Vintage Caulking Mallet

This is a vintage shipwright’s or caulker’s wooden caulking mallet, measuring about 13.5 inches long. The mallet features a broad, squared wooden head with one face carved with a shallow groove—a classic design used to seat caulking irons or chisels securely without slipping during use. The mallet is constructed from durable hardwood, showing signs of genuine use with surface marks and wear consistent with age. Tools like this were essential aboard wooden ships for driving oakum or cotton into seams between planks to ensure watertightness. The mallet’s age and craftsmanship make it a desirable piece for collectors of maritime tools or nautical decor.

L 13.5" x W "4