Nick Offerman is a lover of tools. And there is none that he loves more than Estwing, especially their claw hammer. “It’s a very charismatic design,” Offerman says about the Estwing line in a recently published article in the New York Times. “It’s good looking, it’s well balanced… It’s a joy to use, everything about it.”
As a beloved character actor (best known as Ron Swanson on Parks & Recreation) and a professional woodworker, Offerman came to Estwing’s tools organically. “It’s not like anybody paid me to do a tool test or anything. I started with an old hammer that my dad gave me that his dad gave him, and I still have that in my drawer at the shop.”
Offerman is promoting his latest book, Little Woodchucks: Offerman Woodshop’s Guide to Tools and Tomfoolery, a family-friendly manual for building things like your own toys, a toolbox, or one of those little free libraries.
But the book could also be interpreted as an ode to the power of simple hand tools to serve as a type of therapy. How to use an implement properly such as a hammer can actually change your life.
“When you drive a nail successfully, you feel like an absolute superhero. It’s incredible.”
It’s no surprise that Offerman is not a fan of automation. “Construction sites now are festooned with pneumatic nail guns. I hate working with them.” It takes the soul out of a very intimate process, he believes.
Even if you’re not a DIYer, he suggests that you, “Get yourself a hammer. Just a normal hammer… just a little claw hammer.”
“Everyone needs to be reminded how to hammer and nail,” he says. Without this knowledge, you might be “missing out on the joy and comfort of living a self-sustainable life.” He goes on to say, “When you drive a nail successfully, you feel like an absolute superhero. It’s incredible.”
If you’re looking to develop your own superpowers, we believe there’s no better place to start than by learning to swing an Estwing.
