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A Comfortable. This Journeyman's mallet just feels good in your hand. The solid brass head and smooth handle make it easy to hold in a variety of positions for fine work.

Because the head swivels, you can hold the handle at any angle and one side of the head will always sit flat on the surface, allowing you to drive a fastener right into a tight corner.

MALLETS

I've used an old rubber mallet in my shop for a lot of years. But it's not something I would use on my chisels. And it's not always the best tool for knocking together joinery. It "bounces" too much and often will ' mar the surface of the project.

I've found a couple of special mallets that are ideal for these tasks and all-around shop use.

Brass. For light chisel work like a hinge mortise, I really like the brass-head mallet shown in the photos above. The solid brass head gives it enough weight and heft to do the job. And the rounded hard

wood handle has a smooth shape that's comfortable. This mallet is small enough to fit nicely in my hand without feeling unbalanced or too heavy.

The handle and brass head are shaped in such a way that allow me to hold the mallet in a variety of positions as you can see above. And when I need a little extra persuasion, 1 can hold the handle in my fist like a traditional mallet.

Brass and Wood. I found a mallet that will probably force my rubber mallet into retirement. It's Lee Valley's wood-faced Cabinetmaker's Mallet shown in the two photos at right. It has a uniquely shaped, cast brass head that provides a significant amount of weight. And the replaceable faces of end-grain hardwood are gentle on my tools and projects.

Handy:

Pocket Hammer

While my framing hammer is usually too big to use in the shop, a claw hammer still comes in handy. That's why this "pocket hammer" from Lee Valley has earned a spot in my shop apron pocket.

When I first saw the hammer, I thought it would be a little "top heavy" in my hand. But the small, k5-oz. head and the 7-long shaped handle give it a good feel. The handle is fatter at the end which makes using it more comfortable.

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I find myself using it a lot whenever I assemble cabinets and furniture projects. It's small size makes it handy in my pocket and easier to drive finish nails and larger brads in tight spots. And as much as I hate to admit it, the claw end comes in handy for that occasional bent nail.

■< Brass Mallet. The

small size and heft of the brass head make a great combination. You'll want to keep this mallet in easy reach.

If you look closely at the inset photo shown at the upper right, you can see that the faces of the mallet are slightly angled. This is designed take into account your wrist action as you use the mallet so that the faces strike squarely on the worksurface.

Availability. For about $10 to $30 each, you can add these unique hammers and mallets to your toolbox (see Sources on page 51). That's only a modest investment and you'll appreciate having the right tool for the job. &

A Wood-faced Mallet. The cast brass head provides enough heft and the wood faces won't damage your work or tools.