[Woodcarver] To lathe or not to lathe.... that is the question

[Brigdon, Floyd]

     Hey folks,

     I have talked a little here recently about the fact that I have been teaching myself to carve using mostly Flexcut tools. Well, here in the next week or so, I am going to be able to upgrade to some full sized tools (yay!) and so I find myself in the position of needing a good carving mallet soon.
      I was shopping around online, looking at different mallets, when I received a book that I had ordered in the mail (Bill Judt's Relief Carving: patterns, tips and techniques) which gave some basic instructions for making your own mallet. Now I don't have any experience with a lathe but I have a friend who owns one and the basic tools needed to operate it and so my question to this august assemblage is this: is it better/more practical to buy a mallet or to make one myself? And if I make one, are there any sage words of advice that you might be able to share with me?
      Thanks in advance for your help.

      Floyd Brigdon
      http://mycarvingclub.com/FloydB 
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