Frabjus Lady and The Screwy Carpenter

Where we combine Quality, Value & Simplicity to bring Joy to every day

  • Home
  • Store
    • Kitchen and Household
    • Wooden Clothespins
    • Handcrafted Toys
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Clothespins
    • Kevin’s Quality Clothespins
    • Kevin’s Quality Clothespins Disclaimer
    • 20+ Awesome Uses for Clothespins
    • Clothespin Assembly
    • Clothespin Reviews
  • Blog
    • Business Adventures
    • Cooking Adventures
      • Kitchen Tips and Tricks
    • Small town girl in the country
    • Screwy Carpenter Projects
    • Crafts and Creative Activites
    • Thoughts of a Frabjus Lady
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Custom Woodworking
    • In Stock Items
    • Photo Gallery

14 Ways to use a Wood Mallet: A Valuable Tool for Any Home

July 15, 2017 By Hilary Jones Leave a Comment

14 Ways to use a Wood Mallet: A Valuable Tool for Any Home

What do you use a Wood Mallet for? 

I can’t count how many times I have been at a fair or farmer’s market and people have picked up our wooden mallets and asked “What do you use this for?” That is when a list starts running through my head because a wood mallet is one of the most handy things you can have around!

Maple Wood Mallet

I am not a big fan of kitchen tools that only serve one purpose or function. I have very few tools in my kitchen (except maybe my garlic press) that I don’t use for multiple tasks. The wooden mallet is NOT one of those one-task wonders. In fact, a wooden mallet is also very handy to have around for outdoor tasks as well. You’ll want to get two so that one stays outside and one stays in the kitchen.

When looking for a wood mallet you want it to be made out of hardwood and fashioned out of one piece of wood for strength. Our hardwood mallets are handcrafted out of Maple on a lathe by The Carpenter. You can see them HERE.

Uses for a Quality Hardwood Mallet in the HOME

Tenderizing and Pounding Meat

Meat that is an even thickness will cook at an even rate. A hardwood mallet has a good weight to help with that task but isn’t too heavy. It is easily cleaned after any cooking task.

Simply place your piece of meat between two layers of plastic wrap or in a gallon bag. Pound evenly to get a uniform thickness. Then it is ready for making Chicken Cordon Bleu.

NOTE: Many metal options are available for this task. Keep in mind that a metal mallet can very easily damage counters and wooden cutting boards.Mallet and meat

Open a Hard Squash

Acorn Squash are good for eating but they put up a fight. A good knife and a wood mallet make the job super simple.

Mallet and Acorn Squash

First, put the squash on a towel to prevent it form rolling. Place your knife on the squash and then pound it into the squash with your wood mallet. The wood mallet will not damage your knife. Once it is half way through, take it out, flip the squash over and pound the knife in again to split the squash. So much more simple than any other method.

Wood mallet and squash

Pitting Olives

Pitting Olives can be time consuming and messy.  Simply crowd a few olives together  on a cutting board and give them a good wack. The pits are quickly pulled out.

Smash Garlic

Breaking up a garlic head or getting the skin off individual cloves is a breeze with a wood mallet. Your time spent peeling and mashing cloves is minimal when you use a mallet. Plus, you don’t get the garlicky smell all over your hands. One strike with a mallet on a clove and the skin will pop right off. Once the skin is off smash away with a little salt.

Mallet and Garlic

Mash Garlic or Ginger

Mincing Ginger and garlic can be a pain. Once you are done giving it a rough chop, finish it up with a good mashing. If you add a little salt will also help the process.

Garlic and Mallet

Making crumbs

I make  bread crumbs on a regular basis; the size, the flat end and weight of the mallet are perfect. I can also put it on it’s side and use it as a roller to make crumbsCrumbs and mallet

Cracking hard shell crabs

The hard wood mallet is a great tool for getting those treasured morsels out of those hard shells

Crabs and mallet

Nut Cracker

Cracking those shelled nuts can be a challenge. If you put the nuts in a bag or towel the end or side of the mallet make short work of the job.mallet and nutsmallet and nut shells

Crushing Ice

I must admit this is a favorite. You come home after a long day put some ice in a clean towel, wack it a few times and then you make yourself a cold drink and relax. Nothing like smacking something that doesn’t harm anything to release tension. 
Wood mallet and ice

Crushing Spices and Peppercorns

As I said before I am not a big fan of one use items in my kitchen so I do not have a spice grinder. A plastic bag and a wooden mallet make short work of the job and I don’t need another specialized tool. Just beware that your bag will likely tear in the process so the ground spices will have to stored in another container.

wood mallet and spices

 

Pounding Leaves and Lemongrass

Pounding a stalk of lemongrass will help release oils and flavors. Pounding leaves when making a salve helps infuse the oils into the salve.

Uses for a Quality Hardwood Mallet in the Shop or the Great Outdoors

My Carpenter loves his wooden mallets. In fact he has several designs he uses on a regular basis.

Chisel Work

When using a chisel you never want to use a hammer with a metal head. It will dent and break the end of your chisel. A hard wood mallet will not hurt your chisel handles and create less impact stress. With a round mallet you can grab the mallet without taking your eyes off of your work, swing the mallet and know that which ever side is facing the chisel is going to work. The square mallets you need to double check that it is facing the right way before you swing.

chisel and wood mallet

Driving stakes and wedges

When driving wooden stakes into the ground you always want to use a wood or rubber mallet because a metal head hammer will damage the wood. A wood mallet is versatile and can be used on many surfaces.Wood mallet and stake

Fish “Bonker”

When we go to local fairs and markets and people ask about our mallets the most common question is “Is this for bonking fish?” I love that question! It makes me smile. I tell them that it would work perfect for that. Invariably they then refer to “bonking” their companion. Oh my… people are so funny. So…It’s just got to go on the list because it would be a great tool for that. I have gone deep sea fishing only a couple times and fish are amazingly strong. They can easily hurt a person if not knocked a bit first.

And Much More…

Do you have any more uses for a wooden mallet? Share in the comments!

Maple Wood Mallet

You can find our Maple Wood Mallets HERE.

If you would like a specialty size or design you can also contact us for custom sizing at admin (at) ladyandthecarpenter(dot)com.

Here are a few mallets we have custom made in the past

mallet and chisel handles
Custom mallet and chisel handles
Handmade Wooden Mallet
Wooden mallets made by Lady and the Carpenter
Finished custom mallet

Share this:

  • Share
  • Tweet

Filed Under: Business Adventures, The Frabjus Lady, The Screwy Carpenter Tagged With: custom wood items, Mallet

Custom Wood Items: For the LOVE of Wood

June 17, 2017 By Hilary Jones Leave a Comment

Custom Wood Items: For the LOVE of Wood

For the LOVE of WOOD

Custom Wood Items: Unique and Beautiful Wood Gifts and Treasures

People LOVE wood. I am often fascinated that people are inexplicably drawn to feel and touch wood items. Whether we are at a fair or the local farmer’s market people almost subconsciously reach out to “pet” our larger wood items. It doesn’t matter if it is a functional cedar planter box or a figured hand-turned piece, both draw people in.  People love wood’s natural beauty.

The properties of wood lends itself to endless creativity.  That’s part of the reason why we love it when a customer asks if something can be adjusted to fit their needs. The needs of one person may be entirely different than the needs of another. It also comes with its challenges. Because wood can hold surprises and every piece responds differently when worked with…there are some casualties…

A few wood turning casualties

We love to see that beauty come out of any piece of wood. Often you do not see the detailed marbling or gorgeous grain patterns of a piece of wood until it is sanded to a polish and a finish is applied.

custom wood items, wood turning

That process gives joy to each piece we make. However, there is something special about custom pieces. Knowing you are making the item for a particular person in mind, using details that matter to them and knowing that it will be treasured when it is received is priceless.

A few Custom Wood Items we have made…

We create a standard mallet that we sell online. It is a great size for basic chisel work and basic kitchen tasks. However, some people want a change the handle diameter to accommodate their hand size, they want a special wood pattern or want the length of the mallet to be different. We had a gentleman recently order a large mallet from us to pound in wooden stakes. His previous mallet was part of his daily job and finally broke after years of use. As you probably know, if you pound in a wooden stake with a metal hammer the hammer will damage the wood stake. So, he needed a mallet made out of hardwood.  He sent us a picture of his old wooden mallet and we worked out final details over email.

Finished custom mallet

As you can see the old mallet was well used and loved. Our basic mallet just wasn’t going to cut it for this job. The custom mallet The Carpenter created was a beautiful and sturdy replacement.

Speaking of custom wood items … mallets…. Here is a set of chisel handles and a matching mallet made by The Carpenter. The customer mailed an example of he wanted for the chisel handles  and The Carpenter made copies on the lathe out of maple burl. All 5 pieces were made to match as a set.

mallet and chisel handles, custom wood items
Custom mallet and chisel handles

Most of the items we sell have been inspired by customers. So, if you have ideas for new products send them on over. Here is a beautiful Rolling pin a customer requested specifically for tortilla making.

Custom rolling pin, Custom wood items
custom rolling pin for tortilla making

Almost anything we make can be made with custom measurements so don’t hesitate to ask. We can change the design, shape, size and kind of wood of an existing item or create something new. It is only limited by your imaginations…If we do not carry the item you are looking for then shoot us an email.

Email us, fill out the contact form below or call us  for more information

admin AT ladyandthecarpenter DOT com

360…809…0514

Are you a Local?

If you are in the Clallam County area in Washington State, we also make larger wood items. Custom sized raised beds, elevated beds, trellises or any of those larger wood items that you want custom made.  We can make anything from a photo booth frame for your upcoming wedding to cedar planters. We have standard sizes available on our web store HERE at Lady and the Carpenter LOCAL. Contact us for custom sizes.

Raised Garden Beds

We have a few basic sizes of raised beds and elevated raised planters available for direct online purchase at our online store or you can contact us for custom sizing.

Elevated Cedar Planters

We also make other outdoor structures such as trellises. 

We can make what you dream up for your home.

Email us or Give us a call

You can order Standard Sizes through our web store HERE at Lady and the Carpenter LOCAL

 

Share this:

  • Share
  • Tweet

Filed Under: Business Adventures, The Frabjus Lady, The Screwy Carpenter Tagged With: custom wood items

Tampers Fermenting

Solid Maple Cutting Boards

French Style Rolling Pins

20" and 14" Hand-turned French Style rolling Pins
20" and 14" Hand-turned French Style rolling Pins

Join Our Crazy Adventure and Save 10% Off of Your First Purchase

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Join our Crazy Adventure and get 10% off your first order

->

Lady and the Carpenter

PO Box 1148
Carlsborg, WA 98324
1-360-809-0514

Lady and the Carpenter: Copyright © 2018