The Return of the Great Brass Mallet

From right to left: Pfeil’s 24.8 oz brass mallet, Chipsfly 23 oz, and Veritas’ 17.6 oz mallets.

Five years ago, I wrote a blog entry about the brass mallets I use for joinery. I mentioned the Canadian-made Veritas Mallet, a compact tool that weighs 17.6 oz (500gr) and costs $39, and a Taiwanese-made mallet heavier than the Veritas and weighed 23 oz (653gr). I bought the Taiwanese mallet for our school’s woodworking program via Amazon. 

That brass mallet became a must-grab by my young students, who coveted it for its goldish color and substantial heft, which became especially appreciated when driving wide chisels.

When I attempted to buy that same mallet for my shop a few years later, I discovered that the Amazon vendor no longer carries it. All other attempts to find this mid-weight mallet in other stores were unsuccessful. 

I decided to dig deep into my pocket and invest in the Pfeil Swiss-made 24.8 oz (700gr) brass mallet. It was not cheap then, but it is even more expensive now. For $123, it’s hard to justify this investment. Woodcraft which exclusively sells this mallet in North America also offers a lighter version (450gr), but this tool, too (also $123), will cost you an arm and a leg. 

From right to left: Pfeil’s 24.8 oz brass mallet, Chipsfly 23 oz, and Veritas’ 17.6 oz mallets.

The Pfeil Swiss-made mallet is the heaviest among the three.

Both the Pfeil and the Veritas mallet have a cherry wood handle.

I felt sad that such a great tool at such an affordable piece (the 23 oz Taiwanese mallet sold for under $30) had vanished, but I kept the searching flame going, and from time to time, I probed the web looking to see if it surfaced again in one of the woodworking stores. 

Luckily, I found it a month ago, and it is shinier than ever – literally. 

A new batch of this brass mallet can now be purchased from www.chipsfly.com, a small woodworking retailer from Ohio that, among other things, sells some excellent measuring tools. For some reason, the manufacturer calls it Brass Chisel-Hammer and not a brass mallet, but that name change is insignificant. The only difference between the old batch of mallets and the new one is that the manufacturer decided to polish the new brass heads instead of the brushed finish that the old round heads had.

I believe that the Chipsfly mallet’s handle is made from Rubberwood, which is a common wood for tools and furniture made in the far east.

The Chipsfly’s 23 oz brass mallet is, by any standard, a great tool.

For $32 apiece, I couldn’t help it and ordered one. It is a great tool, and I am thrilled it had a comeback. If you like brass mallets for their shape and heft and need a heavier tool than the Veritas mallet, then the Chipsfly 1.5 Lb mallet is your best option.