One thing every furniture maker needs is a wooden mallet, and there are plenty on the market to choose from. But Crucible Tool, the hand tool company started by John Hoffman, Raney Nelson and Christopher Schwarz, decided to produce a steel-headed mallet based on an old British design. You'd think furniture makers would prefer to stick with wooden mallets--but the first batch of Crucible's Lump Hammers sold out immediately.

The company explains the genesis and utility of the design:

The late, great furniture maker Alan Peters often said that one of his favorite tools was his "lump hammer," a British term for what Americans might call an engineer's hammer or a small sledge. Peters used his lump hammer for a remarkable range of operations, including knocking together dovetailed carcases and drawers.

"The Crucible lump hammer weighs 2.5 lbs. overall with a 2.2 lb. head of 4140 alloy steel, hardened and tempered to Rc 28-32."

Unlike a traditional wooden mallet, the lump hammer is compact, requires less effort to use and packs considerable punch – a great asset when you need it. Plus, unlike a wooden mallet, you'll never need to replace it.

"It is 11-1/2" long overall with a head that is 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" x 4". Striking faces are smooth-ground at a 5-1/2" radius, and finished by hand. Made in the United States."

Toolmaker Nelson has been hard at work producing a second batch, which Crucible has announced will be for sale today (Friday Sept. 28th) at noon, Eastern time. If you want one, you'd better be prompt--these are bound to go just as fast, if not faster, than the first batch. 

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They'll be available here.