4 Replies to “The Leather Element: Which Maul or Mallet Should I Start Out With?”
It always puzzled me why the decidedly not flat striking surface of the maul was so popular for leatherwork. I can think of no other craft or trade which embraces such an awkward tool. If you love it, by all means have at it! But a flat striking surface will always be more forgiving than a curved one when it comes to striking a tool be it for leather, wood, or metal.
It’s definitely a personal preference, but, mauls are especially nice for tooling because you can grip the head of the maul while you’re running a bevel or other stamping tools and gives you better control.
Good presentation. I have a question, my rawhide mallet is rather old and starting to flake on the striking face. Is there a way to stop this flaking other than cutting off the face?
Hi Gary,
We’re not aware of a way to stop the flaking – rawhide will eventually need to be replaced like most mallet materials. You could try to sand the surface and remove the rough spots.
It always puzzled me why the decidedly not flat striking surface of the maul was so popular for leatherwork. I can think of no other craft or trade which embraces such an awkward tool. If you love it, by all means have at it! But a flat striking surface will always be more forgiving than a curved one when it comes to striking a tool be it for leather, wood, or metal.
It’s definitely a personal preference, but, mauls are especially nice for tooling because you can grip the head of the maul while you’re running a bevel or other stamping tools and gives you better control.
Good presentation. I have a question, my rawhide mallet is rather old and starting to flake on the striking face. Is there a way to stop this flaking other than cutting off the face?
Hi Gary,
We’re not aware of a way to stop the flaking – rawhide will eventually need to be replaced like most mallet materials. You could try to sand the surface and remove the rough spots.