[Jewelry making - Article 01321] - Re: [Orchid] Paper mallets

[Len and Judy Bjorkman]

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>     does anyone know how to soften up the surface of a hard leather
>     mallet.  The one I have has a sort of varnish finish and is hard
>     and in a video I saw someone hammering with a leather mallet that
>     looked sort of worn/soft. 

    Sharron, this was a question I asked here a couple of years ago. 
    The only suggestion that worked was to take a coarse file/grinding
    wheel and file off  the surface and the face edges of the rawhide
    mallet, to get rid of the excessive amount of varnish which rawhide
    mallets seem to have on them, nowadays.  I bought one 25 years ago,
    and it was great (and still is) and does not mark my metal.  But a
    newer rawhide mallet was heavily varnished and did indeed mark
    metal.  Even after grinding, I prefer the older one.  I  hope the
    mallet-makers will take a hint and back  off on the amount  of
    varnish they use.   (I tried soaking the mallet head in water, to
    soften it up, but that didn't work.) 

Good luck,
Judy Bjorkman

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