Claw hammer

An early claw hammer is seen in Albrecht Dürer's etching "Melencolia I," dated 1514, halfway up the left side.

A claw hammer is composed of a metal head and a handle, which historically was made of wood but also may be of steel, fiberglass, or other composite.

One side of the head has a poll[1] with either a smooth or textured surface and used for driving, while the other is formed into a pair of downward curving V-shaped claws and used for prying — most commonly extracting nails from wood.

Framing hammers also characteristically have a checkered "milled" face, which reduces skip-off of the head if the blow is not precisely struck on the nail.

The slight indentations left on the wood by the checkered face are considered unimportant in rough carpentry.