Nail Pullers

Tack claw
The thin, squared-off fishtail claw slips under smaller nailheads and staples without scratching the wood.

Uses: Pulling small nails, tacks, brads, and staples, as on molding and upholstery.
Shown: Osborne tack claw, $17.

End-cutting plier
Look for little or no bevel where the jaws meet, so they can grab or snip a nail close to the surface.

Uses: Plucking finish nails out of moldings without marring the surface, or cutting their heads off flush so the molding can be pulled away.
Shown: Channellock end nipper, $16.

Moldings bar
This bar has a Japanese design, with one of the business ends rotated 90 degrees so it doesn't dig into the user's hand.

Uses: With the flat end, pulling moldings without damaging them, adjusting windows during installation. With the claw, prying out finishing nails and ripping away moldings that will be discarded.
Shown: SharkGrip pry bar, $16. Wedge the thin end gently behind moldings to tease them away from the wall without damage.

Cat's paw
Pound the rounded-fishtail claw under buried nailheads, or use it to rip open a crate or lever decking into alignment.

Uses: Quickly and roughly digging under and pulling stubborn nails; light demolition.
Shown: Enderes double-ended cat's paw, $10. The gentle curve provides leverage in tight spaces.

Flat Bar
Look for an end that is thin, tapered, and dead flat on the bottom, or it will skim over a nailhead instead of neatly sliding underneath. The extra bend in the shank of this model affords better leverage.

Uses: Lifting, prying, pulling, and shimming with a minimum of damage. If you're going to have only one bar, this is it.
Shown: Stanley Super Wonder Bar, $15.

Ripping bar
The smooth striking point on the 90-degree bend lets you hammer the claw under a nailhead. The thick, flat end of this bar allows it to handle heavy demolition jobs.

Uses: General demolition, ripping up flooring, pulling apart studs, shimming and shifting walls and joists. Not a delicate tool.
Shown: Estwing I-beam construction pry bar, $12.

Impact nail puller
This handle is a sliding weight that, when dropped, forces the tool's pointed jaws to dig in around a nailhead and pinch it tight. Rocking the tool onto the jaws' extended foot levers the nail out. The jaws of nail pullers get beat up with use, so look for ones that are replaceable.

Use: Digging under buried nailheads to trap them and pull them out.
Shown: Crescent impact nail puller, from Cooper Hand Tools, $60.

Wrecking bar (crowbar)
For maximum utility, a wrecking bar should be at least 30 inches long. The length and weight allow you to swing it under big bolts and nails and use your weight to pry them out.
Uses: Pulling big nails, prying apart studs, lifting flooring, demolition.
Shown: The Wrecker, from Fulton, $35.