What is a screw-hammer?

[guest7]

I'm reading Jerome K Jerome's marvellous follow up to 'Three men in a Boat', a book called 'Three Men on the Bummel'. In the book he refers to a tool called a screw hammer, in relation to fixing his bicycle. But what is a screw hammer?

Cheers
GC

[SteveC#222]

I believe it's probably similar to the Ukrainian Percussion wrench....




.........some people call them 4LB lump hammers!!!





Oh, I just searched Google and found this

www.alibaba.com/catalog/11031105/Screw_Hammer.html

[guest7]

I saw that and I'd say it's not what Jerome was referring to.

From his description I'm guessing it's some form of adjustable spanner.

Cheers
GC

[pigafetta]

It appears to be something for removing nuts.

[SteveC#222]

If you look closely at the illustration

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Wheels_of_Chance/Chapter_4

It looks very much like something I have in my toolbox which looks like a mini stilson wrench.

[guest7]

Could be 

[002]

I got something like that !

Adjustable spanner with parrallel jaws....GC knows the thing !
Bought at Stafford umpteen years ago....brand new army surplus...even got the WD crows foot stamped on it.

Jethro

[guest7]

I've got about five of those, ranging from the little ones that Ford used to put in their tool kits up to one that can open out to 5"!

I pick them up in junk shops, the monster one cost me £1.00 

They are superb for plumbing jobs, although the bigger ones don't really get used for tightening anything, but they are useful for stopping rad valves turning whilst you tighten them up.

Cheers
GC

[guest7]

I found a bicycle forum discussion that asks exactly the same question:

> (PS, what on earth is a "screwhammer"?)

An adjustable spanner with a heavy, hammer-like head, according to the OED. Presumably not to be
confused with a Birmingham screwdiver.

This is a relief, because I'm forever using mine to hit things with.
GC

[guest7]

Although, isn't this more likely to be the item?:

[Steve Lake]

The very thing #1!....i got one of them, was probably my grandfathers, must have been billions of 'em about until the 'mole' arrived