Walter Meier BASH hammers: 400 percent tougher, company officials claim during Ace Tool Co. dealer expo

Walter Meier Manufacturing Americas claims its Wilton B.A.S.H. sledgehammer is 400 percent tougher than other hammers. The company offers $1,000 to anyone who breaks the handle off the head of one of these hammers two years after purchase under normal use, and has never had to pay it. These were some of the benefits presented during a training session by John Cella, director of sales for Walter Meier, and Steve Kaplan, principal owner of Florida International Marketing, a manufacturer rep firm, at the Ace Tools Co. national dealer expo at the St. Petersburg Hilton in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Wilton B.A.S.H. (bad ass sledge hammer) hammers are made with a steel core design with an oil-resistant, non-slip handle, noted Cella. The hammer’s head will not come off as easily as hammers made from wood or fiberglass will after miss hits. The hammers are ergonomically designed to reduce vibration and user fatigue.

A locking safety plate holds the head to the handle. Cella noted that this is an important feature since with other hammers, heads can fall off when the user misses hitting his target and the handle breaks.

The B.A.S.H. hammers are green, making them visible in a work environment.

The hammers come with 2.5- to 20-lbs heads and 12" to 36" handles. There are three sizes of ball pein hammers as well as two sizes of cross pein hammers. The company has expanded its size and shapes in response to customer requests, Cella said.

Cella and Wilton demonstrated several of the hammers and showed videos demonstrating their use.

In addition to the company’s line of hammers, Walter Meier Manufacturing Americas also has a line of industrial metalworking tools under its JET brand. These include sawing, turning, milling, drilling, finishing and metal framing.

Cella noted that body shops use JET tools for bending, cutting and shaping metals. Cella and Kaplan passed around a chain hoist from the JEFT line used for bending, lifting and moving. The company offers a two-year warranty on its JET Metal Working tools.