What is a mallet used for?

Carpenters often use mallets to secure pieces of wood together by bluntly striking the pieces until they fit into holes and other openings. People often use wooden mallets to create and shape other kinds of tools.

Although different types of mallets exist, many choose to use wooden mallets due to the fact that they do not cause as much damage to the surface of the item being struck as much as mallets of other materials, such as metal, might. In addition to being a tool, a mallet is used to strike balls in croquet and to strike percussive keyboards, such as xylophones, to make music.