Hammers for lifting lids off stoves and for mutilating government stamps on sealed cigar boxes are among thousands featured in Dave Pahl’s book, “The Improved Hammer: A Guide to the Identification, History and Evolutions of the Hammer.”
Pahl, founder of the Main Street-based Hammer Museum, said he published the 200-page, large-format book of color photos, text and illustrations because of demand but also as a pay-back of sorts.