Upholstery hammer

An upholstery hammer (also called a tack hammer) is a lightweight hammer

Hammer

A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving nails, fitting parts, forging metal and breaking up objects. Hammers are often designed for a specific purpose, and vary widely in their shape and structure. The usual features are a handle and a head,...

 used for securing upholstery

Upholstery

Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word upholstery comes from the Middle English words up and holden, meaning to hold up. The term is applied to domestic furniture and also to in automobiles and boats...

 fabric to furniture frames using tacks

Thumbtack

A thumbtack is a short nail or pin with a large, slightly rounded head made of metal which is used to fasten documents to a background for public display and which can easily be inserted or removed by hand.-Types of thumbtack:The most common piecemeal thumbtacks are...

 or small nails.

An upholstery hammer (also called a tack hammer) is a lightweight hammer

Hammer

A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving nails, fitting parts, forging metal and breaking up objects. Hammers are often designed for a specific purpose, and vary widely in their shape and structure. The usual features are a handle and a head,...

 used for securing upholstery

Upholstery

Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word upholstery comes from the Middle English words up and holden, meaning to hold up. The term is applied to domestic furniture and also to in automobiles and boats...

 fabric to furniture frames using tacks

Thumbtack

A thumbtack is a short nail or pin with a large, slightly rounded head made of metal which is used to fasten documents to a background for public display and which can easily be inserted or removed by hand.-Types of thumbtack:The most common piecemeal thumbtacks are...

 or small nails.

Usually, one face of the hammer is magnetized to aid in placement of tacks. Once started, the tacks are driven with the other face. To apply tacks rapidly an upholsterer will hold tacks in the mouth and spit them onto the magnetized face of the hammer.

Staple gun

Staple gun

A staple gun or powered stapler is a hand-held machine used to drive heavy metal staples into wood or masonry. Staple guns are used for many different applications and to affix a variety of materials, including insulation, house wrap, roofing, wiring, carpeting, upholstery, and hobby and craft...

s have largely replaced tacking as an upholstery technique.