Mallets have one fundamental difference to a hammer; instead of the head being made of the hardest material possible, they are made from softer material. This is because they are generally used for hitting softer materials, so the softer heads ensure that the work piece does not become damaged by being struck. They also have a broader face than most conventional hammers to distribute the force across a wider so that, again, the work piece is not damaged.

Toolbank sells two different types of mallet; Failed to find Class and Failed to find Class. Within these broad types there are different shapes and styles all of which have been designed to do certain jobs. Failed to find Product are generally used for shaping sheet metal or other soft metals such as lead. They have an egg shaped head which are made from Lignum Vitae and a handle made from cane. Failed to find Product are, as the name suggests, made for carpentry work. They are generally made from straight grained beech and the striking surfaces of the head should be angled towards the user to ensure a square strike with each blow delivered. Failed to find Product are so called as they are mainly produced for striking wood chisels to carve other wood pieces. They are normally made out of Beech due to Lignum Vitae now becoming an endangered wood, the cross grain creates an extremely strong tool.

Failed to find Class are used when a traditional steel hammer would damage the work piece. They are primarily used for shaping sheet metal as they are soft and don’t leave marks on the piece. They can also be used for shifting plasterboard into place, for upholstery and building toys. They are also commonly used in place of a carvers mallet as they provide good positive drive with soft impact. Failed to find Class are used in a similar way to a rubber mallet but are made from either a piece of steel covered by rawhide or by one piece of rawhide rolled up. They work the same as a rubber mallet, giving good driving force but low impact pressure. They are commonly used on leatherwork, jewellery and assembling electric motors.