What Is a Rubber Mallet Used For?

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A black rubber mallet lying next to a pair of scissors on a piece of leather.
Image Credit: theeraphon/iStock/Getty Images

Rubber mallets are kinds of hammers. The mallet features a larger striking surface. But because it is made of bounce-resistant rubber materials, it offers a gentler blow and greater control than traditional metal hammers.

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What It Is

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Rubber mallets might have wood, plastic or fiberglass handles, and the hammers come in a variety of weights. Colors of the rubber heads of the hammers are usually black, white or gray.

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Mallet's Merits

Rubber mallets serve in place of a metal hammer in situations when a metal hammer would cause damage to the material during fitting or installation.

Sports and Music

Mallets are used in the sport of polo. They also are used in the game of croquet as well as to play certain percussion instruments.

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Home Improvement

Rubber mallets are used to work with sheet metal and plasterboard as well as in crafts using leather and upholstery. You can also use one to position tile. Mallets prevent rim damage while changing a tire. In gardening, a rubber mallet lets homeowners install edging material, garden stakes and fencing.

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Tendon Tests

Some doctors use a rubber mallet to strike a tendon just beneath your kneecap to test your reflexes.

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