My old mallet was a cheap black-haired thing I bought at a big discount store over ten years ago. Needless to say it was soiled, often left marks and was generally worn. I took this because I really needed a hammer with no damage. It justified its cost and as always, Estwing products have never let you down. Not sure if this hammer will ever go bad, it doesn't seem shaped like my old one. While it's not important, I have to admit that now it's also nice to have an unnecessary hammer I don't have to worry about.