One-piece forged hammer. which I insisted on as the head of the hammer broke free of the cheap thing I was using and whistled past my ear. The rest is a hoot. It works. He hammers nails. A+. COMPARE to the cheap hammers most DIYers have (which usually have an oval or round hollow tubular neck with a hammer head attached). It's a little heavier, it takes a little getting used to; but i like being overweight. The balance is good, the handle feels good in the hand. The only critical thing I can say is that the neck appears a little thinner than the tubular neck - it is, but it's made from strong forged steel and is many times stronger than the tubular neck. it just feels too thin to be strong enough. It might not be a professional hammer, but it's closer to that end of the scale than the consumer hammers most of us have in our toolbox. Definitely RECOMMEND, at this price point it's (pardon the pun) steel.