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Birzman Deadblow hammer

8
£17.99

VERDICT:

8
10
It's a lot of money for a mallet… but it's a good mallet
Weight: 
1,021g
Contact: 
www.birzman.co.uk

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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A hammer's a hammer, right? Not necessarily. The Birzman Deadblow is designed to take the place of your standard workshop mallet, and there's no denying that it's a classy bit of kit that discharges its hammering duties in style.

The 'deadblow' moniker refers to the anti-bounce construction, which incorporates a chamber containing loose metal bearings. Once you've stopped jumping round the workshop shaking it like Bez off of the Happy Mondays, it's time to get down to business. Hit stuff with the Birzman and it stays hit, and the bearings certainly do dampen the blow very effectively: there's a minimum amount of bounce and all the energy goes into smacking whatever it was you wanted to smack. The rubber coating is bike friendly and hardwearing.

It's available in two sizes, big and small. This is the big one, which is what you'll need if you're setting crown races or doing anything else that requires meaty blows, like knocking tent pegs into a baked campsite this summer. The small one should be fine for most general tinkering.

Verdict

18 quid is a lot for a mallet but it is a good mallet, making it decent value. I've been impressed with Birzman's workshop tools and the Deadblow is no exception.

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Birzman Deadblow hammer

Size tested: Big

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

1. H type rubber grip for additional handling comfort.

2. Oil proof, cold endurance, high impact.

3. With steel bead inside of hammer head.

4. Material: black SBR, high quality rubber.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

rubber is starting to scuff a bit

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
9/10

where higher numbers equal more heft...

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Not cheap but decent value for what it is

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The Bez impressions. No, the lack of bounce from the head

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes, if i did a lot of mallet work

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes, if they were a serious tinkerer

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 38  Height: 190cm  Weight: 98kg

I usually ride: whatever I'm testing...  My best bike is: Genesis Equilibrium with SRAM Apex

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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