No. 06
The Carver's Mallet
CARVER'S MALLET · LIGNUM VITAE · ROUND HEAD
STRIKING · CHISEL WORK
A turned round head — it strikes true from any angle, so you never stop to aim a face.
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- 1Turned round head
- 2Tapered handle
Bench spec
- Head
- Turned round, end-grain
- Timber
- Lignum vitae / beech
- Blow
- Heavy, dead — no bounce
- Best for
- Driving chisels & gouges
On the bench
A carver’s mallet is turned round on purpose: the head meets the chisel the same way no matter how it rolls in your hand, so your eyes stay on the cut instead of squaring up a face. Dense, oily lignum vitae or beech delivers a heavy, dead blow that seats the edge without the bounce of a steel hammer or the split it would peen into a handle.
Common miss · ✗
Reaching for a steel hammer
Steel peens and eventually splits a chisel’s handle; the wooden round head lands a softer, heavier blow the tang shrugs off.
Take it further
Read the deeper field guides, compare vetted picks, or carry the drawing as original merch in the shop.