Today our resident writer from down under talks about a tool he would bring to the apocalypse. We translated all of the dinky-di, drongo, and jumbuck into passable English, and deleted no less than twelve references to Fosters, Mel Gibson, and Russell Crowe. Mad Duo

Review: Annihilator Superhammer

Apocalypse Josh

I wanted to get one of the fantastic Dead-On Annihilator Superhammers as a gift for a friend. Due to a failure to read the details on my part, I accidentally ordered the 18″ version, not the 14″ version like I already had. To make things right, I simply gave my friend the 14″ he was already trialing, and kept the monstrous 18″ for myself.

This hammer really is a beast. At 1.9kg (3.7lbs) with a 30cm (12″) shaft and 45cm (18″) overall length, it’s probably too much tool for most people [giggle]. All the features of the 14″ are replicated in the 18″, they’re just bigger.

Between the striking face and the “Nail Puller”, the “Board Straightener” sits ready to grip and twist. The two sets of teeth are just over 4cm (1 5/8″) and just under 3cm (1 1/8″) in width respectively, so they’ll fit standard board sizes for wrenching or adjusting.To be honest, I haven’t had much use for this other than occasionally levering at a frame here or there. The hammer is good though; the face is wide and beveled, giving a good nail-driving action without messing up the surface you’re pounding on.

Below the chisel-edged Nail Puller/Tile Ripper lies the frightfully formed Demolition Axe, which curves down almost to the edge of the rubberised grip. This is not a shaving-sharp axe. The steel of the haft is a triangular ridge angled around 45 degrees to the full width of the haft. This leaves a very hardy working edge and is intended for drywall, thin wooden structures, shingles and conduit. The drywall-only labeled demolition axe seems to work well on particle board, and would probably make short work of errant wrists too.

We just assume that all Aussies own chainmail of some sort

The middle of the curve is notched with what appears to be a wire-stripper, but could also be used as a nail-puller. As the 18″ version is just a heftier version of the 14″, the angles are steeper. It’s not really sharp at all, but it is wicked solid. I imagine the drywall-only warning is there for the same reason coffee lids say “caution: contents hot”: because some idiot will try to chop wood or cut wiring with it. It won’t do those things, or at least it won’t do them well or safely. It will make a mess of whatever you want to make a mess of though, so in that it’s perfect.

The pointy-end of the tool features several other interesting combinations. The tip is a rugged ridged point which could be used for penetration or scoring as needed. Within the tip is the “Multi Purpose Wrench/Nail Puller”, which as suggested includes a hex-bolt socket and a wide-feeding nail puller. The head of the hammer fits nicely in the palm of the hand to drive the spike home. The manufacturers suggest using the wrench for releasing concrete forms and other general uses and the tip for smashing, cracking and chipping away at tile, brick or other things deemed undesirable.  I like using it to punch holes in things for old fashioned “Here’s Johnny” moments. Again, it makes a mess where needed.

So, I felt it was a good idea to put the 18″ Annihilator up against the mighty Stanley Fatmax Fubar to give a good comparison. However, at 1900g vs 1300g the Annihilator already comes up significantly heftier. This is a big tool, for people with big hands and big tasks. It’s probably too much tool for me [giggle-snort]. If you’re in the field where every gram counts, you might want to consider the 14″ over the 18″. But if you’re able to keep it in a vehicle, it would be a perfect multi-function wrecker. The Annihilators are really inexpensive, rugged and well designed.

When it comes time for me to break my way into an abandoned warehouse, bust my plucky crew out of a cannibal mutants larder, or even just pop open packing crates and 44 gallon drums of fuel for the gyrocopter, the 18″ Dead-On Annililator might well be the way to go. There is also fact that Shaddox Tactical make a Tactical Pouch for it, so I’m hooked.

Mad Duo, Breach-Bang& CLEAR!

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About the Author: Josh Orth is a second generation expat currently dwelling in the arguably civilized outskirts of Melbourne, Australia. He’s lived in deserts, jungles and urban sprawls around the world and traveled/adventured into assorted inhospitable places around the world and has a keen sense of the speed with which the trappings of ‘civilized Western life’ can disappear. This has led him to begin writing about his interests and observations when it comes to the gear, skills and other necessities of self reliance of being equipped for whatever a capricious, occasionally indurate life might throw at him. This isn’t by any means to say our eccentric friend truly experiences genuine vorfreude about dystopian life, but if he had to he might not complain. Read more by Josh at Apocalypse Equipped.

Grunts: vorfreude.

We’re not saying Josh flies a PL-12 Airtruk. We’re just saying this guy and Josh have never been seen in the same room together at the same time.