serious misuse

Willie Heron, metal workshop technician at the Ulster University art school, was baffled how the students could break even such a strong well-made tool, but if you repeatedly miss your work piece with the hammer head, and instead slams it with the handle, I guess that’s possible. As a response to a very real problem I wanted to supply a real solution. My answer was the Trainee Hammer, with two handles, which allows the technician to guide new users of hammers in their first couple of (or many) swings, until they get the handle of how to do it.

two steady grips are better than one

The idea is that the teacher grabs the left handle and help steer the student right until he or she get it right. It can of course also be used as a recourse whenever supposedly experienced students mishandle equipment in their care. The possibility of such an embarrassing step back to the basics might even motivate students to use their entrusted tools with more care.

more a suggestive instrument of education than a useful tool

Object no 22