Suggestions on a Maul

I have been surfing the leather crafters pro stuff and come up with some really good looking things One mallet made by ED labare the BEAR MAUL is claiming to be one of the best with its custom handle and special resin mallet at 75 dollars. Then the C.S.Osborn & Co. Raw hide mallet dont know the price but I love the idea of stacked treated hide on the mallet head . Then the last one I looked at is also a custom Barry King Maul with a nylon head simular to the tandy but comes in at $ 54.00 . I too know I was in need of a new maul . The one I beefed up is to light and I never took the store owners advice when he told me to get the larger maul. Live and learn. If I could see a picture of the weaver then we could compare. I wont post the web sites because it may be against the rules to do so? Let me know what you all know about the mauls ive posted. kellyw
 
I never knew that weaver is a leather crafters monster dream store lmao
 
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Haha, Yeah I am stuck between the Weaver Maul and the Barry King Maul. I bet it is all preference. And the Tandy Leather one is like $89 so that is out of the question.
 
My personal preference is the nylon or poly face round maul. The heads are indestructible. I have a 12oz for carving and light tooling, a 24 oz for heavier stamping, geometrics etc. and larger faced stamps, and a 48 oz which happens to be a Barry King for the really heavy work and it is seldom used. The 12oz gets the most use of the three.

The raw hides were good when they were the only choice, but I far prefer the synthetics especially when wear and tear is concerned. Specific brand makes little difference. They are all good. Convenience and price would be the tie breaker.

Paul
 
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Paul, if you were to go out and buy a 16oz maul tonight, where would you buy it and what?
 
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theWeatherman said:
Paul, if you were to go out and buy a 16oz maul tonight, where would you buy it and what?
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As I posted above, I don't think specific brand makes that much difference. Price and face type and easy availability would influence my decision, but in answer to your question specifically, I would probably buy a Barry King nylon or poly (whichever it is) round maul and the 16 oz or even a lighter 12 oz would be dedicated to carving tooling and lighter work such as beveling etc. The heavier mauls i.e.. 24oz. would be used for larger area geometrics, basket weave etc. The heavier maul allows you to make a nice deep clear impression with just about the same strike force you would use with the 12oz, but the extra weight translates into a more clear and deeper impression. Uniform striking force is one of the keys to consistent stamping.

Paul
 
My 12 oz flat faced is my most used as well, it seems to be the perfect weight to control light stamping, my next purchase is that 12 oz round maul at Tandy. At a tad over 50.00 its a bargain for what it can do.

I have a pair of two pounders, one rawhide and one synthetic. I keep going back and fourth with them. The rawhide is definitely quieter and seems softer on the hit. The synthetic has a longer handle and will really hit hard, good for strap ends and slots.
 
Paul Long said:
As I posted above, I don't think specific brand makes that much difference. Price and face type and easy availability would influence my decision, but in answer to your question specifically, I would probably buy a Barry King nylon or poly (whichever it is) round maul and the 16 oz or even a lighter 12 oz would be dedicated to carving tooling and lighter work such as beveling etc. The heavier mauls i.e.. 24oz. would be used for larger area geometrics, basket weave etc. The heavier maul allows you to make a nice deep clear impression with just about the same strike force you would use with the 12oz, but the extra weight translates into a more clear and deeper impression. Uniform striking force is one of the keys to consistent stamping.

Paul
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The comments on the basket weave and having deeper tooling leads me towards the 24oz maul. I really should just go hit the middle (160z) since the leatherman says the 12oz is what he uses the most as well.

Always a difficult when it comes to tools. I will end up getting 2 or 3 from what it sounds like.....
 
If you stick with it, you most certainly will probably wind up with three or more. Consistency of strike force is one of the factors often over looked when striving for stamping excellence. That is why I own and recommend a light (12-14 oz) Medium (22-24 oz), and rarely for other than saddle making etc the heavy (36 -48 oz) I did make a few saddles a while back so that's why I happen to have a heavy.

It is good to develop muscle memory regarding strike force. Then is you are tooling carving (beveling and interior decoration) or other areas using small stamps the 12 oz is the go to size. Then for larger stamps, geometrics, basket weaves, etc the 24oz applied with about the same strike force as the 12 oz but with a yield of much deeper uniform impressions due to the extra weight of the maul. This also pays dividends because of the fatigue factor.

If you try to do the 24 oz work with the 12 or even a 16 you will probably notice some difference in depth in impressions throughout the piece due to inconsistent strike force due to having to use extra strike force with a lighter maul to do the job with the chosen stamp. It's a little technical, but it will show up in your work until your experience (years) over comes it.

Paul
 
Man I gotta get something different. I've been using just your plain, simple lightweight wooden mallet they have in the leather section at Hobby Lobby. Takes me SEVERAL good whacks to get the depth I'm looking for...upside is that I can make some very light marks when doing accents.

I've really thought about making one. I've found places online that have poly and nylon cylinders and all it would take would be some extra weight in end, similar to making your own out of rawhide circles held together with a piece of all-thread and a stacked leather handle.
 
:biggrin: I had the plastic headed version for a very long time till I finally held my breath and spent the money on my first "expensive" maul. The results were night and day, I dont know how I'd ever go back to that awful plastic mallet.

Those little wooden ones are even lighter than the plastic ones. If cost is a factor you can go with one of those rolled and weighted rawhide mallets, they are very cost effective for what you get in advantages of the extra weight and durability. I've seen them for under 30.00.
 
HELLGAP said:
I have been surfing the leather crafters pro stuff and come up with some really good looking things One mallet made by ED labare the BEAR MAUL is claiming to be one of the best with its custom handle and special resin mallet at 75 dollars. Then the C.S.Osborn & Co. Raw hide mallet dont know the price but I love the idea of stacked treated hide on the mallet head . Then the last one I looked at is also a custom Barry King Maul with a nylon head simular to the tandy but comes in at $ 54.00 . I too know I was in need of a new maul . The one I beefed up is to light and I never took the store owners advice when he told me to get the larger maul. Live and learn. If I could see a picture of the weaver then we could compare. I wont post the web sites because it may be against the rules to do so? Let me know what you all know about the mauls ive posted. kellyw
Click to expand...

The Osborn rawhide mauls are crazy expensive! I thought that anything that cost that much ($120.00 3 years ago) had to be great? Wrong, I just sold it on eBay two weeks ago.
I have 3 of Barry kings and like them a lot, worth the money. I will say that I do not like the tapered ones and do to his handle design and materials used that I think his heavier mauls serpass his lighter ones. That's we're Ed "the bear man" comes in. IMHO he makes the best mauls out there and he will custom make any weight for you. He balances them so well, thats what makes the real difference. Someone mentioned Robert Beard's mauls back on this page a bit. I don't believe R.B. makes these anymore, almost positive? If my memorey serves me right that's how Ed got started makeing them? He (Ed) did a limited run with Bobs blessing (and rubber mix). That's why I jumped on one of Ed's mauls haveing herd such good things about Bobs. As luck would have it i was able to score one of Bobs mauls off ebay about a year ago, can honestley say Ed's is a step above.
By the way I find I use a 9oz maul for most tooling. A 24oz maul for stamping, and what ever the heavyest one Barry king makes (think 5lb?) for driving big arch punches. Side question for Paul: if you don't find a need for the heaveyer mauls then what do you use to drive a 2" arch hole punch with? I'm not a little guy and have never been able to get a 2"+ hole punched threw 8oz leather with a 18 oz maul with a single swing. Even if I could I don't think I would want to? I find holding the tool steady and concentrating on the tool or more so were the tool is going and letting the weaght of the maul do the work, more controle that way.

Here's one of my mauls from ED

4f6e780e.png

f3297ac6.png
 
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Chef, I do have a 48 oz maul, and if Im were to punch a two inch arch punch if would be with the heavier maul. I just used it much more frequently when I was making saddles.

Paul
 
I just got my Barry King 24oz maul. Way different than the little super light poly-mallet I was using. Hopefully that and the granite slab I just snagged on sale will help with the basket weaves, arrow heads and geometric stamping that I have planned.

Thanks guys.
 
Chef Niloc said:
The Osborn rawhide mauls are crazy expensive! I thought that anything that cost that much ($120.00 3 years ago) had to be great? Wrong, I just sold it on eBay two weeks ago.
I have 3 of Barry kings and like them a lot, worth the money. I will say that I do not like the tapered ones and do to his handle design and materials used that I think his heavier mauls serpass his lighter ones. That's we're Ed "the bear man" comes in. IMHO he makes the best mauls out there and he will custom make any weight for you. He balances them so well, thats what makes the real difference. Someone mentioned Robert Beard's mauls back on this page a bit. I don't believe R.B. makes these anymore, almost positive? If my memorey serves me right that's how Ed got started makeing them? He (Ed) did a limited run with Bobs blessing (and rubber mix). That's why I jumped on one of Ed's mauls haveing herd such good things about Bobs. As luck would have it i was able to score one of Bobs mauls off ebay about a year ago, can honestley say Ed's is a step above.
By the way I find I use a 9oz maul for most tooling. A 24oz maul for stamping, and what ever the heavyest one Barry king makes (think 5lb?) for driving big arch punches. Side question for Paul: if you don't find a need for the heaveyer mauls then what do you use to drive a 2" arch hole punch with? I'm not a little guy and have never been able to get a 2"+ hole punched threw 8oz leather with a 18 oz maul with a single swing. Even if I could I don't think I would want to? I find holding the tool steady and concentrating on the tool or more so were the tool is going and letting the weaght of the maul do the work, more controle that way.

Here's one of my mauls from ED

4f6e780e.png

f3297ac6.png
Click to expand...

The BearMan mauls are kinda cool, but I don't know if I want to buy one if he won't tell me the material his head is made out of. He just says its the best. If it is such a secret then maybe I don't need one.
 
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