I know, I know… I’ve been terrible of late in posting things… both here and my other blog. The Holidays and working some OT last month threw me off the schedule a bit. Last November, I took a visit to my local woodworking supply store, Beaver Woodworking (EDIT: sadly Beaver closed about two years after this post), which had some of Major League Woodworking’s Grand Slam tools. I’ve been trying to organize the shop a bit, but took some time last weekend to do some “test chiseling”, and I must say it was much easier to control the chisel when using a proper mallet (I haven’t owned any mallets prior to this one).

The kit comes with the baseball bat shaped mallet, a marking gauge, and paring blocks. I posted a few pics below.

The tools come in a well packaged box, there is also a layer of the foam that was over the tools to protect them.

The baseball bat styled mallet.

The marking gauge.

The paring blocks.

I must say I am pleased with the quality of the maple wood used in making these tools. The marking gauge slides well, and locks down easily. It also has a more of a knife-like marker rather than a point like marker, which I think will make for a better mark that cuts the fibers more easily. If you’re not in the southeastern part of Massachusetts, you can order them directly from Major League Woodworking’s (EDIT: site no longer exists). You can also find a video review of these on Marc Spagnuolo’s (a.k.a. the Wood Whisperer) site, under the “Whisperer Minis” section.

Great quality and a very fair price in my opinion. These will be staple items in my shop.