Since that day, Fulton has become an expert in hammers. He has built dozens of hammer displays, cases and stands in the barn behind his house. He quickly outgrew the original building he began with, so he has had to build many new additions to his barn over the years. When asked what his favorite hammer is, Fulton replies, “My favorite is always the one I don’t have.”

As his collection grew, Fulton realized he needed a system to keep track of his hammers. Together, he and his wife, Karen, created an organizational system. After purchasing a hammer, Fulton would write down its name, use, where he bought it and how much he paid for it. His wife would take a photo of the hammer and catalog it in the computer along with its information. They created a coding system to keep track of each hammer as the collection grew.

Because of this, every hammer in Fulton’s barns has its own tag with its name, use, where it came from and its own code. This code enables Fulton to look up each hammer in his system and access more information about it.

Fulton has made a name for himself through this extensive and expensive hobby. He has been featured in numerous articles over the years by people who are fascinated by his collection. He enjoys showing off his hammers to visitors and even has a guestbook in his growing hammer barn for people to sign as they come in.

Fulton has also become friends with fellow hammer enthusiasts, including a man known for his hammer collection in Alaska. He has friends everywhere due to his decades spent traveling with his wife to various auctions around the country.

Although retirement has given him more free time for his hobby, Fulton doesn’t have the same passion for it as he once did. He is missing something – someone – else.

Fulton lost his wife of 60 years, Karen Fulton, who passed away due to health complications on Aug. 5, 2025.

Fulton no longer has his partner and greatest supporter of his hammer habit, who was also the mother of their two daughters. His days are now filled with reminiscing as he sits in his chair and gazes at the framed photo of his wife he has set up in front of him. In his quiet home, he struggles with the loneliness and grief of losing her.

Loneliness after losing a spouse is a significant challenge people face, especially older widowers. Studies have found that the loneliness one experiences as a result of losing a spouse is an even greater challenge than the social isolation and lack of social support in widowhood. This impact is felt more by men, who experience higher levels of loneliness than women at every stage in widowhood.

Another result of widowhood, called the “widowhood effect,” is the increased chance of dying after a spouse dies. This effect is greatest in the first three months after losing a spouse. Despite numerous studies being conducted on this phenomenon, the cause of the increased risk of death after losing a spouse is still unknown.

Despite this irreplaceable loss, Karen’s presence is still felt in the Fultons’ home. Mementos and belongings of hers can be found everywhere inside. She was a talented musician and artist. Her career was spent teaching these subjects. Dozens of her paintings are hung up throughout the house and the hammer barns. Her piano, which Scotty fondly remembers her playing, sits in their front room with sheet music still on top of it. Photos of Karen are placed on tables and countertops and hung on the walls.

Although he is dealing with an unimaginable loss, Scotty appreciates the good times he had with Karen and laughs about the fun memories of her. One of his favorite things to share about her was her love for Cracker Barrel, claiming that he could take her anywhere on a trip to buy a hammer as long as they stopped at her restaurant. 

“Oh, I got some memories. That’s all I’ve got,” Fulton said.