Klein Tools 832-26 Lineman's Claw Milled Hammer

The 832-26 carries a 26 oz (737 g) steel head with a milled face, which is what bites and holds on staple heads when you're driving into a pole. Klein built it as the lighter alternative to the traditional 32 oz lineman's hammer, so you give up some driving mass in exchange for less fatigue over a day of climbing and setting staples. The head is large enough to take lag bolts as well as staples.

Yes, it will. The milled (checkered) face on the 832-26 is cut to grip fastener heads so they don't skate, and it leaves a waffle print on anything it touches. Keep it on poles, staples and lag bolts. For finish nailing, molding, or any exposed surface you care about, use a smooth face hammer instead. The claw end on the 832-26 is still fine for pulling nails, molding and ground wire.

There's a lanyard hole in the 832-26 for tethering, which is what you want when you're on a pole, in a bucket, or on a lift. The lanyard itself is not part of the hammer, so order a tool lanyard separately.

Overall length is 14.84 inches (38 cm), with a 13 inch (36 cm) fiberglass handle. That's a full-swing handle length, not a stubby, so plan on clearance when you're working inside a pole-top or a tight panel.

It's built to ASME B107.400, the standard covering striking tools. That's the reference to cite if your facility or utility spec requires a standards-compliant hammer.

The face measures 1.4 inches by 1.5 inches (3.5 cm x 3.8 cm), and the head is 2 x 5.4 inches. That face is wider than a typical finish hammer, which is what gives you margin when you're swinging at a staple crown overhead rather than at a nail head on a bench.

Klein Tools part number 832-26. The 26 in the number is the head weight in ounces, which distinguishes it from the heavier traditional 32 oz lineman's hammer.

The 832-26 uses a fiberglass handle with a textured grip to keep your hand from sliding on a hard swing. Fiberglass doesn't dry out, shrink or loosen at the head the way a wood handle can after seasons in a truck, and it won't absorb moisture. Wood is still the choice if you want to replace handles rather than the whole tool.

Total tool weight is 2.3 lbs, of which 26 oz is the steel head. Useful number if you're building out a climbing belt or a weight-limited tool bag.

The handle is bright orange so the tool stays visible on a job site, in grass at the base of a pole, or in a truck bed full of gear. Practical for crews that lose tools in the field.