QWORK Wooden Mallet, 9.5" Manual Ice Hammer Mallet Beech Solid Carpenter Wood Hammer Woodworking Hand Tool

So nice, lightweight, perfect size on each side, easy to use, lightweight but effective, sturdy,

Great value for your money. The handle is sturdy and the mallet is perfect for breaking up ice, especially in a bag.

the mallet head was loose upon arrival

There seems to be some confusion about this item in the Amazon reviews that I would like to dispel. Folks are complaining that the head does comes loose on the handle. Yes, that's correct. If it was sent with the head already set it would almost certainly not survive the trip to wherever you are from wherever it was made in China. Moreover, the tenon is not meant to protrude from the mortise as many customers seem to be doing. When you receive the mallet you must set the head by gently tapping it into position with a mallet (or if this your first and only mallet, use a block of wood) until the tenon is flush with the top of the head (see attached photo). For best results, after the head is set soak (fully submerge!) the entire mallet in boiled linseed oil for a week or two. At first it will try to float, and you will need to weigh it down. You will know that it's working after a few days when the mallet sinks to the bottom of the vat. This is a traditional way of treating joiner's mallets. It will cause the tenon to swell in the mortise, which will tighten it against all possibility of future movement. Additionally, it will add weight to the mallet, which will make it more effective at striking your chisels and gouges. It takes a while for boiled linseed oil to cure. If you have a UV box, stick the mallet in there for a week or two. Otherwise leave it in a sunny spot (like a windowsill) for (ideally) a few months. When you're done you'll have an excellent tool that will last the rest of your life.

It will be put to good use

It works as advertised

This is a really small mallet for woodworking. I'm going to keep it, but it's only a little longer than my hand and I'm not Boban Marjanovic.

For what its intended for its very nice. Wood hammer. Head is large and cut at an angle makeing wood working niceA RECOMMED TOOL