Woodbloke wrote:........if I did need to tap them, the handles are made from elm and there's not a lot out there which is tougher.....
It wasn't the wood I had doubts about, it was the shape. You've not left a lot to get a fist around whilst the mallet is employed.
This illustrates one of the beauties of tools. They evolve into more and more specialised versions, and get individually adjusted to suit owners and specific tasks. Trying to work out why they are the way they are is usually quite fun.