The Deluxe Mallet by Harold & Saxon Toolworks is a high-quality tool with a good feel and great finish. This 16-oz. to 18-oz. mallet is approximately 9 in. long with a 2-3⁄4-in.-dia. head at its widest and is made of dense Australian hardwoods. I have different requirements for a mallet depending on whether I’m carving wood or making furniture. I put the Harold & Saxon mallet to work in both scenarios. What I look for in a wood-carving mallet is a weighted head with a smaller overall profile. This mallet hit the mark. It performed well while setting in and roughing out a carving, and while making fine detailing cuts. For furniture making, a mallet should have good weight and medium size, and it must perform a multitude of tasks: assembling and disassembling project components, chopping joinery, and performing delicate work such as setting in inlay. The Harold & Saxon performed well in all of these aspects, and it was comfortable and allowed for good control whether I gripped it around the handle or the head. I recommend it as a great hybrid mallet for both wood carving and furniture making. 

—Dan Faia is a carver, furniture maker, and instructor in Rollinsford, N.H.

Photo: Barry NM Dima

From Fine Woodworking #302