Rawhide mallet

[David Ragan]

Please let me say that I private msg JTK, and we are good going forward. As usual, he is a gracious gentleman.

My wish would never be to shut down a thread by ill-will.

Mark, if it suits you, please let us know how this rawhide hammer turns out.

[Jim Koepke]

Yes all is good, nothing to add.

jtk

[Frank Drew]

Are these rawhide rolls held together with glue? If so, does the glue add appreciably to the hardness of the rawhide striking face?

[Mark Stutz]

Are these rawhide rolls held together with glue? If so, does the glue add appreciably to the hardness of the rawhide striking face?

Good question. I have not held one in hand, but it doesn't appear so from the pictures. I suspect that they are rolled wet and then allowed to dry, but that is pure speculation on my part. It may be a couple of months before I can get to this, but I will update it as I go at that time.

[Rick Malakoff]

The one I have appears to have been rolled wet.
Rick

[Mike Holbrook]

IMG_1635_1024.jpg The wife bought this one as an antique, for display, and want let me rehandle or use it! Holbrook is our last name too, so she collects things with Holbrook on them.

I recently made a number of mallets using dogwood. Drew Langsner mentions using dogwood for large mallets for driving gluts in his book so I thought I would give it a try. Works very well, tough wood, but does not dent things up too bad either.
IMG_1580.jpg

[Mark Stutz]

IMG_1635_1024.jpg The wife bought this one as an antique, for display, and want let me rehandle or use it! Holbrook is our last name too, so she collects things with Holbrook on them.

I recently made a number of mallets using dogwood. Drew Langsner mentions using dogwood for large mallets for driving gluts in his book so I thought I would give it a try. Works very well, tough wood, but does not dent things up too bad either.
IMG_1580.jpg

Those dogwood ones look like they can handle some serious pounding! Have you used the rawhide one?

[Mike Holbrook]

Have not used it. The rawhide tends to fall out fairly easy. I do have a THOR Hammer. It currently has nylon screw on faces, but they offer a great selection of replacement faces. They do offer hide faces. They offer a wide range of hammer/mallet handles and faces/heads too. They even make one similar to the one you have.

It takes a fairly serious mallet to drive a dogwood glut or froe through hardwood and metal hammers tend to bend or break them.

[Gary Herrmann]

Dang, Mark. You already had better toys than me. Now you're going to auctions after your retirement. You sir, suck.

I do have a leather working buddy though. Let me know if you want me to connect the two of you.

And, you should come by to see the sander I bought when I was in your hood all those years ago...


The guy that's waaay taller than you.

[Mark Stutz]

Not retired yet, but getting a little closer each day! I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but that has been a a moving box for all those years! I went to that auction when I still lived in St Louis! I'll have to give you a shout when I'm back in St Louis.

[bridger berdel]

Are these rawhide rolls held together with glue? If so, does the glue add appreciably to the hardness of the rawhide striking face?

Rawhide is quite inflexible in it's dry state. Mallet heads are rolled wet and restrained from unrolling as they dry. No glue is necessary.