Why use a round mallet for chiselling?

[Frederick Skelly]

I know lots of you have round mallets. What's the advantage over a regular "trapezoidal" (flat) mallet?

Thanks!
Fred

[steven c newman]

Don't have to worry about a "flat" surface coming down at an angle to the tops of a chisel... no "mis-hits"

[Dave Anderson NH]

Steve nailed it.

[Pat Barry]

Don't have to worry about a "flat" surface coming down at an angle to the tops of a chisel... no "mis-hits"
No, there are bound to be more mishits with a round mallet. Think about it.

[Lee Schierer]

When you pick it up you don't have to pay attention to the orientation.

[Noah Magnuson]

When you pick it up you don't have to pay attention to the orientation.

This would also be reflected in the balance and control due to the symmetry. I may have to try one.

[Jim Koepke]

When you pick it up you don't have to pay attention to the orientation.

If that can't be determined by the feel of the handle then it is time for me to go to bed.

My flat faced mallets tend to get used more.

jtk

[lowell holmes]

I prefer rectangular head mallets for some reason.

[Simon MacGowen]

I know lots of you have round mallets. What's the advantage over a regular "trapezoidal" (flat) mallet?

Thanks!
Fred

For a wood turner, it is 10 times easier to make a round mallet. I have given away at least a dozen of them.

More seriously, the weight of a round mallet is more evenly distributed along the longer head and the long head surface reduces the chance of "misses." All said and one, it is just a matter of use. If you stick to one type of mallet, either will work just fine.

Simon

[James Pallas]

I use a round mallet when carving. Several sizes. I can choke up on a round mallet clear up to having the head of the tool in my palm. Try that with a big square head. I prefer a regular mallet for bench work. I actually have a big mallet with a round head oriented in regular mallet form that I have used for 30 years or more for bench work. I've seen woodworkers used both types for bench work. Most carvers I've seen use round mallets.
Jim

[Derek Cohen]

I used to make and use round (carver) mallets for many years .... because they were easy to make, and they looked cool. I even purchased a Blue Spruce round mallet, and they are the coolest of all!

Then I realised how much more directed force one gets with a hammer (wood or metal), and switched. It is possible to use a smaller head and lighter hammer, which translates to more control and less effort. There is less likelihood of a mishit with a cabinetmaker's hammer or a genno than a carver's mallet. The Japanese have known this for a long time.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[James Pallas]

I used to make and use round (carver) mallets for many years .... because they were easy to make, and they looked cool. I even purchased a Blue Spruce round mallet, and they are the coolest of all!

Then I realised how much more directed force one gets with a hammer (wood or metal), and switched. It is possible to use a smaller head and lighter hammer, which translates to more control and less effort. There is less likelihood of a mishit with a cabinetmaker's hammer or a genno than a carver's mallet. The Japanese have known this for a long time.

Regards from Perth

Derek
i would tend to agree that the chances of a Mishit with a carvers mallet doing bench work increases. I'm not so sure about a cabinetmakers hammer or a Japanese hammer at least for myself. I never look at the handle of a chisel whether doing bench work or carving. I'm always focused on the business end of the chisel and I tend to change my head position to get a better view. It is a comfort to me to know that I have several square inches of mallet face to to correct for my errant blows when doing bench work. I usually do take any huge hits with a carvers mallet so if it does happen to miss I don't loose any fingernails acquire any serious bruises.
Jim

[Tom M King]

I haven't bothered to think about why I like round ones better. I expect it started when rectangular ones wore out, and I needed to get back to work rather than putting time required into making another multi piece mallet. I don't think I've mishit with one in years, and don't even remember ever doing so. When my last wooden, round one wore out, I tried a Wood is Good mallet, and never went back to wood.

Sometimes, I might use nothing but chisel and mallet for a few days at the time. I timed it last Summer at 15-1/2 hours with timber framing chisel, and 30 oz. WiG. Neither elbow, nor chisel showed any wear for that time.

[Prashun Patel]

Round ones are easier to make.

[Mike Holbrook]

I am with Derek’s line of thought regarding greater directed force from a smaller mallet.

I suspect one might find a round mallet more servicable for carving where lighter more frequent taps are used and lighter mallets rule the day. I suspect that as one moves towards heavier less frequent strikes and heavier mallets, the flater surface will have significant advantage.

[Simon MacGowen]

I am with Derek’s line of thought regarding greater directed force from a smaller mallet.

I suspect one might find a round mallet more servicable for carving where lighter more frequent taps are used and lighter mallets rule the day. I suspect that as one moves towards heavier less frequent strikes and heavier mallets, the flater surface will have significant advantage.

James Krenov, Paul Sellers and Ian Kirby: Square
Rob Cosman & Frank Klausz: Round

I have not known anyone whose hand skills are better because of the type of mallet they use. We woodworkers like to overthink.

Simon

[steven c newman]

When a 32 oz round mallet was been used so much, it develops a "flat" spot, where all the blows have hit.....I also sized the handle to fit my hand....becomes an extension of my arm.
I do use a 7oz "riveting" hammer, for heavier chopping....like mortises...

Dovetails/box joint work..usually the mallet will see use.

[Bob Glenn]

I have a large and small round mallet, but I use the small one almost exclusively, even for chopping mortises. I find the light weight makes it easier to swing, but I think I get more impact by striking the chisel close to the handle and letting the weight of the head of the mallet do the work. It works for me.

[john zulu]

It is a good discussion. From the carpenter mallet to the carver mallet. Both have their place. From what I view from books is that the carpenter mallet has greater swing while the carver mallet is more for tapping.
In this era we have the dead blow too. Something which I believe is a good all round hammer. Still it is not an answer for many woodworkers out there.

I use both the carpenter and carver mallet. Depending on the chisel and function of operation. I am by no means an expert with the chisel but it is a known fact that the chinese just took a piece of hard stick as the mallet?
It is truly what makes good sense at that time.

[lowell holmes]

I assume you guys are talking about flat faced mallets. If that's the case, I use whatever is in my hand. I think I have a round flat face mallet somewhere.
I have several mallets.

[steven c newman]

Sweaty hands tend to creep up handles...and into the way of a wide faced mallet.....a round one gives me a bit of safety room.....as the curve goes up and away from my knuckles.

The "flat spot" on the round mallet I use, is about the width of the chisel's handle....couple years worth of hits will do that.

[Don Dorn]

Always had used square. Got a "Wood is Good" neopreme round mallet for fathers day a few years ago. Have been using since and really like it. Don't seeing going back, orientation isn't an issue.

[Ron Bontz]

Just a couple of pennies worth. Bottom line. Square, round, trapezoidal, metal, plugged, or infused. As long as the mallet works well for the intended use and is comfortable in your hand for the amount of time you use it, it doesn't matter. It is all about preference. :)
Best wishes.

[Frederick Skelly]

So I got to looking at round mallets and liked the idea of better control with a shorter handle. (I find myself "choking up" on my mallets anyway.) So as an experiment, I decided to rehandle my 24 oz mallet. It had a matching walnut handle that was longer and thinner. I never quite liked it, so I decided to make a new one that is shorter and fatter to see if I liked it any better.

The new handle is only about 7" long and maybe 1 1/4" thick at it's widest point. I used pine for prototype and like the shape so much I may just keep it. It's very different than Derek's (see other mallet post), but it feels really good in my hand. I used the updated mallet to chisel dovetails this afternoon and I like it far better than the previous version. YMMV.

Fred

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[Warren Mickley]

So I got to looking at round mallets and liked the idea of better control with a shorter handle. (I find myself "choking up" on my mallets anyway.) So as an experiment, I decided to rehandle my 24 oz mallet. It had a matching walnut handle that was longer and thinner. I never quite liked it, so I decided to make a new one that is shorter and fatter to see if I liked it any better.

The new handle is only about 7" long and maybe 1 1/4" thick at it's widest point. I used pine for prototype and like the shape so much I may just keep it. It's very different than Derek's (see other mallet post), but it feels really good in my hand. I used the updated mallet to chisel dovetails this afternoon and I like it far better than the previous version. YMMV.



In the 17th and 18th centuries, handles on mallets were fairly short. You can see from the illustrations that they swung a mallet with fairly stiff wrist, which is a very different motion from what is used with a hammer. Roubo gave a dimension of 8 inches for a mallet handle. His mallet had a heavy head, not something you would want to swing like a hammer anyway. The long handled joiners mallets started toward the end of the 19th century and are good for people who have done more work with a hammer than a mallet.

In carving we use a round mallet because we are constantly changing the angle we use and do not want to change grip all the time. Sometimes we are rolling the wrist as we cut, using a slightly different side of the mallet. In work like mortising or dovetailing we go longer periods cutting the same direction so a flat sided mallet is not such an impediment.

The idea that this stuff is all just personal preference dismisses the notion that people who have done this a lot (like 18th century workers) might know more than beginners or dilettantes. It is like saying that crawling and walking are just a matter of preference.

[steven c newman]

A hammer takes a different "swing" to use it right....swung full arm from the shoulder, as about any Carpenter ( including me) will tell you. Swing with just the elbow, and the elbow will soon be worn out.

Hitting chisels all day....unless you do timber framing work....takes a little less force, and a lot more control.....square, round, or a tree root....whatever you can swing that you can control the hits the best.

Miss hit a nail..meh, maybe a sore thumb. Miss hit a sharp chisel.....may need to restart with a new piece of wood...

A good secure grip on a hammer means it doesn't fly off into space on the backswing.......a "death grip" on a mallet..just wears you out. All you need to do is guide the mallet to it's target, and let it do it's work..A looser grip lessens the shock from the hits. The only item that SHOULD feel the shock of a hit is the top of the chisel's handle...unless you also hit a knuckle that had slipped up into the way...

I made my mallet to fit MY hand....doesn't matter what others use, the handle was fitted to the grip of my hand...
386711
The one laying down on the job was my late FIL's....way too skinny, tended to bounce off of the chisels....was hard to grip. I turned it's replacement, and as I sanded the handle, I made sure it felt "right" in the hand. have never really weighed it, but somewhere between 16oz and 32 oz ( depending on how long I used it that day) made of Spalted Hard Maple.
386712
Have had to resand the head, and later added a new coat of finish...
YMMV

[Al Launier]

So I got to looking at round mallets and liked the idea of better control with a shorter handle. (I find myself "choking up" on my mallets anyway.) So as an experiment, I decided to rehandle my 24 oz mallet. It had a matching walnut handle that was longer and thinner. I never quite liked it, so I decided to make a new one that is shorter and fatter to see if I liked it any better.

The new handle is only about 7" long and maybe 1 1/4" thick at it's widest point. I used pine for prototype and like the shape so much I may just keep it. It's very different than Derek's (see other mallet post), but it feels really good in my hand. I used the updated mallet to chisel dovetails this afternoon and I like it far better than the previous version. YMMV.

Fred

386700

I like the looks of your new mallet. With the shorter handle did that affect the balance of the hammer?

[glenn bradley]

I have used a Shop Fox round polyurethane mallet for years. Can routinely be found for about $15 (http://www.toolplanet.com/product/Shop-Fox-Non-Marring-Mallet-D2808/Hammers-Striking-Tools?gclid=Cj0KCQjw9LPYBRDSARIsAHL7J5meeA_4jEydLd s3tQrVFj3KBWhVbzeo10-6cBfPmxdk_BFQhwOU1YYaArQrEALw_wcB) shipped. We tend to overthink a lot of things that really are not that important but, it makes for good conversation till someone has to be "right" :). Whatever works for you best, is best for you.

[Mike Holbrook]

There are so many woodworkers who have so many different interests which make Warren’s point above.

I found a dead Dogwood not long ago, which gave me a large supply of a relatively hard wood with less defined grain direction. I made 5-6 different “mallets” from that wood: round bodies, square bodies, round bodies with flat surfaces.

I like splitting billets from logs. I use: a variety of metal wedges, gluts, froes, axes.........I want be striking good axe heads or my froe with metal hammers. I don’t mind using a metal head, even a small sledge, on some less expensive wedges or a splitting axe/maul designed for that purpose, to get the greater “directed force”. Driving a Dogwood glut through a crack in a log requires a relatively heavy, long handled wood club/mallet. The opposite extreme from a carvers mallet.....

[James Pallas]

I think Warren answered the question very well. Sometimes when you are carving you totally switch directions. Being able to just backhand without switching grips I do often but never thought about it much. Sometimes straight on sometimes on the side sometimes backhand. Same grip on round mallet.
Jim

[Jim Koepke]

Mostly my round mallets are used for carving or hitting my froe. Not the same mallet for the two different jobs. The froe mallets are a bit large for use at the bench. Maybe if a tree stump was being carved then the froe mallet might be used on bigger gouges.

jtk

[Simon MacGowen]

I just remember Paul Sellers (and later The English Woodworker, Richard, forgot his name, who used to build and sell benches also followed suit) uses lately a Thorex hammer for most of his chiselling work, although he once said the flat wooden mallet was his favorite. I have never tried using such kind of hammer but I am sure you can do nice chisel work even with just a block of wood if you have good chisel skills. The only time I use a metal hammer in my wood work is when I nail things or when I dry-assemble/seat dovetails (you listen to the sound for clues).

Simon

[Mike Holbrook]

This discussion can move in many directions. Even if metal headed hammers/sledges/mauls/axes/..... are excluded such tools certainly influence whether or not one might “need” what some may more narrowly define as a mallet. The Asian type chisels, with hoops, are typically designed to be struck with a metal headed genno. Dead blows with shot heads... Thor makes a variety of “mallets” which one can sustitute a wide variety of plastic, leather, metal heads, on the same “mallet”.

As construction materials change....What do we call a mallet made from a wood plastic blend? I just installed a sink that I think is some sort of plastic/rubber/ rock blend...

Wood is often blended with other materials now, our material of choice is undergoing changes that we will need to adapt to.

[Frederick Skelly]

I like the looks of your new mallet. With the shorter handle did that affect the balance of the hammer?

Hi Al. Yes, I'd say it did. But since I was always "choking up" on the original handle I don't really mind it.
Fred

[Ross Manning]

The round head of a carvers mallet does not push the chisel to one side or the other if the blow is not 100% square to the tool, unlike a flat head hammer or mallet.

The answer to your dilemma is another tool purchase :D One flat head & one domed head - and lots of brass bling!!

A Glen Drake tite-hammer:
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[Matt Lau]

Interesting thread.

As a hobbiest, I've never tried a round mallet....I will say that the Tite-Hammer #4 is my favorite for stonework in my dental office.

However, I really think the Japanese are onto something.
If you get the chance, try a gennou with a custom handle.
Check out Stan Covington's thread on making a handle for gennou.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

Good lord fellows, three pages on mallets. Don’t you know there is a ruler trick thread going on right now?

Am I in before anybody mentioned Bluegrass?

Simple laminated hard maple mallet for me. Have tried rubber, and a hard plastic face. Feel like I get more done with less effort with the maple. Never tried one of the round ones.

[Jeff Ranck]

Who could resist a Thor hammer? https://www.amazon.com/Thor-712R-Faced-Hammer-Handle/dp/B0001P0YF0/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1527776805&sr=1-2&keywords=thor+hammer

I tend to use this or a different dead blow almost exclusively.

[Derek Cohen]

See, I told you ... a flat side is best ...

https://s19.postimg.cc/uzhrfgzgj/Mallet1.jpg

Somewhere in Malaysia ...

Regards from Perth

Derek

[steven c newman]

Somewhere in Ohio...
386921386922386923386924

[Simon MacGowen]

See, I told you ... a flat side is best ...

Somewhere in Malaysia ...

Regards from Perth

Derek

Meanwhile, somewhere in Vietnam...

https://goo.gl/images/CajPcs

The jury is still out...

Simon

[James Pallas]

Somewhere I saw a video of Frank K. Demonstrating the use of a cabinet scraper on dovetails. I noticed that he picked up a flat scrap to hit the scraper with, not his pretty round mallet. Maybe he has a special scraper basher?
Jim