When I was a kid in the late 70s my father a carpenter had every hammer known to man including a few Estwings so when I was old enough I tried them out to find my own personal best hammer. Sadly the Estwings of the era felt wrong on the downswing and the leather grip was so slippery it was hard to keep the thing from flying out of your hands. Thankfully someone redesigned the damn things and now they are nearly perfect, the feel is just right and the grips are very comfortable in the hand and don't slide at all! For those with poor aim the waffle head helps keep the head on the nail. The way these are made will probably last a lifetime. I cant complain about this hammer, its perfect.