My hammer arrived a few days ago. The beautiful appearance required tension, but the bottom of the handle needed tightening. But it is okay. Disassembled the hammer, sanded it with 400 grit paper, painted it to match my other tools, sealed it, oiled it and polished it. Now he looks his best on the bench! Bought this for a light touch on my smaller carving tools. Works perfectly. Will be used in my next project.