The Hunter Claymore is one of those fans that people fall for because of the blades. The hand carved look and the warm brushed cocoa finish give it a traditional, almost furniture like presence that most modern fans do not even attempt, and that is exactly why owners get attached to it and why they go looking for another one, or for parts, years after buying the first. The catch is that the Claymore name has covered more than one fan over the years, and the version most people remember has been discontinued, so finding one now takes knowing which model you actually want and where it still turns up. This page lays out what the Claymore is, the two versions you will run into, where you can still get one, how to install it without drama, and where to find the manual, parts, and a replacement remote when you need them.
The Claymore Comes in Two Versions, and Knowing Which Is Which Saves You Grief
The first thing to sort out before you buy anything or order a part is which Claymore you are dealing with, because there are two and they are not interchangeable in the details that matter. The original and most beloved version is the Hunter Claymore model 28787, a 54 inch fan in a brushed cocoa finish with antiqued cherry hand carved blades, a three speed WhisperWind motor, and a light kit that uses candelabra base bulbs. This is the one with the ornate traditional character people picture when they hear the name, and it shipped with a three inch downrod for standard mounting. It has been discontinued, which is the single most important fact to carry into any search for one.
The newer version carries a different model number, commonly seen as 54014, and while it keeps the Claymore name and the brushed cocoa finish, it modernizes the important parts. It uses an integrated LED light rather than candelabra bulbs, it comes with burnished alder blades instead of the antiqued cherry carved look, and it is built to mount either on a downrod or flush against the ceiling, which the older one was not really designed to do. If you are shopping and you see a Claymore that mentions LED and dual mounting, you are looking at the current generation, and if you see antiqued cherry carved blades and candelabra bulbs, you are looking at the discontinued original. Matching the model number to what you actually want is what keeps you from buying the wrong light kit, the wrong bulbs, or a fan that does not mount the way your ceiling needs.
What Makes the Claymore Worth Owning
Set the model confusion aside for a moment and the Claymore earns its following on looks and quietness. The brushed cocoa finish is a soft warm brown that reads as richer and more intentional than the usual bronze or nickel, and it pairs beautifully with wood tones and traditional decor. On the original 28787 the antiqued cherry hand carved blades are the real showpiece, giving the fan a crafted, detailed appearance that lifts it above the flat stamped blades on most fans in its price range. It is a fan that looks like it was chosen rather than just installed.
Underneath the styling it runs on Hunter’s WhisperWind motor, which is the same quiet, smooth three speed motor Hunter built its reputation on, and it moves a genuinely strong amount of air for its size, with the original listings rating it in the neighborhood of five thousand cubic feet per minute on high. That combination of quiet operation and real airflow is the practical reason the fan stayed popular, because a good looking fan that either roars or barely stirs the air gets replaced quickly, and the Claymore does neither. It includes a light kit, carries Hunter’s limited lifetime motor warranty on the original purchase, and reverses for seasonal use, so it works as a year round fixture rather than just a summer appliance.
Where to Actually Find a Claymore Now
This is where the discontinued status of the original changes how you shop. The Hunter Claymore 28787 is listed as discontinued across the major fan and lighting retailers that used to carry it, including the big plumbing and lighting supply houses, so you will not find it as a fresh, in stock, buy it new item at those stores anymore. What you will find instead falls into a few buckets. Renewed and refurbished units surface on Amazon and similar marketplaces, sold as traditional brushed cocoa 54 inch Hunter fans, and these are often the closest you will get to the original at a reasonable price, with the understanding that a renewed unit is not covered by the original owner warranty. Secondhand and estate listings on auction and marketplace sites turn up working pulls from remodels, which can be the best value if you can inspect before buying or buy locally.
If you are open to the current generation rather than set on the original, the newer LED Claymore is easier to find, since it is still carried at large home improvement retailers and specialty fan and lighting shops that stock current Hunter models. Going that route gets you a fan you can buy new with a full warranty and available parts, at the cost of the specific carved blade character of the discontinued version. The smart approach is to decide first whether you specifically want the original 28787 look, in which case you are shopping the used and renewed market with patience, or whether you mainly want a brushed cocoa Claymore that works, in which case the current model bought new is the lower hassle choice. Either way, when a listing appears in the exact version and condition you want, it pays to move promptly, because the good ones do not sit around.
Before You Install, Here Is What You Need on Hand
The Claymore installs like a standard Hunter downrod fan, and a little preparation makes the job smooth. The original shipped with a three inch downrod for standard ceilings, so on a normal eight or nine foot ceiling you have what you need in the box, while the current version can go flush for lower ceilings or on the downrod for taller ones. Before you climb the ladder, make sure the electrical box in the ceiling is a fan rated box that is firmly anchored to the framing, because a ceiling fan’s weight and motion will pull a standard lighting box loose over time, and this is the single most important safety point of the whole install. If your box is not fan rated, replacing it comes first.
For tools you want a Phillips and a flat screwdriver, a stepladder tall enough to work comfortably, wire strippers or a knife, and the wire connectors from the box or your own. A voltage tester is worth having so you can confirm the power is truly off before touching any wires. Unpack the fan on a soft surface so you do not scratch the finish or the blades, lay the parts out and check them against the parts guide, and write down or photograph the model number on the motor nameplate while you have easy access to it, since that number is what every future part order and manual lookup depends on. Having a helper for the moment when you are holding the motor up near the ceiling makes the wiring step far easier, though the mounting bracket is designed so you can hang the motor and free your hands.
Installing the Claymore Step by Step
Start by killing the power at the breaker rather than only at the wall switch, and confirm the wires are dead with your tester before you touch anything, because a wall switch in the off position can still leave the wires live and fan wiring has you working with both hands near the box. Fasten the mounting bracket to the fan rated box using the hardware provided, seating the screws tight so there is no play. Assemble the downrod to the motor if you are using it, feeding the fan wires up through the rod as you go, and set the downrod ball into the bracket so the fan hangs securely while you wire it. On the flush mount version of the newer model you skip the downrod and the motor seats closer to the ceiling, but the wiring is the same.
For the wiring, match the fan’s black motor wire to the black hot from the ceiling, the white neutral to white, and the green or bare ground to your ceiling ground and the bracket grounding screw. The blue wire is the light lead, and if you want the fan and light on a single switch you join the blue to the black so both come on together, while if your ceiling has a red wire for a second switch you can put the blue on the red to control the light separately. Cap each connection with a wire nut so no bare copper shows, tuck the wires up neatly so nothing is pinched, and raise the canopy over the bracket. Then attach the blades to the blade irons and the irons to the motor, keeping the hardware even from blade to blade, and confirm every blade is fully secured and sits the same distance from the ceiling, since an unevenly mounted blade is the classic cause of a wobble. Finish by installing the light kit, connecting its wire to the matching lead, and fitting the glass and bulbs. If you would rather follow the factory sequence in detail, the original Hunter Claymore user’s manual walks through installation, alternate mounting, cleaning, and troubleshooting step by step and is worth keeping open on your phone as you work.
Getting the Light and Controls Right
The light is one of the places the two versions differ most, so match your bulbs to your fan. The original 28787 light kit uses two candelabra base bulbs behind its glass, so when a bulb goes you want candelabra base replacements at or under the wattage marked inside the fixture, and switching to warm white candelabra LED bulbs is an easy upgrade that cuts heat and energy use while keeping the traditional look. The newer Claymore uses an integrated LED light instead, which is not a bulb you swap casually, so on that version you are relying on the LED module and its dimming rather than changing bulbs.
Operation on the original is by pull chain, with one chain stepping the motor through its three speeds and another controlling the light, and the fan reverses for the seasons using the switch on the motor housing. In summer you run the blades to push air down for a cooling breeze, and in winter you reverse the direction so the fan pulls air up and pushes the warm air near the ceiling back down along the walls, which evens out the room and takes some load off your heating. Always bring the fan to a full stop before flipping the reverse switch. If your Claymore came set up for a remote or you want to add one, matching the remote to the fan is its own small project, and choosing the correct replacement remote depends on the fan model and its receiver, which is worth confirming before buying so you do not end up with a handset that will not pair.
Balancing Out a Wobble and Keeping It Quiet
A properly installed Claymore should run smooth, and when one wobbles the fix is almost always mechanical rather than a fault. Start by confirming every blade is fully seated and that all the blades sit the same distance from the ceiling, since a single blade slightly out of line unbalances the whole fan. Check that the bracket is tight to the box and the downrod ball is properly seated. If a small wobble remains, use the balancing kit that came with the fan, clipping the weight to one blade at a time while the fan runs to find the spot that smooths it out, then fixing a stick on weight there. Ten minutes of that trial and error buys years of steady, quiet running.
For upkeep, wipe the blades every so often with a soft cloth, because dust builds up unevenly and can start a wobble on a fan that used to run true, and the carved blades on the original have more surface for dust to collect on. Keep water and cleaners away from the motor and the light electronics, and if the fan starts making a noise it did not make when new, the usual culprit is a screw that has worked loose somewhere, so a quick pass tightening the visible hardware settles most complaints before they become anything serious.
Finding Manuals, Parts, and a Replacement Remote
Because the original Claymore is discontinued, sourcing parts is where owners spend the most effort, and having the right reference documents makes it far easier. The model number to quote on any part search is 28787 for the original, and the parts most commonly needed on these fans are the light kit and glass globe, the capacitor that runs the fan speeds, the pull chain switch, the downrod, and the blades or blade arms. If you need to identify a part by number, the Hunter Claymore parts guide lays out what comes with the fan and which part numbers correspond to which component, which is exactly what you need when ordering a replacement and you are not sure what to ask for. For anyone weighing running costs, the Hunter Claymore energy guide covers the fan’s energy usage and how it measures up to the standards of its day.
The replacement remote is the part people lose most often, and it is genuinely easy to misplace and then struggle to match, so you are not alone if that is what brought you here. The key is that the correct remote depends on the fan model and its receiver rather than being one universal part, so identify your model and the receiver it uses before buying. For missing parts and remotes on a discontinued fan, your best paths are Hunter’s own parts resources searched by model number, the aftermarket specialists that stock older Hunter components, and compatible universal remote kits where an exact factory match is no longer made. Keeping your model number and these guides handy turns what feels like a dead end into a straightforward lookup.
Is the Claymore Right for Your Room
The Claymore suits a particular kind of room and suits it very well. At 54 inches it is sized for medium to large spaces, comfortably serving a primary bedroom, a living room, a family room, or a similarly proportioned area where its span can move air corner to corner rather than just stirring the middle. Its whole appeal is traditional and warm, so it belongs in rooms with wood tones, classic furnishings, or transitional decor, and it will look slightly out of step in a sharply modern minimalist space where a sleek flat bladed fan would fit better. If you love the carved blade character of the original, accept that you are buying on the used and renewed market and shop with patience, and if you mainly want the brushed cocoa Claymore look with current features and easy parts, the newer LED version bought new is the smoother path. Either way, it is a fan chosen for how it looks and how quietly it runs, and on both counts it delivers.