I recently picked one up- anybody use one?
I will probably use it for turning blanks, furniture and maybe kindling. I notice all the Froe Mallets are typically wood- I assume they get beat to H E Double Hockey Sticks?

And you don't want to be beating on the froe blade with anything metal. I use a 6 inch piece of ironwood tree for a mallet. I carved a handle into it. Nothing fancy at all, but it works.

I think Ironwood is a good choice, I might turn one up- I definitely won't be using my joiner mallets

old world Wisconsin uses a froe at every cottage to split kindling , the safer option
really just a piece of limb wood use the draw knife or hatchet to bring down a usable sized handle for your hand

when you beat that one apart you should have found another suitable piece of wood while cutting fire wood

how to make a traditional froe mallet
https://www.wilsonburnhamguitars.net/2011/12/how-to-make-traditional-froe-mallet.html

That's about a mile from my house- might have to visit again

been a few years since I was there but it was deemed a much safer way to split kindling as both hands are holding things that should keep them away from the sharp part

they already cut a lot of their wood very short for the franklin stoves

Wife got me one for Christmas last year. Used it for kindling. Very crude mallet made of Ash. Probably making one from Mulberry to try.

Moosetrot

I remember one from childhood. It was by the fireplace so I assume it was for making kindling. We called it the dogwood mallet. I think the handle was about 28".

I used to use a vine maple club on the froe. When splitting shakes, be sure to flip your shake bolt each time you split off a shake.

I’ve got a wood pile of Mulberry, I just roughed out this white oak one to try- I made it 28” as Charles mentioned

The white oak held up ok, I made a couple arm loads of kindling - I might fashion a maul similar to this larger Joiner Hammer I made, it also has BB’s in it for more inertia. It takes some getting used to- I’m way more efficient with a hatchet but I can see it being a lot safer when you get the technique mastered

All the mauls I've seen were a chunk of round trunk maybe 5" in diameter with a handle carved out, all one piece

you are thinking furniture wood
I meant more like firewood
I roughed one out also



it's job is sacrificial you beat it till it is pieces toss it in the stove and make another

Got me remembering the first Foxfire book I bought when it came out years ago.
A great reference on such stuff.

That's the one...

I grew up in oregon. We had an abundance of red cedar logs that the logging companies left for whatever reason. My great grandpa would load us up and we'd go cut cedar bolts and take them home. At home grandpa would get out his froe and make red cedar shakes for his house. It was pretty Kool. Thanks for posting. Brought back a lot of good memories.

... couple more notes from the book.

I have several. Heavier ones for cutting blocks and a thinner one for splitting shakes. Most block cutter used an aluminum maul although I had and used a leather one for a while, think compressed sole leather. It didn't hold up very well. For splitting shakes I have a wooden maul. Ewe wood is the best around here although I have used vine maple.
Flip the block each time to get tapered shakes and split all from one end for barn shakes Here's a picture of a few I made for the house.

Friend of mine uses a bowling pin for a mallet. Works pretty good.

Zim