I've always used a mallet and was afraid I'd miss out on a large hitting area, but found I wasn't. I quickly caught on to the size and feel "I'm used to the Vaughn hammer. In fact, I now have more control when alternating between tapping with the chisel and hammering up close. I also like the fact that I can use the same hammer to smash a joint. I usually give not five stars but I don't know how I would change it to improve it.