thumb|Upholstery hammer
An upholstery hammer (also called a tack hammer) is a lightweight hammer used for securing upholstery fabric to furniture frames using tacks or small nails.
The head of an upholstery hammer is narrow and roughly 12-15mm in diameter. Commonly they are cast in bronze with fused steel tips. A patent existed for a magnetized tack hammer as early as 1861, by G. W. Beardslee. Sometimes, the magnetized face has a split surface to make its magnetic hold stronger. Upholstery hammers may also have one end shaped like a claw to make removing tacks easier.
Staple guns and hammer tackers have largely replaced this traditional way of tacking as a commercial upholstery technique. The traditional method remains important both in antiques restoration and in hobbyist work.