Because a mallet is a nice woodworking project, can be done at any level of sophistication, from whittling a handle to a piece of firewood to "impossible" dovetail joinery and embedded lead weights. Making your own tools gives great satisfaction, both when you make it, and later when you use it. Plus, if the first one does not feel perfect, you know you can always make a better one.

>Because a mallet is a nice woodworking project, can be done at any level of sophistication

Makes sense, thanks.

>Making your own tools gives great satisfaction, both when you make it, and later when you use it.

Ha ha, true, and in the software field too. Like many others, I sometimes make small utilities for use in my own dev work.