Why on earth break a tire? This hammer is made from hickory and is quite powerful. Now I have the choice between my pepper spray or this tire hammer when cycling. My pepper spray has a range of 10 feet and must be aimed at the attacker's eyes; So pepper spray has a range advantage, but you have to be accurate. For pure intimidation and melee combat, the hammer comes out on top. The hammer is so powerful and heavy that I would hesitate to use it for fear of doing fatal damage. Since my pepper spray isn't lethal, I'll probably use that first. A hammer would be my last resort. You probably don't want to be holding a hammer when a cop is around.