What type of hammer has a soft, heavy head to prevent damage to surfaces?

A hammer with a soft, heavy head that is designed to prevent damage to surfaces is typically a brass hammer. Brass hammers are made from a non-ferrous material, which helps to minimize the risk of marring or denting softer metals or surfaces upon impact. The weight of the brass head provides sufficient force to drive pieces together or to shape materials without causing harm to the workpiece, making it ideal for applications in automotive repair and maintenance where delicate handling is necessary.

In contrast, while a sledgehammer is heavy and can deliver significant force, it is designed for heavy-duty tasks and can easily damage surfaces. An air hammer is a pneumatic tool used for shaping materials but is not classified as a hammer in the traditional sense and does not have the soft head characteristic. A scratch awl, although useful for marking or starting holes, does not fit into the hammer category and lacks the heavy hitting capability associated with handles and hammer heads.