THOR HAMMER COMPANY - Birmingham, England
The Heritage: Founded in 1923, the Thor Hammer Company Ltd has spent a century mastering a highly specific niche: the manufacture of soft-faced hammers and mallets. Operating out of Shirley in Birmingham, this proudly independent, family-run business remains steadfast in its commitment to UK manufacturing. Remarkably, they continue to use historic production methods, such as tightly coiling and pressing water buffalo hide to create their famous rawhide striking faces, operating alongside modern injection-moulding for their synthetic ranges.
The Verdict: Thor Hammer is an absolute staple of UK engineering, automotive restoration and woodworking. Their tools are meticulously engineered to deliver a heavy, controlled blow without damaging, sparking or marking the workpiece. Unlike cheap, disposable rubber mallets, Thor’s classic copper and rawhide hammers are designed for absolute sustainability and serviceability; the striking faces are fully replaceable, meaning the central cast-iron head and wooden handle can easily last a lifetime of professional use.
Core Products: Classic Copper and Rawhide faced hammers, solid brass mallets, nylon replaceable-face hammers and dead-blow hammers.
