Warren, that's the same one I was referring to that broke. Source is DeLegno, I think. Looks like they put cross pins of brass rod in them now. Thinking about how the mortise is tapered to fit the matching handle wedge, every time you driving the handle tighter into the mortise you are exerting force on the middle lamination in the head, which is similarly being driven out from between the two cheeks of the mallet head with only the glue line holding it together. How tough is it to bore a handle mortise with an auger and than form the mortise taper with a chisel?