Mini hammer for cleaning nuts?

I came across a small hammer that was left in a truck I bought.  I added it to my rack of tools (knife, nut tool, and the hammer.) I haven't actually brought it up on a multi pitch route but leave it my pack in the event that I find a stuck cam or nut while cragging.  I used it once to remove a nut I whipped on which was handy (but not necessary definitely could have used a rock, cam, or biner but since I had it I used it.) I think the situations where I'd "need" it wouldn't warrant making it a always bring up item but it's not bad to add to your crag bag.  I climbed with a guy once who had a hammer on a wooden handle that he had ground of the ends so it was just a stick with a metal tip.  His setup was light enough that I might consider taking it up as he did. He has been using it for years to remove booty/junk from routes.  Just another idea to add if you're really thinking about the hammer. 

The problem with a hammer is that when free climbing, you need it so infrequently as to make carrying it an annoyance, especially if talking multi pitch. And keeping one in the bag for cragging is almost equally as useless, since you can always just grab a rock off the ground. The only time I bother is aiding.

Sam Skovgaard wrote:

Yeah, I sometimes trad climb with sport climbers who don't even own a nut tool (and, as you would expect, aren't very adept at cleaning gear).  In such a situation, I would just be able to hand them the hammer and nut tool pre-attached to a shoulder sling.  Basically it would be a pre assembled "cleaners rack."

Giving a newb a hammer is probably the best way I can think of to get lots of your gear hopelessly stuck.  You know that saying, when all you've got is a hammer...

I'd go with a wall hammer. Then you have an excuse to go climb a wall. And add full finger gloves to the kit. Your knuckles can get pretty scraped up tapping out gear.

Gunkiemike wrote:

Giving a newb a hammer is probably the best way I can think of to get lots of your gear hopelessly stuck.  

...and mangled. 

I chopped about 6” off the handle and drilled a hole. Found it useful on Zodiac. 

Sam Skovgaard wrote: Does anyone have their second carry a mini hammer (maybe like a 2oz size) to clean nuts with?  I'm imagining a mini cleaning setup I could give a newbie trad follower consisting of a shoulder length sling with a tethered nut tool and tethered small hammer, maybe with a shortened handle.  Rather than clip cleaned gear to their harness, they could clip it to the sling, speeding transitions (leading in blocks scenario)

I've never needed a hammer for free climbing and I often get others nuts stuck out. A hammer would just slow you down. The odd times I get to a stuck nut that needs work grabbing a local rock can be effective. Mostly it's just looking at the placement and then moving the nut. Was once in red rocks on a long route and these 32 guys were all at the belay working on a stuck nut as their leader was climbing. The last guy kept working on it the whole time the 2nd climbed. When the 3rd guys time came and he had given up, I reached up and had the nut out before he'd made 4 moves. Said: "Pst" guy looked down and was surprised that I had his nut out and in my hand. For aid climbing try not to aid on nuts, ask your leader to use cams and drop a nut in afterwards (non-weighted) for pro if needed. For long aid routes you'll often both have hammers and it's not a bad idea for the 2nd to have a full sized one unless you are stickily or mostly free climbing. Hammerless ascents use to be a thing that was prized.

For all the folks suggesting just pick up a rock..... How do you know when you'll need it? For which nut? On which pitch?  Are you suggesting to always carry a rock in your pocket?

I carried an old tack hammer (much smaller than your typical small hammer) at popular crags around Tahoe for a couple years about a decade ago. Fits right in your pocket and doesn’t weigh much. Wasn’t for getting my stuff out. It was to dislodge the multitude of various fixed stuff all the gumbies managed to hopelessly weld into the rock on virtually every route. Put together a functional booty rack with it in less than two seasons.

Nolan Huther wrote: ...in the brain of my pack...

What pack has a brain? I know I can sure use a spare one from time to time when climbing.

kgray wrote: been done...

However, having used this very tool in the past, you have to have a second nut tool to hammer on.
Usually not worth it, however, it was useful for tapping on everyday fixed pins to assess their pucker factor.

Lowe Chock Tocker.  Would work in conjunction with a second nut tool.

Whatever happened to that Kickstarter for the nut tool with the brass weight on a spring? Did anyone ever try this out?

I received this hammer with some other gear I purchased. I believe it is technically a very small upholstery hammer. I've never carried it. No idea why the original owner duct taped the cord to it instead of simply drilling a hole in the handle.

Artem Vasilyev wrote:

Or you could climb with me, a trad climber who owns two nut tools and consistently forgets both of them. 

It's supposed to be clipped to your harness.

Artem Vasilyev wrote:

Yup, supposed to. Instead, they somehow always end up hanging on the peg board at home. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ lol

Um, stop with the nonsense of taking everything apart and hanging it on your peg board? I just keep all my stuff in a couple of packs - 90% of my (very rarely used) trad gear in one and sport plus a minimal cam rack with a few nutsa nd harness with belay device(s) in the primary pack.

Very recently faced this very issue with a newish follower. She couldn't get a nut out with the nut tool alone. I said, "Take that big blue #3 cam and use the side of it like a hammer on the nut tool."

Problem solved. 

Marc801 C wrote: For all the folks suggesting just pick up a rock..... How do you know when you'll need it? For which nut? On which pitch?  Are you suggesting to always carry a rock in your pocket?

Similar to the guy who said to bang it with a cam/big cam. Thats not too handy when starting a pitch or climbing smaller cracks with small gear.

Carry an old oval, easy peasy.

Marc801 C wrote:

It was made primarily for assessing fixed pins or setting a marginal nut, not for nut removal. 

My bad, here I was using it all wrong. Thanks for the correction!

DMM nutbuster, it's the best but tool I've used

Grab a locker like they're brass knuckles and hit the nut tool hammer fist style. Never not works.