A large hammer typically intended to be used with both hands that has a long shaft and a flat hammerhead, usually made of metal. They're frequently used for demolition, and are sometimes equipment used by police for raids for forced entry onto properties. They're also used in other applications, such as driving down railroad spikes or in shaping heavy slaps of iron.
Sledgehammers can distribute their force over a wider area, unlike most other hammers that concentrate their force to a relatively small area. This makes them similar to mallets.
