Carpenters drive the hooked, notched end of this tool into the wood beneath a sunken nail head using a hammer. The right-angle bend provides high leverage to pull stubborn or headless nails out of framing lumber. It leaves a distinct gouge in the wood, so it is rarely used on finished surfaces.
Heard on the job
Grab the cat's-paw and pull those bent sinkers out of the top plate so we can reframe the corner.
Insider tip
Hit the back of the hook firmly with your hammer to drive the notch under the nail head before pulling back.
Also heard as
- nail puller
- paw