become sweaty.

s2pidityFtw
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Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2009 6:28 am

Post by s2pidityFtw » Sun Apr 26, 2009 5:36 am

Thanks for the responses! I have a better idea what kind of sledgehammer to buy now.
Flyy me to the moon.

CriticalMass
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Post by CriticalMass » Wed May 13, 2009 3:47 pm

For what it is worth, I like the rubber grip that came integrated into my fiberglass handle. I feel like it improves my grip, so I don't have to use gloves. I think the rubber grip decreases the chances of my dropping the hammer on the "hoist sack" exercise.

chiangmaiboss
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Post by chiangmaiboss » Sat Jun 27, 2009 10:56 am

The wood that the handle of my sledgehammer is made from is not hickory but some cheap local wood. The color runs off it from sweat and looks like blood. This is why my girlfriend made the crochet handle for me and also the head has crochet cover so I dont have to tie sweater over it and it actually still works as sledgehammer for some jobs even with crochet cover on.
Chiang Mai and Nakhon Sawan, Thailand

markhu
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Location: United States

Post by markhu » Tue Sep 13, 2011 9:52 pm

The heaviest sledge hammer I could find at my local swap meet was 10 pounds with fiberglass handle. I talked them down from $20 to $18.
--Mark

Hoeka
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Post by Hoeka » Wed Sep 14, 2011 7:48 am

A hickory handle is my dream ... but I had a choice between some el cheapo wood (probably pine) and rubber. I bought one with a rubber handle, mainly because it was cheaper - and because I thought the rubber might prevent the handle from slipping. I started out using cycling gloves, but don't use them any more.

I guess you'd have to decide between aesthetics, economy and safety.

No matter what you decide on, the most important thing is that you USE the new toy. (Mine was a garden ornament for a couple of weeks :oops: :oops:; these days I have a better SG than Rural Ranging compliance record.)
Our bodies are our gardens to which our wills are gardeners - Shakespeare

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