On 2018-12-27 1:07 p.m., Bill Ghio via OldTools wrote:
> Just before Christmas SWMBO and I spent a day antiquing. I found a piece I
just could not resist — well, actually several, but just one for this post. It’s
a brass head mallet, 13 inches at the handle and 4 inches across the faces.
Weight is almost 2 pounds. The faces are leather covered. The dealer’s label
identified it as a "blacksmith’s hammer used for polishing metal.” Considering
that the leather faces are held on w/ about 12 nails, I don't see much polishing
going on and I’m sure our blacksmith contingent will have other objections to
the probability of that use as well.
>
> The name stamped on it is C.W. Neely and that looks more like an owner’s stamp
than a manufacture’s stamp. The top face of leather was nailed over a thicker
face of leather. All nailed into a wood stuffing and it was a bear to remove.
The stuffing is flush with the brass and I believe it should sit proud of the
brass to avoid to the brass and/or the object being struck. So I have pulled the
wood stuffing out too. There are a lot of hammer strikes on the lower surface of
both heads (second pic from last) which appear to have been used to help secure
the wood infill as that surface now curves inward. Replacing the wood will be a
challenge for this reason as well as the fact that the back of the cavity is,
for want of a better descriptor, roughly pyramidal.
>
> A couple of questions:
>
> What wood should I use as a replacement? Looking at my stash, I have Osage
Orange, Locust, Ipe, Walnut, Cherry & Maple in the 6/4 that will be required to
create an end grain surface. What is best? The first three are very hard and
will wear well, but perhaps a bit softer will be better.
>
> How proud should it be? I am thinking 1/4 inch with a chamfer should give me a
safe surface but one that will be well enough supported not to crumble.
>
> Or is the leather really appropriate?
>
> Anybody have experience with one of these mallets? This is the first I have
seen and it just looked like something that needs to be put to use.
>
> Pics are at:https://www.flickr.com/photos/77280442@N.../sets/72157705
086163074/with/44673117520/">at:https://www.flickr.com/photos/77280442@N.../sets
/72157705086163074/with/44673117520/

Nice find!

I have the LV plane hammer, which came with a maple insert. I replaced 
it  once or twice with maple, but most recently upgraded the insert with 
an offcut scrap (? ) of lignum vitae from an old lawn bowl. It seems to 
be standing up, though I haven't used it much since making the replacement.

FWIW. Belated Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah!

Don

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