# Chisel mallet preferences???



## Truefire

What are your chisel mallet preferences and why? Poly plastic head, softer wood, leather bound? I love the feel of my custom fit handles and lighter wood mallets but curious to know if anyone uses the tightly wound mallet heads?

Thanks


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## CL810

I purchased my favorite from David Barron and I also made one with a little more heft. The brass gives them heft. The teardrop handle is very comfortable. The short length is very easy to control.


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## ElChe

I have as my go to mallet for beating mortise chisels one of those ugly Crown Tools beech mallets. I have beaten it. Tortured it. I've wanted it to die a miserable death from abuse. And it keeps on ticking. So now I like it. My other mallet is one of those green urethane Wood is Good mallet. If I even look at it, it shows damage. I use it to gently tap dovetails together. I like it but I have to be gentle and soothing with it. My last mallet is this tiny shop fox brass mallet that I use only for tapping hand plane levers. It hates me but I like it. I guess I like all mallets. But I'm still going to kill the Crown mallet … Some day.


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## Truefire

CL810…felt like I was typing some form of morse code there for a minute. lol. I really like those mallets, wow…wow…wow. Nice! Great quality. I could see where they would almost always be the 'go to'.

ElChe- thanks. Yeah, I had almost considered one of those green urethane. I didn't realize they themselves are damaged easily. Thanks for that important tidbit. I have always assumed the urethane possessed its self-healing characteristics, bouncing back after usage. I guess that's not the case with dings, creased depressions and the like?

I have many wooden mallets but I am preparing to purchase some really nice chisels and striking those style chisels with wood, just makes me cringe and I haven't even held the chisels in my hands yet. Thus, I am looking from some other alternatives. Have you known anyone to use the Red Shop Fox 'no mar mallet" for such a venture?


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## ksSlim

I have some favorite "persuaders". For chisels, I still use rawhide "mauls" that we used in the saddle shop.
Those still available from C.S, Osborne co. Several sizes. Or make your own with rawhide "washers".
For joinery, Ligneum Vitae for GPas' shops.
Carving, I still prefer 6-8 oz brass round on the side with a bulbus tapered handle.

If you prefer more modern tools, check Tandy Leather co. site for a Stolman carving mallet made of UHMW.


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## Truefire

I really like the overall make on those rawhide mauls but goodness gracious….$178 for a piece of ash, large galvanized 3/4" nut and a piece of threaded rod. Wow. I wonder where one could find rawhide washers at?

Regarding the Lignum Vitae, are you making reference to the head is Lignum Vitae as well. That is some super dense stuff. I really, really like the idea behind stacked leather washers that have been compressed as opposed to those leather mallets that are just a roll being struck on its end. The latter of which I feel would not last very long when carving with chisels. That stacked function seems to me like those type would last a good while before having any issues.

Thanks to everyone, your ideas and thoughts are great. Has my 'wheels' turning. I'm glad that I asked.


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## Loren

I usually use a ball pein hammer, about 10-12 oz I think. I like
the old wooden handle and it just suits me.

I've thought about investing in one of those brass things
you can hold in your hand, but I don't carve much and
get by using a small rawhide mallet I picked up somewhere
for working with leather. It's also useful on the bench for
persuading joints and knocking mechanical things about.

I use chisels with hoops, the ends cut off and shaped in
the Japan style. This way the handles don't get damaged
by a steel hammer.


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## Truefire

Loren, do you have any pictures to clarify the 'chisels with hoops' you are describing? I love Japanese style tooling, furniture and architecture. Their tooling is typically much more organic in the hand and aesthetically pleasing than much of the western tooling. I love the way many of their chisels are made. They just have this perfect balance about them. I would love to see pictures of a few that you have in order to clarify what is meant by 'with hoops', after your modification.

thanks


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## Loren

http://lumberjocks.com/Loren/blog/32452


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## Truefire

OH yeah, yeah…shucks, where was I? I know what a chisel hoop is…lol. I was thinking of something else and have known that setup by another term…Oh well. Sorry about that. We were actually on the same page but I was the one that was lost. lol.

I have just typically known them as rings and not hoops, just nomenclature fog…funny!!!

When I was envisioning 'hoops', all I could envision for some reason was some sort of metallic protrusion or extension of the blade tang that was then modified and turned into--'well a hoop' I know that is weird and I would not know how one would use such a contraption but that is what I was thinking.

But with artisan's work style anything is possible and I have seen all sorts of modifications that would seem bizarre I guess to the unlearned eye. That further, fueled the fire. lol


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## CharlieK

I like to use a round wooden carver's mallet. I would love to have one of the Blue Spruce resin infused mallets, but the one I have works just fine. I will probably keep using it until it wears out.


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## Truefire

CharlieK, Those resin infused mallets are an awesome technology. Very similar to the way I stabilize wood here in my shop I presume. By the way, their work is absolutely gorgeous. I've got to have some of their chisels. Wowsers! I'd just roll them up in a tool roll, roll out to look at occasionally and then roll back up again then grab my work horses to keep on working. lol!

You know, sometimes after using our 'go to' tool for so long, upon 'finally' getting us "one of those" we discover that we would rather have what we have always used. lol


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