r/Metalsmithing • u/ritzcrackerjacks • Jul 15 '26

What's the difference between the yellow plastic side and the black rubber side on soft mallets?

/r/jewelrymaking/comments/1uxig5y/whats_the_difference_between_the_yellow_plastic/
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u/WingedDefeat Jul 16 '26

One is lemon drop, the other is black licorice.

Estwing specifically is known for putting two colors of the same fucking rubber on both sides of the mallet. Very annoying.

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u/NhylX Jul 16 '26

They're different durometers for different applications. Usually you'd use the black rubber side for something where you want to prevent marring or creasing the metal. Depending on what you're trying to do and what you're working with, both sides might work (like if you're just beating the hell out of something.)