Mallets/mauls

[Sylvia]

A recent experience with a bag punch got me thinking about upgrading from my poly mallet from the Tandy Deluxe Kit to something better. During my research I find a lot of different sizes, and materials. I swear it's worse than trying to decide on a new pair of shoes!

So I wanted to ask everyone a couple questions.

What do you use the most, a maul or a mallet?

What weight is your maul/mallet and why did you choose that weight?

What material is your maul/mallet made from, and what do you feel are the advantages of this material?

If you were to buy another maul/mallet... would you get a heavier one or a lighter one? If so why?

I'm not looking for recommendations of from whom to buy. I've pretty much found the place I'll make my purchase... I just wanted a little more information on what YOU use and why.

Thanks for the insight.

Syl

Edited May 18, 2012 by Sylvia

[DoubleC]

C'mon guys chime in because I want to know too. A conversation here last night made me realize I was sadly lacking. Thanks, Cheryl

[Spinner]

I started with mallets like everyone else but switched to mauls once I had the opportunity to use a good one at a friend's shop. A maul is just a bit more versatile, you can swing it like a hammer or bounce it more traditionally in the side rap method where the maul weight does the work, not your arm. For tooling this is awesome. I have 2 currently with 2 more on the way. I started with a 16oz for an all around tooling maul and then added a 28oz for hole punching, light stamping and heavy backgrounding. I'm adding a 9oz and a 21oz to round out the set, the 9 will be for fine tooling and the 21 for heavier tooling the 28 is just too heavy for like basketweaving. Hope this helps.

Chris

P.S. - Aside from the 16oz Al Stohlman maul I have, the other three will all be Ed "The Bearman" mauls. Ed does great work and his maul head material is great stuff. My 28oz, even though it's used a LOT on a daily basis doesn't even look like I've used it more than an hour. Should last me years and years.

[DoubleC]

Thanks Spinner, but what is his maul heads made of? Cheryl

[Sylvia]

Thanks Spinner. Ok so from what I reading thus far, the poly material is more durable... and about 1.5 to 2lbs is a good all around weight.

[DoubleC]

God Syl did he say that? I need some sleep, a beer, or maybe a BLT, just not sure what's wrong......

[Sylvia]

I vote for a BLT, Beer and Sleep. lol

[DoubleC]

LOL, eating now, then sleep. Have beer but think I'll pass right now :-)

[K-Man]

I've had the opportunity to use a few different manufacturer's mauls - LF, Bearman, Barry King, and Elton Jooristy/Northern Tools. I will never use Bearman again - gave 3 of those away. The LF/Al Stohlman was okay for a temporary. I prefer the one's made by Barry King and Elton Jooristy. The EJ has a shorter handle in comparison to the BK.

I have a 16oz and 26oz for size(s). I use the 16oz for most tooling and use the 26oz for hole punching and for basketweave stamping.

Edited May 18, 2012 by K-Man

[Sylvia]

I've had the opportunity to use a few different manufacturer's mauls - LF, Bearman, Barry King, and Elton Jooristy/Northern Tools. I will never use Bearman again - gave 3 of those away. The LF was okay for a temporary. I prefer the one's made by Barry King and Elton Jooristy. The EJ has a shorter handle in comparison to the BK.

I have a 16oz and 26oz for size(s). I use the 16oz for most tooling and use the 26oz for hole punching and for basketweave stamping.

Thank you. Ok, so "LF" (is that leather factory?) Also I've noticed different colored poly materials... Do the colors indicate say softness or durability? I've seen white, yellow, baby poop yellow, brown and black.

Are or were any of your mallets rawhide? Any benefit to offset the durability problems?

[Art]

Syl,

I have Bob Beard, Bearman, Barry King, Maul Master, and a couple of I don't knows. All mauls, I have more hammers than a museum. A mallet or two.

Hard to get a good strike with a mallet, and the large flat surface doesn't transfer the energy as well as a smaller striking surface (like a maul).

I use the Beard and Bearman for tooling, I have a 16oz Beard that gets used a lot, I have Bearman mauls in 12 to 28 oz. I use the Beard a lot, the 12oz Bearman for light stuff like small bevelers, and the heavier ones for baskets and different geometric designs, it is nice to have whatever size you need, but if I did everything (tooling wise) with one maul, it would be 18oz, maybe 20oz.

Now for just whacking stuff, the 22oz Maul Master is my daily choice, and when the need arises, a 96oz Barry King is right there. Maker stamps can be a bear, that 96oz. King can do the job, however nowadays, I more often use the press. You can deliver an impressive stroke with the Maul Master if you desire, the 96 was just there, Barry made it and I bought it, however I use it a lot. Note that you can break body parts with that thing, but you seldom have to really whack anything with it, although sometimes the desire.....

For any mallet or maul application, a solid surface will get the best results. A good 50's era steel government desk with a 4 inch surface plate is about optimal, but just devise some kind of no bounce situation. Those cheap 30lb anvils that HF sells are real handy for any whack-it situation, setting stuff comes to mind and punching BIG holes another. I have a 12lb Heritage harness anvil that works great, but it is pretty pricy and not any better.

So, what was the question?

Art

[KAYAK45]

I'll jump in here. I have mallets made of rawhide and plastic and about everything else. Once I got a maul, they (mallets) are just art objects in my shop!

A well balanced maul is the way to go. Br careful here on size. 16 ounces is ONE pound. that's a good starting point. 24 ounces is HEAVY and I use it for maker mark and big stamps.

The material is important in the strike rebound and the wear/tear. The "color" probably means nothing, it depends on the material.

Tapered or single thickness is a personal preference. So is weight. Try a 16 ounce straight maul and then move on to what you NEED.

Kevin

[bruce johnson]

No real benefit to rawhide - it wears and flakes, but in the day was a good material. I still whack one every so often. It is a piece for an upcoming museum display of old leather tools. I have in the wings and if it is handy, I grab it. Another maul maker to throw in the mix is Wayne Jueschke. I prefer the head material on his the most. It is a bit grabby without being soft. Balance and handle shape are just right for me. He's the most expensive but after a hundred thousand hits on maul, hits per cost ratio is negligible between any of them.

[K-Man]

Yes, LF is Leather Factory. I found that the white poly material on their maul will shred/chip in very, very small pieces. I do have the rawhide heads to use on that same maul, but never used them.

The BK and EJ mauls both have the white poly material and neither of those have shredded or chipped. Obviously it's a different poly than LF uses.

One of the Bearman mauls had the brown material, but I never really used it so I cannot attest to its strengths and/or weaknesses.

[Sylvia]

Be careful here on size. 16 ounces is ONE pound. that's a good starting point. 24 ounces is HEAVY and I use it for maker mark and big stamps.

The material is important in the strike rebound and the wear/tear. The "color" probably means nothing, it depends on the material.

Kevin

LOL Bless you, Kevin for reminding me that there are 16oz to 1lb. :D (knew that)

Well, I weighed my poly mallet from the Tandy Deluxe kit and I believe it is a 4 oz., since the entire thing weighs 6.6oz. I went around an gathered other hammers and mallets sitting around and got a total combined weight of 2lbs 8oz. Then I held all of them and gave them a "how's that feel test" well besides being awkward as heck... It felt quite a bit better to me than my little poly mallet. Then I weighed this rubber mallet I have for tent stakes. It weighs 1lb 1.7oz. It feels ok too.

As for color... I don't really care about color... I do care about the material and had hoped someone would be able to give some info on IF there is a difference based on the material/color combo. Meaning.... perhaps the black is slightly Less slick than another color... something like that? Make sense?

[mikesmith648]

I have a 16 oz Stohlman model and a 20 oz Bearman maul.....I never use the Stohlman since getting the one from Bearman. And it's pretty and made just for me!!

[Sylvia]

Thanks Bruce.

I saw your post on the other thread about Wayne being your favorite. I imagine he's at Sheridan right now so when I called, I got a voice mail.

When you way expensive.... what are we talking... will I have to sell a kidney?

[Sylvia]

Ok Gents... we are getting more into... I like "Mike the tool maker" fest here And Frankly, If I want a pretty tool... I'd paint mine pink and bedazzle it with ruby rhinestones. I don't care about looks or exotic woods. I care about your impression of the weight, and striking material... and your perceived benefits of those materials.

As Joe Friday says. "Just the facts, Ma'am."

[bruce johnson]

Sylvia,

Wayne is at Sheridan and as I type my personal shopper should have already picked up a 12 oz maul that he recently started making. The list price on the 12 oz is $80 and they go up from there. I kind of think my 3# might have been $125 or so.

I have had some hand injuries over the years - dislocated thumb and little finger a few times each and Wayne's handles are good for me as is. Barry's are good to grip and hit, but the butt of the handle just hits me a little different when rocking it. The Bearman I have would climb up and out of my hand. Nice maul just was tedious and rythm breaker to tip it up and let it slip back down after 6 or 7 rocks. I had the handle turned down some and it made it a lot more user friendly for me.

[Sylvia]

Thanks again, Bruce. I imagine most of the "tool makers" are there... heck I would be if I could afford it.

I think I am zeroing in on a 16oz Poly head one to start with. Though I am still not clear if the different colors of poly has anything to do with the feel and behavior of the material. I had actually had my eye on a 3lb one... but I don't want to drive my seeders through the leather with one blow.

[Art]

Syl,

I have different colors of BearMan and there doesn't seem to be a difference. The Black Beard is almost indiscernibly different, only some strikes some times, might be the way I hold it. I hold the head, don't know of many others that do it that way. Barry's mauls feel a little different, but not in a bad way. The hatch pattern on the poly is a definite plus although possibly psychologically.

Three lbs would not be good for tooling. With all that mass, walking a beveler would be very slow, if not impossible. Get a 1lb or so, it will work on pretty much everything except heavy striking.

Art

Thanks again, Bruce. I imagine most of the "tool makers" are there... heck I would be if I could afford it.

I think I am zeroing in on a 16oz Poly head one to start with. Though I am still not clear if the different colors of poly has anything to do with the feel and behavior of the material. I had actually had my eye on a 3lb one... but I don't want to drive my seeders through the leather with one blow.

[Sylvia]

Thanks again Fella's!

I've made my choice and have placed an order. I went with a Barry King 20oz (even though it was $ more than I wanted to pay) because I felt I needed a little more heft for those dog-gone bag punches. If all else fails I'll still have my el cheapo light weight one for the lightest work.

***Edit... I actually ended up with the 16oz Barry King. I got to flailing around with that 1lb 1.6oz rubber mallet and that 20oz might be a little to much for me. LOL

Please do continue to offer your insights... I'm sure Double C and other's find it helpful.

Edited May 18, 2012 by Sylvia

[LNLeather]

Yes, the different materials are different colors...

I started out with a standard Tandy wood mallet and that was fine to start with.

I also bought a 16 oz Stohlman maul and I never liked it - just put it back in the box and went back to using the wood mallet.

About a year ago I got a 5oz cropped Bearman maul and WOW what a difference!

Since I got my Bearman maul the old wood mallet just collects dust (or I use it with a long knife to cut acorn squash in half)

My maul has the brown material on the head and it has held up perfectly with no chips.

I just gottta say I love my Bearman maul.......

Edited May 18, 2012 by LNLeather

[Sylvia]

About a year ago I got a 5oz cropped Bearman maul and WOW what a difference!

Since I got my Bearman maul the old wood mallet just collects dust (or I use it with a long knife to cut acorn squash in half)

Ok you bought a 16oz AS Maul and put it back in the box... was it because of the weight,... or the feel of the thing?

[LNLeather]

Ok you bought a 16oz AS Maul and put it back in the box... was it because of the weight,... or the feel of the thing?

It isn't the weight, it is the feel of it, it's the balance.

I just went and got them together and even though the weights are similar,

the AS maul is top heavy and that makes it feel much heavier in my hand.

I would rather use my old wood Tandy mallet than the AS maul.

The Bearman maul is far superior, ( oh - in my humble opinion )

Anyone want to buy my AS maul?