Let me start by saying that I have a 15 ounce version of this and my favorite hammer. I was quite disappointed with the quality of the hammer handle I received when ordering the 8 ounce hammer. It doesn't have nearly the same color patches as the photos and a close friend of mine has the same hammer and looks exactly like the picture. Mine is quite pale and has the most unsightly dark vein. It might seem silly to get upset about something like this, but for $40 I would expect it to be nearly bug-free and have higher quality control standards.