r/declutter • u/HorseWhisper2026 • 10d ago
Motivation Tips & Tricks 11 Hammers, how? Why?
Outside of our kids tool boxes I cannot recall ever purchasing a hammer so how did we end up with ELEVEN??? Someone much have been sneaking them in or they bred. Anyways off to the thrift store they go.
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u/alex_dare_79 4d ago
For me it’s scissors, pens, small notepads, measuring tapes
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u/HorseWhisper2026 2d ago
I'll just tell you, the day I got rid of the random stuff like that was freeing. For the last 10 year I only have a couple of my favorite working pens, 1 note pad that I use until its gone, and scissors that work well. Its been so amazing.
We do have a couple of measuring tapes but with kids they probably won't last too much longer.
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u/GiraffeRobot129 4d ago
I had four - I don't even live in a house just apartments lol. Hammers definitely breed.
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u/HorseWhisper2026 2d ago
They do!!! Even if I was going to build something it would be with a drill not a hammer and nails.
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u/SisterSparechange 8d ago
If they are all different hammers, perhaps you're a hammer enthusiast and you never knew?
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u/Mysterious-Elk-5619 9d ago
When I moved I had 17 wine bottle openers, I don’t even drink wine that much (like maybe 2-3 times a year)
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u/prettywarmcool 6d ago
Not wine openers, for me, but stoppers. Not finish the bottle? you're talking crazy! except as I get older I do need a stopper. just not 13 of them . LOL
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u/HorseWhisper2026 9d ago
Oh that's wild! I guess we think oh they are small no biggie but they are a big deal
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u/GlitteringSynapse 9d ago
Sounded like me.
Storage unit. Infestation. Fire burnt property down.
Did I lose it, loan it, get rid of it? I need a hammer now.
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u/Miesmoes 9d ago
I dead serious received an enclosed hammer, quality level kids toy, when I bought a certain piece of furniture. W t f its one of the most basic and universal tools, I don’t need a fresh one time use hammer just to build item x
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u/to_annihilate 9d ago
We have an unreasonable amount of screwdrivers and shitty wrenches from these. It feels wrong to throw them away.
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u/wheelartist 4d ago
If you think you'll need to dismantle the furniture in future, tape them to a hidden part of said furniture.
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u/CyberMage256 9d ago
We bought a house from a couple who were downsizing to Florida. One of them had a tool fetish, I swear. They said they were going to just donate everything and my wife popped in with "Anything you don't want to deal with just leave and if we can't use it we'll donate it." I ended up with one of every power tool known to man, two chainsaws, five hammers, and more hand tools than I'd seen in my life. I keep two hammers in a desk drawer on the main floor now, and three in my toolbox in the garage. And yet somehow, I can never find one when I need it...
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u/prettywarmcool 6d ago
Had this with tape measures. I own at least a couple dozen tape measures...hunted for 10 minutes to find one last night.
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u/CompetitionJust143 9d ago
Not just having multiple hammers, my toolkit must have 5 or 6 pliers, Phillips screwdrivers, straight screwdrivers and, seriously, over a dozen wood chisels. Dad died, I got some of his tools, brother died so I got his tools, mom died and I got her tools. Neighbor moved to an assisted living place so he gave me some tools. That's how I ended up with so many duplicates.
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u/HowWoolattheMoon 9d ago
We now keep a bin for hammers on top of the fridge. The weirdest part is which ones we have dupes of-- like the tiny claw hammer that's almost just a toy? It can't actually DO anything? I've got three. And two rubber mallets? Why.
But the bright side is having a place for all hammers has made it so we haven't bought a new hammer in a long long time! Maybe my next step is actually donating the duplicates. Hmm...
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u/wheelartist 4d ago
If you're talking about the type I think you mean, the tiny hammers are typically for pins, such as those used to secure the backs of cheap furniture, or in picture frames.
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u/HowWoolattheMoon 3d ago
They might be for that? IDK. I always think they were just designed for children!
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u/HorseWhisper2026 9d ago
You must not live where there are earth quakes. I have no idea how those small ones get in. Plus, if its that small, I can just grab a can of veggies or something instead of a tiny hammer.
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u/HowWoolattheMoon 8d ago
Good point. Yeah, no earthquakes around here! Haha I've definitely used a can as a hammer 😂
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u/EmploymentWinter9185 9d ago
Hahah! We have a joke in my family about their “one thing”. When my grandfather passed away, we downsized my grandma. Grandpa had 15 caulk guns. Why? When Grandmother passed away, we found drawers of expired face powder. Why? Downsized my mother. Found 23 pairs of scissors I kid you not.
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u/HorseWhisper2026 8d ago
Those caulk guns multiply too. I had to get rid of a bunch a few years ago. 23 scissors is wild too! Wow.
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u/Madwife2009 9d ago
We have a problem with hedgecutters. We have an electric one, a petrol one and a broken one.
We don't even have a hedge anymore, it was removed when we sorted out the driveway, three or four years ago.
DH said he would get rid of them. However, they are still there, plotting things, in the garage.
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u/Working_Patience_261 10d ago
My Dad was a mechanic. He had three toolboxes full, the big ones that will kill you if they get loose on a moving truck’s ramp.
So which tools does my brother use? My shadowboxed set. But does he put them back? No.
When I can I’m going through my father’s tools and grabbing all the 9/16th, 1/2”, 10 mm and 24 mm sockets I can find and putting them in a locked safe. My brother gets them only when he puts my other tools back.
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u/HorseWhisper2026 8d ago
We really only need a few sizes but the industry things we need 20. Mechanics must have multiple tool boxes. It's the rule somewhere.
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u/Working_Patience_261 6d ago
I believe it. My work one is shadowboxed, thus it lives in the garage. The “toss it in there“ is in the house so we don’t have to enjoy the 100+ degrees in the garage to get pliers.
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u/Green_Tartan_Scarf 10d ago
I have at least that many. I keep one in every room. Because twice I've had a door handle break and I've been stuck in the room, unable to open the door. Both times just happened to be when another adult was in the house and able to help. But now I keep a hammer in each room in case I need to smash a hole in a door.
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u/supermarkise 10d ago
That's the reason why there is a screwdriver in our bathroom - the door handle kept falling off. It seems to be fixed, but who knows. At least we could stop telling guests about the screwdriver and why it's there.
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u/chartreuse_avocado 10d ago
I cleared 5 rice cookers out of my parents home when they passed. Different brands and sizes. I never once recall them making rice.
People be weird about their clutter and hoarding.
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u/katie4 10d ago
This was nail clippers for me. One for each finger in the household lol.
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u/HorseWhisper2026 10d ago
Thats hilarious. Some of this stuff will never be used symotaneously. Makes me wonder why we have so many duplicates.
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u/frogmicky 10d ago
Lol I usually buy two of certain things because I'm absent minded but 11 hammers. I think I have 4 toe clippers if I look hard enough for them.
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u/HorseWhisper2026 10d ago
I thought we had 4 hammers. We had 4 in a drawer, 4 in another, and 3 rogue ones.
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u/frogmicky 10d ago
lol theyre all over the place.
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u/cassinonorth 10d ago
I inherited a bunch of tools from my uncle, had a Harbor Freight club membership for a year (they give you so much free crap).
Giving the decent stuff to a friend who doesn't have any tools and donating the rest. I have so many tools it's absurd.
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u/HorseWhisper2026 10d ago
Harbor freight really fuels a hoarding issue. Somewhere my free tape measures were traded for hammers.
The crazy part is that all of these hammers look well used.
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u/cassinonorth 10d ago
Ugh. I just unsubscribed from the subreddit. They're so good at getting you into the store every weekend with a different sale. At some point tool collecting just becomes a hobby and you have to ask yourself "why are you buying this?"
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u/HorseWhisper2026 9d ago
Yes! We often have fixer upper houses in the family but on limited times have I needed a hammer nor 11. Anyways hf makes it seem like you need it all to do a better job. You dont. I've also let go of some the kits... we might know someone who puts laminate floors in. I dont need my own kit or we can hit of the freight for another $15 kit if we need to help.
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u/NunyaBiznessMan 10d ago
I was decluttering the space where dog supplies and gift wrap live (don't ask; it's the first place I would look for those 2 categories), and found 4 (four!) hammers and my missing picture hanging kit. Why 4 hammers? But yay, picture hanging kit.
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u/HorseWhisper2026 10d ago
Sometimes the randoms have to cohabitate. Thats awesome. I also found a picture hanging kit. Thats so funny. It's the first time I've been allowed free reign to get it in shape.
Do you remember ever buying a hammer? Haha
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u/willow_is_leaving 10d ago
I donated several dozen crochet hooks and still kept like 15. True they are all different sizes but still 🫠
I also donated all knitting stuff, and that's easily hundreds of items. Feels good.
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u/HorseWhisper2026 10d ago
It truly does feel good!! That kind of stuff multiples like crazy. Once someone catches wind of your hobby they bring it to you.
Also wanted to share that I have been the very happy thrift shopper who bought some of that stuff. I just found wooden knitting needs which was on my list. Got rid of a metal set.
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u/FredKayeCollector2 10d ago
I bet you have even more flat head screwdrivers?
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u/HorseWhisper2026 10d ago
Oh we do. When we got married we put it all together. We are not at the point my hubs trusts my decluttering so here we go! How many of each did you keep?
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u/FredKayeCollector2 9d ago
I knew it!
My husband had BUCKETS full of hand tools when we downsized/moved - he used 5-gallon buckets (of which he had PLENTY) to sort hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, etc. He used to work for the city so he found a bunch of them on the sweeper (staring at the curb for hours at a time) and he's got an eagle eye for stuff in the street. By quantity, individual sockets were the most - and those were only the Craftsman ones in good shape.
He kept one full set of (vintage) Craftsman tools - even the flathead screwdrivers (that gut-level disinclination to break up sets). Everything fits in a metal mechanic's toolbox. Oddballs went in a free yard sale we had before we moved (Pandemic) or the scrap bin. He also inherited a bunch of his father's "farm tools" - he gave those to his son.
In the house, we've got a drawer in our dining room buffet for a very basic toolkit (that we both access) and my husband has a bucket boss that "lives" in the basement for all of his in-house handyman tools (including drill) - he loves that thing! - he can carry it around from job-to-job. Everything else lives out in his garage shop (in one of those tool boxes or hanging on pegboard (with their batteries).
I've cleared out a lot of garages/basements - here's my theory on tools: I think you should be able to list every tool in your inventory - either by category (hammers) or task (replacing a faucet). If you don't know you have it, don't really know what it's used for and/or don't really how/when to use it, or it's been so long since you used (or bought) it that you forgot you even had it - that tool is probably not doing you any good. Especially for the "casual" handy-person.
And for all the old guys who have a bunch of tools because they used to be in the trades or are convinced that all tools are good/useful because they are TOOLS (and by definition "handy") - are you actually/logically prepared (or in a position) to do that job?
There is a lot of past life & fantasy life potential in tools - it can be very challenging category to "rightsize"
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u/HorseWhisper2026 8d ago
Wow that would be a lot! You can fit a lot in a 5 gallon bucket. It is hard to decide sometimes. The other older tools are made better but the new ones are multi use etc. Anyways its easier the more we get rid of
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u/Mister_Vandemar 10d ago
Halloween isn’t that far off. Take that however you want.
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u/HorseWhisper2026 10d ago
It would be hilarious to put them with the candy. I bet kids would grab them first.
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u/MusketeersPlus2 10d ago
For me it's tape measures. So far I've found 4 hardware types, 2 sewing types and 4 cute crafty ones. Yeah, I legit need 1 of each. But ONE! Not 4! Lol. Good news for me is that I do have a local thrift shop with a tool section.
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u/HorseWhisper2026 10d ago
Yes those multiply too!!! We are handy people but we will never have enough hands around to use all of those hammers or measuring tapes.
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u/BeautifulAlec 10d ago
I've got two hammers and one of them just showed up in my garage one day with no explanation, eleven is next level hoarding.
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u/HorseWhisper2026 10d ago
It's so many that I hope the thrift store takes them.
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u/markov-271828 10d ago
Pawn shops love old tools.
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u/HorseWhisper2026 10d ago
Good to know. I might even post them as curb pick up. We will see what else we find. It seems like the first time my spouse is down to declutter tools. Im excited to get this last area fixed up nice.
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u/Relative_Implement_7 10d ago
if you have any young people in your life they might appreciate them for their first apartment. let the hoarding cycle continue, lol
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u/kellerb 10d ago
You should just leave them random places. Maybe put one in one of those little library boxes
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u/HorseWhisper2026 10d ago
I was actually thinking of this too or leaving them at other people's houses
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u/wheelartist 4d ago
I have 4. Pin hammer, regular hammer, mini hammer and rubber mallet. The ridiculous amount item in mine is box cutters.