Gear Test: The Shlammer

Look at any fire badge or vintage fire insignia that depicts firefighting tools and you’ll probably see an axe and a pike pole, tools that have been a staple in the fire service for hundreds of years. Over the years, there have been those who have tried to improve or enhance the tools, or come up with a completely different tool that would be welcomed by the fire service.

Alternatives to the axe are the maul, splitting maul and the Denver tool. The Halligan was also introduced as an alternative tool. Pike poles have been enhanced to include the all-purpose hook, which in its various forms may now outnumber traditional pike poles.

Fire Falcon, a part of Trice Enterprises, also sought to introduce tools that could enhance or even replace existing tools that are used on the fireground, and the latest result of those efforts is the Shlammer.

Like a Hammer

The Shlammer resembles a carpenter’s framing hammer, only supersized. Roughly the size of a standard pick axe, the Shlammer is as an alternative to axes and mauls with a few different twists that make it desirable.

When I get a tool to test out, I like to get an initial impression, and my initial impression of the Shlammer was good. For one thing, it had a quality feel and looks pretty badass. The tool I received had a chrome head ($225), but it also comes with a black oxide head ($215). While tools with both finishes do the same job, after a couple weeks of on-and-off use, the chrome became pitted and showed a little rust, so if that bothers you, opt for the black oxide.

When I worked on a truck, my tool preference for chopping and smashing switched from the pickaxe or flathead axe to the splitting maul. The Shlammer takes on the maul duties with a solid round 2¼” pounding head. The weight of the head of the tool is six lbs., as compared to eight lbs. for a standard splitting maul, but I didn’t notice a decrease in oomph that you may expect with the loss of two lbs.

Slots on the head facilitate a marriage with the fork of a Halligan. On the other end of the head is a very nice flattened pick for chopping and, most importantly, prying. With pick axes, prying usually means a broken tool, but the Shlammer begs you to pry with it–this is an outstanding feature.

Multiple Uses

The tool also has a hexagonal opening, presumably for opening hydrants or hydrant caps. This feature is less appealing to me for several reasons. First, not everybody uses the same hydrant nuts (tops), so it might be necessary to retrieve an alternate tool. Second, I think that a truck tool should concentrate on truck duties, engine tools on engine duties, etc. A tool should have more than one use, but multiple uses should deal with related functions. The firefighter popping the door or smashing a hole in the roof is probably not the firefighter opening a hydrant or hydrant cap.

On the other hand, the notch created by the hexagon comes in handy when prying. The opening is about five inches deep and it catches on the material you are working with, much like a bottle opener popping a cap. Swing in and puncture the material with the pick end, let the beak of the pick drop down over the material, and push down or pull up to pry the material away.

On the opposite end of the tool’s head is the maul (or hammer) end. With its slim 2¼” diameter, it is small enough to easily pop through many surfaces and heavy enough to get the tool through. Using the maul end, you can tap on a Halligan when popping a door or tap on many other tools for a variety of jobs, such as prying wood trim, kitchen cabinets or floor boards during overhaul. For forcible entry, you can pound a wood door open on both the lockset side and the hinge side, and smash holes in the roofs of most wood framed structures.

It’s Handled

The handle attaches to the head with a 3¾” slot, which also serves as overswing protection. With axes or mauls, if you swing and overshoot your target the tool will hit the handle. With the Shlammer you will hit steel, reducing your chances of breaking the handle. That 3¾” sleeve coupled with the fiberglass handle helps to transform the tool from a simple chopping/smashing tool to a prying tool, making it more versatile.

The handle is made of fiberglass, which adds tremendous strength versus wood or plastic. The handle has a textured grip that can help you keep ahold of your tool. However, I still gave it a standard hockey stick taping job with friction tape.

While the Shlammer doesn’t completely replace other tools, its features make it a unique and useful addition to my hand tool arsenal. It can do more than a standard axe because it has a long rounded adze (pry area) on its backside, which enhances its prying capabilities. The roundness of the pry area creates both the lever and fulcrum, giving it a nice mechanical advantage.

A Good Addition

Several years ago, the maul and splitting maul became a regular part of our tool collection. Nothing was removed, they were just added in to be used when the situation called for it. The same can be done with the Shlammer. While it does many jobs that other tools can do, there are features that are only available with the Shlammer, including the long prying duckbill on the back. While putting this tool through its paces in a training setting, and also in actual fires, the reviews from the crew were favorable. So whether it’s personal preference or the need for a specific feature of this tool, a swing with the Shlammer will not disappoint.

Many tools don’t get a second look by firefighters, or at best appear and disappear, but the Shlammer deserves a shot at making its way into our collection of weapons in our traditional truck tool arsenal.

Sidebar – Shlammer

Pros
+ Alternative to axes & mauls
+ Lightweight but strong
+ Multiple uses

Cons
– Chrome finish shows some pitting & rusting
– Conflicting functions
– Cost

Sidebar – Fire Falcon
Tel: 240-674-6573
Web: www.firefalcon.us

Sidebar – A More Versatile Handle

When it comes to tools, we strive for utility. While a D-handle is the standard grip end of many tools, it doesn’t add much to the utility of the tool, except for occasionally knocking out a window or punching a hole in drywall.

Fire Falcon’s replacement for the D-handle has a tip that retains the function of the D-handle as well as adding several other utilities to the tool. One side has a hammer end that can be used to take a window or for striking another tool. The other side is a long rounded duck bill that can be used for prying, including pulling up wood trim during overhaul, prying off kitchen cabinets and/or prying up flooring. It can also pull drywall, plaster, and lathe wall and ceiling coverings. This is a replacement for the D-handle, not an additional tool to carry. It uses the same space as the traditional D-handle while greatly expanding its usefulness.