A paver’s maul is a type of mallet designed for laying flagstone or paving (paver). It can be used for levelling, flattening or smoothing. There are mauls and mallets, and hammers too. All three are tools designed to deliver an impact to a surface.But what is the difference?
Mauls, mallets and hammers…
A traditional metal hammer is used to drive nails into objects, pull nails out of objects, fit parts together or break objects apart, forming metal and for anything which requires pounding! A hammer is a general purpose tool and is an important part of any toolkit.
Mauls and mallets, however, have more of a specific function when delivering force to an object and that is to deliver the force without damaging the object.Both have large, soft heads compared to metal hammers, allowing a less destructive strike but with a positive drive. In the picture, the paver’s maul is being used to level a paving stone. It will give a firm blow to the paver but will not leave any marks on the surface.
The difference between a mallet and a maul is minimal but is basically in the shape of the head and also its size. Some mallets have a flat striking surface, whereas a maul has a curved surface, which disperses the impact more evenly.
A maul can also be found in a range of heavier weights and with longer handles than a mallet. The term mallet is used interchangeably with maul and their differences can become blurred. Don’t get too caught up with this. A maul can be referred to as a mallet and vice versa.
