Broke my favorite cross pein hammer after 9 years of daily work

The handle snapped clean off mid-swing on a stubborn billet last Wednesday, right at the shoulder where it meets the head. I've got 2 spare handles in the shop but this one was the old hickory with the perfect grip, so now I'm debating whether to reshape the head or just retire it. How do you all decide when a hammer head is finally done versus worth re-hanging?

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1 Comment

eva_moore22d ago

Ah man, that hurts. My buddy Mike had the same thing happen with his favorite drilling hammer, handle snapped after a decade of use. He spent a whole weekend trying to talk himself into re-hanging it, but the head had a hairline crack near the eye that he never noticed before. He ended up retiring it and hanging it on the shop wall as a display piece, said it earned its rest. If the head is solid and you love the weight, re-hang it, but check that eye real close first.