After looking at my post of tools-as-decoration, my friend grieved the absence of any giant tool signs in Berkeley. Yes, we have our tool-lending library which is all well and good, but not any giant tools. I think that our only giant anythings are the giant tire on Gilman:
820 Gilman
… and the over-sized loaf of bread on San Pablo.
2810 San Pablo
Not bad, but not much. We must search elsewhere.
Looking around, it appears that hammer is the giant tool of choice for giant signs. So to make my friend happy, here we go, an aggregation of giant hammers from the web. Our theme song? Obvious to those of us of a certain age. The only question – which version?
Now for the photos of the hammers that we don’t have in Berkeley:
Eureka. Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/32721534766172216/
Cincinnati. Source: http://travel50stateswithkids.com/ohio-american-sign-museum/
Iowa. Source: http://www.bartcop.com/2732.htm
Source: https://www.pinterest.com/audelaine/giant-objects/
Northport, Alabama. Source: https://roadsidenut.wordpress.com/2010/03/
Haines, Alaska. Source: http://www.strontium87.com/roadtrip2012/day11/
A hammer museum! Check out the website.
Kearney, Nebraska (demolished in 1995). Source: https://brianbutko.wordpress.com/2008/01/03/hammer-motel-a-now-gone-kearney-landmark/
Eagle River, Wisconsin. Source: http://www.custommade.com/giant-chainsaw-carved-hammer/by/kms/
Weil am Rhein, Germany. Source: http://oldenburgvanbruggen.com/largescaleprojects/balancingtools.htm
“Balancing Tools” by Claes Oldenburg. Commissioned September 1981 by Rolf Fehlbaum, installed May 3, 1984, inaugurated May 5, 1984
Denver (closed). Source: http://thelumberguy.net
Location unknown. Source: http://www.curtainsale.eu/tag/giant-hammer
Kearney, Nebraska. Source: http://www.roadarch.com/mim/misc3.html
Toledo, Ohio (gone). Source: http://www.roadarch.com/mim/misc3.html
My friend was happy with the hammers we found. He tactfully suggested that there might have been another obvious choice for the soundtrack for this post, but I can’t go there.
He was thrilled to see that there is a giant hammer sign in Eureka. He plans to come with me this year when I go to Eureka for my annual work trip up and wants to have breakfast Saturday morning at the Samoa Cookhouse and check out the saw collection. I agree, but want to know what he thinks about all these big hammers?
