The amount of strike force needed - Again a key consideration. If you're working with tough materials, you will probably need to opt for a mallet with a heavy head. A rubber mallet used on machinery, whilst not marring the surface will not deliver the weight behind the strike that a brass or copper mallet would deliver.

Rubber/Plastic mallet - Consisting of a barrel head made of rubber, a rubber or plastic mallet has the advantage of delivering a powerful blow, using a soft head for minimal marring of surfaces. They tend to recoil as their rubberised nature gives them an element of bounce, so safety measures like eyewear should be taken. They can also become dented and pitted if used to strike sharp objects, so they tend to work best on blunt items.The term is descriptive of the overall size and proportions of the tool, and not the materials it may be made of, though most mallets have striking faces that are softer than steel. Beetle mallets, also called a persuader or commander, [2] [3] are large mallets with a wood [4] [5] or plastic [ citation needed] head, with rounded ends about 15 to 18 inches (380 to 460mm) [ dubious – discuss] in diameter, and a handle about 3 feet (0.91m) long. It is used by paviours for tapping paving stones into position when bedding them [ dubious – discuss]. Beetles are used in jobs such as timber framing [6] to shift the bases of large wooden posts, to fit joints, to drive in pegs, [7] to split wood or rails. [8] Mallets are a type of hammer designed for a range of applications, the key difference between a standard hammer and a mallet is that mallets usually consist of a barrel shaped, non-metallic head.

Rawhide mallets, which may employ rawhide covering a steel head, or simply consist of rolled-up rawhide, are used for leatherwork, jewellery, and assembling electric motors and delicate machinery. Rawhide - A type of leather that has not been exposed to tanning, primarily used to cover the face of rawhide mallets because of its softness. A rawhide mallet that is ready for use in the shop will not have any discernible spiral of the leather that is wrapped up to form the head of the mallet. The end of a rawhide mallet should resemble the fuzzy side of a piece of leather. There should be fibers of the leather visible on the striking surface. As with any tool, the rawhide mallet requires care and maintenance over time. Read on as I explain how to condition a brand new mallet for it’s first use and how to properly maintain the mallet head throughout its life. How to Condition a Rawhide MalletMallets are used in various industries, such as upholstery work, and a variety of other general purposes. It is a tool of preference for wood workers using chisels with plastic, metal, or wooden handles, as they give a softened strike with a positive drive. Please do NOT beat a new rawhide mallet on a concrete sidewalk or curb. The risk is embedding a small pebble that will then scratch a leather surface, dent or scratch soft metals, and eventually damage the rawhide itself. Vintage Rawhide Mallet Rawhide Mallet Head Replacement

Gibson, Andrew. "Choosing the Proper Mallet". Infinity Cutting Tools. infinitytools.com . Retrieved 2020-06-02.Much like a hammer, mallets are used for striking applications, however because of their softer materials they tend to be used in applications where marring the surface of the workpiece needs to be avoided. This soft-face hammer is suitable for use as a dual purpose hammer in manufacturing, service and assembly industries. The hide face is ideal for applications where you don't want to disrupt the surface of a workpiece too much, and might be useful in jewelry making or metalworking. It also creates less noise than a metal faced hammer. The copper face provides a high impact blow that is also very safe to use against metal surfaces- minimizing sparking and rebound risks, with less chance of damaging metal workpieces. Nylon/Poly mallets are similar to their Rawhide counterparts. They are a soft material designed to provide a hard striking tool without damaging, denting or marring the surfaces of soft metals or damaging leathercrafters’ tools. The main difference between rawhide and nylon/poly material mallets is that when a nylon mallet is damaged, it must be discarded. A rawhide mallet can be trimmed, filed, sanded, and/or rasped, then continue being used.