Mallet head metal

I was slightly disturbed by the number of mallets that I found to have projecting bits of metal at the Cambridge Tournament last weekend.

*2.3 – Mallet.
2.3.1 – The head of the mallet will resemble a croquet mallet.
2.3.1.1 – The mallet head can be a maximum of 180mm in length and 65mm in diameter.
2.3.2 – The end of the mallet handle must be capped / plugged.
2.3.3 – Mallets must not have any dangerous edges (or protrusions) on any face of the mallet head (for example: sharp edges, bolts, the shaft protruding out the underside).

*If it's not flush with the surface of the mallet head, it's projecting & not legal!

This is illegal.

Yes, fake retro photographs should be illegal. hipsters.

Maybe add some photos/illustrations of what is legal/illegal so that it's clear on what the rules mean. What people class as dangerous protrusions can be very subjective.

Bill is a dangerous protrusion.

His wrinkled finger?

Maybe add some photos/illustrations of what is legal/illegal so that it's clear on what the rules mean. What people class as dangerous protrusions can be very subjective.

ANY metal protrusion with an edge is dangerous, and not legal.

This is illegal.

That seems a bit harsh?!

Has anyone actually been injured by such a protrusion?

In a game were a almost all the mallets are made by the user, you can't expect everyone's mallet to be perfect. And I think some leahway should be given particularly to relatively new players (I say this without knowing who the above's mallet is).

I think beginners should have the safest mallets possible... Especially if they've just started playing and they're not fully in control of them yet...

I agree, I felt it was a tad harsh. However, the rules iz the rules. Change the rules or live by them.

That seems a bit harsh?!

Has anyone actually been injured by such a protrusion?

So we have to wait until someone is actually hurt before we say it's dangerous?

That's how it's always been.

In a game were a almost all the mallets are made by the user, you can't expect everyone's mallet to be perfect.

I don't care whether the mallet is perfect from the point of balance, looks and geometry. All I care about potential dangers to players.

Everyone should be able to make a mallet using the nut & bolt method by now. The pics showing how to do it have been posted all over the place, and it's so simple that even I can do it.

I can't see what the problem with that is?
Its so close to the shaft that could you actually can't anything on it?

I don't have any protrusions, but I don't reckon a smooth bit of bolt or cut down and filed nut would do any real damage, especially if it's not dead centre on the pipe, like where the cut outs are on the 3pmh, I think the word in the rules is dangerous, so it doesn't need to be flush (although that's probably better) as long as it ain't sharp and that. There are much more dangerous bits of bike to worry about. Not everyone away from the capitol are going to able to make perfect mallets, especially if your newer and using 2nd/3rd hand jobs (hehe), it's not always easy/affordable to source the parts.

I was hoping this thread was something to do with awesome music.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lstrrkS3eQ"]C.O.G
. - 'Mallet of Metal' live at One Eyed Jacks 7-25-09 - YouTube[/ame]

http://youtu.be/7lstrrkS3eQ

???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYgBqYYLbdM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0_66wE3ehg

Everyone should be able to make a mallet using the nut & bolt method by now. The pics showing how to do it have been posted all over the place, and it's so simple that even I can do it.

It's still quite hard to find out how to do it. Took me quite a while searching to fully understand what people were on about and I found no photos.

edited... cos first attempt wasn't 1. particularly friendly or 2. remotely helpful for anyone who might want to make a mallet safely.

That's the design I started with, then I improved it and made it safer. It's not difficult to work out how to attach a pole to a bit of pipe.

"make polo mallet" come up with illegal mallets, you can see why people might have them

Every mallet I've had for the last two years has looked like that. This will be the last one.

if you put it higher and slightly countersink it I don't see a problem, it's fine where it is really, but would get in the way of the ball