This type of mallet is usually manufactured entirely of wood, the head being a dense wood such as lignum vitae. The construction has often been likened to a Gouda cheese wheel with a handle. This particular mallet, from the Lee Valley collection, has a head made of a brass alloy that has achieved a patina, giving a most pleasing appearance. On the previous page, it is shown with a typical collar, which, due to its small size, was perhaps an apprentice or test piece.

D.S. Orr

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