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Like new Barry King 48oz mallet! There are a few scuffs on the brass nut, otherwise very little use to the nylon head. Carefully-crafted mallet is a true work of art. Durable nylon head stands up to heavy-duty use. Contoured handle offers extra cushioning and is comfortable in the hand.

Where can one purchase stock mallet dies? I am specifically looking for a mallet die for cutting a 1/8" by 3/4" rounded end slot. I see the Texas Mallet Dies offer customs but from their website they don't go this small.

I've been using a 16oz. rubber mallet from Lowe's ever since I started working with leather, about two years ago now. I use it for everything: tooling, setting rivets and snaps, driving punches and chisels, you name it. It's the only hammer I've ever used for leather. It's starting to wear out and I've been thinking about replacing it. Now, this hammer cost about $4 and has lasted me for years (I've only been using it for leather for 2 years, but I've probably had it for 5 or 6 now) and that's a strong argument in favor of getting another one just like it. But copper and tubular rivets, and some of the heavier snaps, take forever to set with the thing. So I'm starting to wonder: Would a heavier hammer might be more suitable to the task? Also: would a rawhide or poly striking tool have less bounce, and would that make a difference? I'd rather not buy several expensive tools if I can avoid it, so is there One Hammer to Rule Them All out there? A leatherworker's Mjolnir that's just great, or even pretty good, overall for All The Jobs? (If it comes right down to it, I'll buy two hammers, one for These Jobs and one for Those Jobs, but I'd rather avoid having to build a whole rack for a hammer collection, is what I'm getting at.) Thanks in advance for answering what is probably a dumb question.

I love tools... especially old tools. But... I don't think branding/ego polish should outweigh function and at my core I don't think clubs (hammers) should be expensive unless they include warranties and guarantied outcomes or power cords. Don't get me wrong... I PAY for quality name brand when it's warranted but so many of our "Name Brand" previously quality tools and implements have been farmed out to the lowest bidder (no, I'm not looking at any particular country, I've found good to great quality from many nations... even those that get a bad rap generally). SO... when the inexpensive mallets began showing up on Xbay (no Art... this is not for the adults only section) I was curious. I bought one with free shipping for $12.00usd. No... doesn't come with an engraved headpiece, no stacked leather handle... just a polished aluminum (I think) handle and a poly head. It's okay... works like a maul... you hit something with it and energy is transferred. I don't have big mitts so the somewhat shorter overall length isn't a problem. And since it's primarily for tooling I ain't swinging it very hard. Then... I saw (gasp) similar mallets with WOODEN HANDLES appear. Much prettier and traditional looking to boot! So when the price dropped I ordered one of those... just for comparison ofc. The 24oz is a Shop Fox I picked up on sale from I think WoodCraft for $9.99 plus shipping. They do their jobs... not badly balanced, I wish the white poly heads were a bit larger diameter but hey... for the price I'm not gripping. The wooden handle poly is ~49mm dia while the silver (comes in anodized black too) is ~50.8mm dia. For a beginner to intermediate worker they work and don't break the bank. I've used the Stohlman mauls and *shrug* best I can say is they may fit bigger hands better and they have a larger diameter head but I'll wait for a significant price reduction/sale before investing in one. Not that they don't work well.....

Hi There, I'm very interested in making my own maul. Does anyone have any Ideas as far as the type of material I would need to make the head of the maul. I was thinking of getting a cutting board and trying to glue or melt the disc together somehow but not really sure about that approach, being that I don't have many tools around to attempt this, and I was looking at the Beary Mauls and I really like them, but the price tag is a bit much right now. Any Ideas, Thanks in advance.

I am having a hard time deciding on what hammer to buy. In the past I have used a heavy rubber mallet for my general stamping. The 'bounce' didn't bother me. Since then I've recently been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and the weight of it alone tends to kill my hand pretty quickly. I've tried the yellow polymer hammer and found it extremely light and my scrawny arms didn't provide any help. The rawhide one was somewhat in that same catagory..and since I am trying to buy an entire shops worth of tools, i would rather not be spending that kind of money on a rawhide or maul. The last thing i used was a newer and smaller/lightweight rubber mallet which seemed to work ok...only because the big one was getting old and falling apart lol. This is the last thing on my list I need to open my shop back up (*crosses fingers*). What do you use or recommend? I was planning on just getting a 16oz rubber mallet off ebay...with a steel handle (instead of wooden). I have no idea if the 16oz is the same as what i had before or not. Thanks

Hello everyone! I am using a strap end punch with a poly mallet that just doesn't pack the punch needed to get through the leather. I've done some research on what mallet would be better to use and I keep coming up with a maul. Tandy leather sells them, however they are quite expensive and out of my price range. My question is, with a strap end punch, what is an effective, affordable mallet to use? Could I just pick up a 1 pound rubber mallet at Home Depot? Thanks for reading! -David

Hey guys, Here in South Africa, there is only one place to get any tools ; a third party retailer for the Tandy shop halfway across the country who seldom has stock. As a result, I am always on the lookout for easy tools that I can make myself to do the job. Mallets and mauls are very expensive here and there is only one in stock at any one time! I have been using a hammer handle with an old belt around it for about 5 months now but I am tired of it and wanted to upgrade. I have been coveting an Stolhman Poly Maul and decided that yesterday was the day that I try and make one for my self. No... I didn't really nail it the way I was hoping. It's a bit rough and ready and a lathe would have been a VERY useful tool to have so that I could turn down the handle nicely but, alas, I don't have one. However, I am thrilled with the outcome. and love the new feel of it. Here's a shot of the "raw materials". The threaded bar is a 6mm diameter and I used nyloc nuts to keep it all together. I didn't use any glue at all. It is seriously straight forward to make and so my only advice is to clamp the leather down when you drill the disks out! DO not try and hold it flat on the bench with your hand. I nearly lost a finger nail when the piece I was drilling, bit into the hole saw and wrapped my hand around the drill! It was a painful realisation of just how strong leather is. I have no idea where the center of the weight should be but I recon you could balance it by taking off the end disk, drilling a few small holes in the second disk down, inserting a few lead fishing weights, and clamping the whole thing back together. That way you could add weight to the head if necessary. The center of this one is right at the join between the head and the handle. Can any one tell me where the weight should lie? For the rest of us noobs out there, you don't need a huge budget to get started. Just a bit of patience and some effort, after all, this is a craft and an art so we may as well invest some time into the set up. Cheers Alex