Spike mauls are akin to
sledge hammers, typically weighing from with handles long. They have elongated double faced
hardened steel heads. The head is typically over long to allow the user to drive spikes on the opposite side of the
rail without breaking the handle. Some spike mauls have symmetrical heads, but most have a slightly longer thinner side and a shorter larger diameter side of equal weight. The long side allows a user to spike over abnormally tall rails, and to drive spikes down next to highway crossing planks. The shorter side provides more surface area which requires less accuracy for normal spiking. There are two typical patterns of spike mauls: • Bell: The more common, bell spike mauls are mostly cylindrical in shape. • Standard: Which feature a square
cross section, and a squared tapered end opposite the normal driving face. Handles are often
ash or
hickory, but lesser wood species in economy handles, and nonconductive
fiberglass (valuable in work on electrified track), are also found. Almost all modern spike mauls take a standard oval eye sledge hammer handle. ==Use==