As mentioned earlier, chisels cut into materials when they are struck with a hammer.
As a general rule, you should use a hammer with double the surface area of the head of the chisel you wish to hit.
It is important to use a hammer heavy enough to allow the chisel to work. Light hammers may also have the tendency to spring back up.
A commonly-used hammer is a club (also called a lump) hammer, although other hammers such as a ball pein hammer may be used.
A ball pein hammer is a hammer with one flat end and one rounded end. It is frequently used with metal objects, such as cold chisels.
The use of claw hammers may be discouraged on account of their low weight.
You may wish to contact your chisel manufacturer to ask which type of hammer is best to use.
Stone masons may sometimes use a wooden carver’s (or carving) mallet whilst working stone, as there is less power in a mallet strike. Heads with a barrel-like shape remove the need to hit the chisel with a specific face.
Some mallets may be made from nylon, due to its longer life expectancy.
