Where does this come from, and can I check it?

The split curve grips the head and rolls the hammer back on its face. The figure is taken from Smithsonian Institution, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a everyday life fact?

Yes. It sits on the Everyday Life shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

A hammer claw is a rolling lever

The split curve grips the head and rolls the hammer back on its face The two hardened claws taper to a narrow gap that bites under a nail head, and the curve acts as a rolling fulcrum. As the handle swings back, the curve keeps the pulling angle steep so the nail comes out straight rather than bending. The claws are ground thin enough to slide under a sunken head without marring the wood too badly. It sits in Mondo's everyday life collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

Smithsonian Institution

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Tags: tools, carpentry, leverage

A hammer claw is a rolling lever: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: The split curve grips the head and rolls the hammer back on its face. The figure is taken from Smithsonian Institution, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a everyday life fact?: Yes. It sits on the Everyday Life shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.