Leather Working Tools : Guide to the Leather Working Tools You Need: Beginner & Pro by Baltazar Najarro

Author:Baltazar Najarro [Najarro, Baltazar]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2020-06-09T16:00:00+00:00

Leather Working Mauls, Mallets, & Hammers

Mauls, mallets, and hammers are used for a variety of impact tasks during leather working. The choice of which to use is driven by a combination of use and personal preference. Generally, mauls work well for punching and tooling. Mallets can be used with tooling and punching. Hammers work well for forming leather, especially in show making and saddlery.

When choosing a maul, mallet, or hammer, it’s important to think about how they’ll be used most. The biggest factor in selection is the combination of surfaces – the hitting surface, and the surface being hit.

For example, hitting a metal punch with a metal hammer can damage both the hammer and punch. So for this use a nylon maul or a natural hide mallet (both softer surfaces than metal) would work. Let’s explore more about each.

Leather Working Mauls

Leather working mauls are hitting tools that have a weighted head wrapped in a nylon cylinder. The softness of the nylon makes it suitable for hitting metal leather working tools, such as punches and stamps. Since the nylon is dense, it provides a very solid and effective hitting surface that absorbs shock and delivers a steady hit. Since it is soft, it won’t damage the tools.

Mauls come in different sizes and weights. The heavier mauls will generate more hitting force, though will be a little heavier to hold/swing. It is very much personal preference as to the weight and style of the maul used.

Leather Working Mallets

Leather working mallets are used mainly for striking/hitting other tools. They have a large, cylindrical head and can be made from plastic or raw hide. The raw hide versions usually have a rolled raw hide top, finished so it’s very dense while retaining some softness. This helps with shock absorption as well as the softer surface being less likely to damage metal tools when struck. The raw hide mallets are generally more expensive than the plastic versions.

Mallets need to be inspected frequently. With consistent use, the hitting surfaces can begin to show wear, cracks, or even start to chip off. This isn’t seen as much with nylon mauls.

Leather Working Tack Hammer

Leather working tack hammers are use frequently in upholstery work. They are thin hammers, usually with steel heads that have two different ends. A “starting” end allows the tacks to be placed and hit to be “started” into the material. This same end can be used, with its grooves, to pull tacks out. The other end has a small, flat hammering surface to hammer the tacks in.

Other versions of tack hammers include those used for saddlery. They also have thin, steel heads and work well for forming leather or performing tack work in difficult-to-reach areas. In this case their small size is an asset. Tack hammers come in maybe subtle variations, each with unique benefits specific to their planned use.

Leather Wroking Ball Peen Hammer

Leather working ball peen hammers are used mostly for smoothing out or pounding out seams on rawhide. They head is composed of a ball-shaped, rounded end, and a flat, hammering end.

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