Why I stopped using a hammer for my punches

Alan · Feb 17, 2026

Has anyone switched to a poly mallet or a weighted maul because metal hammers were ruining the tops of hole punches? I noticed a soft head absorbs the shock and prevents the tool from bouncing or mushrooming over time. It is also much quieter which is great if you do your leatherwork late at night in an apartment. And it saves your wrists from the vibration of metal hitting metal. Do you use a heavy maul for everything or do you keep a light mallet for delicate work?

purple bean · Feb 17, 2026

I noticed my metal hammer was starting to flare the ends of my expensive Japanese irons and I felt sick. Switching to a heavy nylon mallet stopped the damage and actually made the punches go through the leather more quietly. The weight of a good maul does most of the work for you so you do not have to swing as hard. It feels much more controlled when you are trying to hit that perfect line.

midNight · Feb 17, 2026

Does a heavier mallet helps you get through thick four layer stacks?

Deertraks · Feb 18, 2026

This mallet is all I use now. It's weighted and the urethane head is so durable and makes it easy to use without slipping off the punch. You can choke up on it for thinner leather or get good leverage when needed for heavier work. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JBQ3PZQ

Matthew Williams · Feb 19, 2026

i use a rawhide mallet that i filtched from my daughter (she does leatherworking on a commercial scale) ... works OK ... pretty quiet, and no mushrooming of the tool

CobblerKing · May 15, 2026

I’ve moved to a weighted poly maul too, it keeps both my punches and wrists in much better shape overall.

Why I stopped using a hammer for my punches

Alan

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purple bean

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midNight

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Deertraks

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Matthew Williams

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CobblerKing

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