When I first saw this mallet being recommended by Paul Sellers, it immediately caught my attention. I have a number of mallets - wood, brass, non-marring, you name it - and really didn't need another mallet in my shop. But what impressed me about this mallet was the number of replaceable faces it comes with, Along with the number of sizes and configurations. I opted for the wooden handled version with the hard white face on one side, and the soft, non-marring grey face on the other. I did buy a couple other replacement faces (yellow and red face) in addition to the grey / white that come with the hammer. Note all the faces are made of nylon / plastic and are very durable.Here is the data for each replaceable face type / color that I found on thorhammers.com: - White - Hard Nylon - Shore Hardness D 57-61 - Best All purpose face for heavy and light assembly work. - Brown - Tough Polyurethane - Shore Hardness D 58-62 - Tough and abrasive resistant. Ideal for striking sharp surfaces, including cutting forms, steel rule die assembly. - Grey - Soft PVC - Shore Hardness A 63-731 - Will not mar finished surfaces. Ideal for flat pack furniture assembly, woodworking. - Red - Medium Hard Plastic - Shore Hardness D 45-55 - More suited for light hammering applications and the assembly of precision parts.. - Yellow - Extra Hard - Rockwell Hardness R103 - Extra hard faces for specialty applications. e.g. setting copper armatures.The yellow face is amazingly hard / durable and is virtually indestructible. It can bang on metal surfaces without damaging it, and it is even tougher than the already ultra-tough white face. Also available is a red face that is a "medium" hardness when the grey face is too soft. In order from the hardest to softest faces is: yellow, brown, white, red, gray.You can get both nylon / plastic handles, or wood handles. The face diameters range from 1" all the way to 2 3/4", with sizes increasing in 1/4" increments. I opted for the 1 1/2" diameter hammer because one of my intended uses was to drive chisels with them, and this is a good size for that. A 1 1/2" mallet is also good for general purpose general purpose assembly / banging, another reason for that size choice. I also opted for the wooden handle because I just like wooden handles more than composite - it might add a little to the weight, but Iike the responsiveness of a wooden handle... it might be along the lines of "old habits die hard" :-)NOTE::: after writing the review, I noticed this hammer is advertised as a 650g which would equate to 23 oz. One thing I noticed when researching Thor hammers - the weights of the same size hammer can vary due to a number of factors - including handle material. My hammer weighs in at 20.5 oz, and I purchased it here on Amazon from Big Red Toolbox in UK, - my hammer looks just like the one pictured in this ad. I also bought an identical one from Vaughan (who also sells Thor hammers with the Vaughan label) and it weighed in at 24 oz. I returned the Vaughn model due to some damage to the metal head, but realize your weights may vary, and try to cross reference the model number with the Thor website. For my needs, weight was important.The hammer I purchased says "Thorex 712 - 38mm 1 1/2 - Made in England" on the metal head. Also, the affixed barcode label says "Thorex Retail Hammer 1 1/2 lb" and the model number of "31-712R." However, my hammer does NOTweigh 1 1/2 pounds, which would equate to 24 oz - mine weighs in at a total of 20.5 oz!!! Again - cross reference, check with the Thorex website to assure what you might be getting. One source conflicted with the title of this ad - the Thorex website said 1 1/4 pounds for the hammer, not 1 1/2 - so the title here might be incorrect for the particular hammer you receive. I have seen these hammers in similar 1 1/2" sizes with weights exceeding 26oz, and some less than 20 oz END NOTE:::Note I also own 3 Japanese steel faced mallets in 13oz and 15oz sizes - two squared faced Dogyu's and one round faced Daruma. I own both Japanese and Western chisels, and have always driven my Japanese chisels with the metal hammers, and my Western chisels with either wood or composite faces. The Thor is the one hammer / mallet that can drive ALL of my chisels due to the non marring faces - with the benefit of the yellow or white faces are hard enough for my Japanese chisels also! Typically soft faced hammers have too much shock absorption on Japanese chisels, but the Thor hammer white and yellow faces transfer much of the force into the tip of the chisel, with very little force being lost in the face of the mallet. The bottom line - the Thor hammer gives me a choice when I don't want to bang my Japanese chisels with the steel faces - there are times where not having the louder steel banging is desirable, especially for long duration sessions.For western chisels, it is much of the same - the Thor hammer with the white face is perfect for the Western chisels also without damaging / crushing the wooden, non-hooped chisel handle. Other than the Estwing dual faced (yellow, red) mallet I own, the Thor hammer is the only mallet that I feel comfortable banging on ALL my chisel types. I prefer the Thor over the Estwing due to its balance and feel - it just feel better in the hand.But the versatility of the Thor hammer does not stop at driving chisels - I also use it for many other uses - case / carcass assembly, joint / tenon / dovetail coaxing, disassembly / demolition.... with the replaceable faces, this hammer can be used for most anything from banging on metal surfaces using the yellow face, to coaxing soft wood or plastic surfaces using the grey or red faces. Plus, the 20oz weight of this mallet is a good trade off - it provides enough weight and power when required for harder surfaces, yet light enough for soft taps on a chisel when more finesse is required.The list goes on - in summary, as you can tell from the long-winded review above, I really like the Thor hammer and how it has performed in the shop. It literally stays on my bench as its permanent spot, and I rarely ever put it away. With the easily replaceable faces, it gets called to duty in MANY situations. I still use my steel Japanese mallets, and still use my larger soft faced hammers when needed, as well as my dead blows - but this Thor hammer is logging the most minutes of use in my shop!Highly recommended if the idea of having a versatile, replaceable face hammer that is well made and will last many years appeals to you!Thanks for reading!

I'm not going to lie, wielding this hammer will not grant you the power to send lightning bolts shooting through the sky...BUT it will provide you with perhaps one of the most well-designed dead-blow hammers on the market at a VERY reasonable price. As a bonus, I expect this hammer to last a lifetime--if not a couple.Let's talk 'feel' for a second...the weight of this hammer is EXACTLY what you need for striking gouges, chisels, pin-setters, etc. The white and grey sides afford you the flexibility of striking with a hard or soft non-marring surface (white being soft, grey being hard), though both sides are considered to be soft-surfaces as compared to a traditional wooden or brass mallet. The beauty of a synthetic hammer face is that it will never splinter (when used properly) like wood, mar or dimple--like brass, and can be swapped out fairly easily if it is ever damaged. I should mention that a high-quality brass or wooden mallet are equally as durable though when treated with care and could also last for decades or more.The dead-blow hammer is designed to provide solid impact with little effort and little kickback to the user. This hammer does both VERY well. When you use this hammer you'll probably notice you'll have less fatigue in the arms and hands during longer projects. Also, depending on what you're upgrading from, you'll love the fact that this tool won't destroy your chisel and other tool grips like some other products on the market.Keep in mind that this is not a hammer for nails, demolition, or for striking metal/masonry/other rough surfaces, it is a tool striking hammer meant for craftsmen and hobbyists looking for a well designed striking mallet for woodwork and other similar projects.If you're worried about the long lead time shown on the product page, don't. I got mine within a week or so--well before I expected to see it. Also, for those of you who are fans of Paul Sellers, you'll be happy to know this is the same style mallet he uses for most of his woodcraft.

The head is nice and heavy with both soft and hard replaceable mallet ends, though replacing the ends is about the same price as just buying a new hammer (I suppose if you were in England where these are made the economics are different and it makes sense to buy replacements). Because the majority of the weight is in the head, the hammer delivers a good solid blow but is easy to control since the overall weight is not too much. When working with wood it is easy to strike a rough piece of wood with hard blows to get it in place or, with the soft side of the hammer, gently position a finished of wood with no damage to the surface. Nice hammer!

Love this tool!

Used this for the first time this weekend to help pare the beam for my future leg vise smooth. While it is very light weight, its easy to control and did the job well. Wasn't pounding out mortices, so no really test of durability. What impressed me however was the size and utility of this little guy. Great for a portable tool box where larger wooden mallets can be a space hog. Plan to buy a couple of the replaceable hammer head tips to have on hand when one goes South. Nice wooden handles, just wish they would use a less tenacious "stick-em" on the handles they insist on putting on the handle.

This is not a cheap product for a hammer. However, it’s well made, the handle is sturdy and smooth. I am sure this will last for decades to come. I was a bit surprised by the weight when I received it. That is not on the product but on me for not being more careful. Nevertheless this hammer will work well but I will need something lighter for basic chiseling.

Hab mir diesen Hammer nach einer Empfehlung von Paul Sellers in seinem Blog gekauft.Vom Einschlagen von Nägeln mal abgesehen benutze ich ihn für so gut wie alle Arbeiten und er sieht selbst nach 6 Monaten fast täglichem Einsatzes immer noch super aus und zeigt kaum Abnutzungsspuren.Er liegt gut in der Hand und hat ein, für mich, optimale und gut ausbalanciertes Gewicht.Klare Kaufempfehlung!

Ottimo prodotto, moltocomodo da impugnare e

Just as expected.

Fantastic hammer for chiselling. Very happy!

I just received this hammer and I love the weight and feel of it.Paul Sellars recommended it and I totally agree it's a very nice chisel hammer.