WD205 Mallet, 18-Ounce

Excellent mallet, couldn’t have asked for a better one.

Being new to leather crafting I ordered the mallet (maul) because of the reviews and the price. After trying it out I really think it is quite, well balanced, and easy on the hands. It has a tapered shape which works great for solid strikes and less glancing off of tool and the wooden handle is smooth and comfortable in your hand. Description of mallet (maul) is for working with wood handle chisels, but after using it for leather stamping and with leather stitching chisels there is not even a hint of marring on the tapered head. With the different weight options, this might be something to consider. A made in USA product!!!

Well, as it turns out there are lots of very different types, sizes, and materials. If I could just have them all lined up on a bench and get to try each out for a minute or two, choosing what works best for me would have been easy. But without hands-on experience, it’s guesswork. For generations skilled woodworkers have commonly used a big beech mallet with a sort of trapezoidal head that supposedly assures striking the end of your chisel squarely. So I got one of those Fred Flintstone-looking mallets and it’s ok, but I don’t love it, and when I got some nice mortise chisels with wooden handles I didn’t want to beat them up with a wooden mallet, so I tried this one.Some reviewers here have put forth theories about which combination of chisel handle and mallet shapes are compatible, and I was somewhat concerned that this section-of-a-cone mallet head might not feel like it is making square contact with my rounded chisel handles. For me, at least, that turns out to be a non-issue. Maybe it’s a Zen thing, but I have concluded that conceptualizing the force of the mallet being conveyed accurately down the length of the chisel iron seems to work, regardless of the mallet shape. In any case, this mallet is great.As others have reported, the Wood Is Good handle looks and feels good and the polyurethane head conveys plenty of energy to the work piece. I doubt this material can be damaged in normal use, and the manufacturer says they’ll replace it if it ever breaks.Just one surprise: this thing is heavier than I expected. Turns out there’s lead at its center, and if you need to really wallop something, this will do it. I’m a big guy with large hands, but at first I thought it was maybe heavier than I wanted for finer work, like chopping dovetails. But if you choke up on the handle and wrap your hand around the base of the mallet’s head it becomes more of a delicate precision tool. Slide your hand out to the end of the handle (it’s comfortable both ways) and it’s got plenty of power for chopping large mortises.I’ve still got my Flintstone mallet hanging on the wall, where it looks impressively Traditional, but this one seems to do it all for me.

Arrived quickly. Seems a little pricey until you use it. It feels great in your hand, actually, better than great. Extremely solid feeling, comfortable and heavy hitting and in a good way. Less effort even with delicate taps with a lot less arm and wrist fatigue. This mallet is so much quieter than any of my other, You can chisel away and not give yourself or anyone around a headache. It really is my favorite mallet. Instead of buying several cheaper mallets and wishing there was something better, get this one, you'll be very happy that you did. Don't waste money or time leading up to finally purchasing this quality tool like I did.

Easy to use. The handle is nice and smooth. It’s larger than I expected.

It looks so simple in the picture. Hard to tell if it's well-made. Plain-looking, white wood handle. Plastic top. That's it ... Yet glowing reviews. Frustrating.I looked at this mallet for a couple of months before buying it. I was considering several alternatives, all of which cost between $20 - $100 more than the Wood Is Good Mallet. Yet because I couldn't really discern the quality of the Wood Is Good Mallet, $35 seemed expensive. When I started looking for information outside of Amazon, I found the same glowing comments, so I broke and bought it.It's an EXCELLENT mallet! The handle is hard maple and it is finished *exactly* as its product literature states - to a silky smooth finish. The handle is also very well-shaped. I like to be able to choke up on the handle near the head, and it's very comfortable to hold doing so. The urethane density is perfect. Very firm, but with the slightest give. A tap on granite gives the barest bounce. All of which means maximum striking efficiency with no damage to your tools.The 18 is weighted with lead in the head (under a sealed maple plug). The mallet is a bit top heavy, in a good way. It performs like a somewhat heavier mallet as a result, but without the overall weight.Highly recommended. Including over more expensive mallets.

Carving a bowl from a stubborn Cherry Burl without destroying any gouge handles in the process.

I am new to woodcarving, and this is my first carving mallet.So far, I am pretty much loving this tool.It is a nice weight and offers excellent control for lighter touches, but heavy enough to really dig in with a chisel as well. I don't really know what the term "heavy abuse" might really mean in the world of woodcarving yet, but I've been using this every day since I started and the head is unmarked, and all of my chisels are undamaged, so that is certainly something.I was a little hesitant about the price tag, and I always love to get all-wood tools whenever I can, so I had to really sit and think about this one for a bit. Ultimately, I am sure that those pricey wood carving mallets are just great, but this thing is a beast and will probably stay serviceable for a comperable, or longer period of time.Perhaps most importantly, it is a tool that I enjoy using, so I am likely to continue using it for quite some time.