| Author | Message | ||
     Terry A. Smith |
Jack, Prints can be left on a wide variety of metal and/or rubber surfaces. Whether they are 'likely' to be left depends widely upon the **condition of the receiving surface** (you may be more apt to recover print(s) from a gleaming brand-new hammer than one which has been used for years, may be contaminated with oil, and it's surface(s) all bashed up) in conjunction with the **condition of the donor's hand** at time of deposition ( was the hand clean, dirty, moist, dry, calloused, pristine, bloody, ...). All that must then be further subjected to the FORCES at play (in your scenario the hammer being fought over implies that many forces of pressure downward onto the item and possibly/likely side to side forces) which may or may not increase your likelihood of obtaining a print of value. The item should be subject to thorough examination, because that's the only way to really answer your question. | ||
| Jack McCormick |
I need to know if prints can be left on a metal hammer with a rubber handle? If a person grabbed the hammer from the claw end will prints be likely? Also, the hammer was being fought over during a fight. | ||
| Kasey Wertheim |
Having processed my share of wooden handles, I would say it is more difficult than most surfaces, but certainly not impossible. There are many factors that go into whether a usable print was left, as well as to the success of development. Obviously, swinging a hammer is quite different than placing a light touch on a fingerprint card or other surface. Many times ridge detail will be too smeared on a heavy object to be useful for identification purposes. In addition, the condition of the wood plays a large role in it's suitability to retain an impression that can be developed. Even a healthy looking wooden hammer can have very porous wood grain that will preclude identifiable prints in all but the most ideal cases. Lastly, the development technique is important to have the best chance of obtaining an identifiable print. | ||
| Jay Patel |
Local Police Depaartment recently found a hammer with wooden Handle which was used to brake a glass window to burglarize and gain access enterence to our shop. Is it difficult to lift finger prints on wooden handle of a hammer? |
