Turn Your Hammer Into a Multitool

I’m a sucker for multitools, so much so that I have at least a dozen of them in various shapes, sizes, and degrees of worn out. So, I was tickled to see this Instructable on how to turn a typical claw hammer into a multitool. This “ultimate hammer” includes a ruler, bit driver, bottle opener, and a magnet for stashing a few nails.

While this idea may seem silly to some, it does raise the question of why there aren’t more hammer-based multitools on the market. I especially like the idea of having a bit driver in the base of the handle for some quick n’ dirty fastening. And a bottle opener tucked under the head? Why not? All of the tools on here wouldn’t be your primary, go-to tool, but for quick measurement on a ladder, a popped brew when your hammer is closer to the beer than your opener, or if you notice that one of the screws on your ladder is loose. And the improvements outlined in the Instructable are easy to do.

In the comments to the project, some of the readers came up with suggestions for other tools one could add/embed into a hammer handle: Tape measure, pocket knife, bubble level, penlight flashlight, reflective/glow tape to find the hammer in the dark, customized finger grips, and a metric ruler.

One person also had the idea of creating a circle-maker by drilling holes in the center of the handle at regular ruler increments. To draw a circle, you would place a nail in the “0” hole, a pencil in the desired circle radius distance, and then scribe your circle. Another smart-Alec-y commenter suggested embedding a USB flash drive in the handle, so the project could be “high tech.”

I love projects like this that inspire you to look at your work habits and your tool use in new ways. Have you seen Jimmy DiResta’s Which Blade project? Another example of thinking outside the box about multitools.

Note: Several people in the project’s comments pointed out that putting the nail holder magnet on the head is probably not a good idea. The author of the Instructable claims the magnet is strong enough to hold several nails on the hammer, even while swinging the hammer. But apparently, when subjected to repeated force/stress, magnets begin to lose their properties. I say, swap that out for an embedded USB drive, so your hammer will be “high tech.”