A Black Mesquite Caulking Mallet was considered the ultimate tool for that purpose in wooden boat building. I have ( 2 ) and they are hands down better than a Live Oak Mallet.

The density of the wood adds to the bounce or rebound of the mallet. Company that made them was C. Drew and Sons.

Long gone but there are fellows that occasionally make them to order. See the other big factor is the rings that fit onto the head. The better rings are/were made from tool steel hardened and tempered.

In the yard when caulking, pronounced 'corking', was going on you could tell a good mallet by the sound. Sorta a high pitched ring that echoed up the street. Head ring was set back from very end of mallet by about and 1/8 of an inch so that steel never met steel in use. 

As wear reduced this wood the front ring would be set back either by use of a special tool and hammer or a set up for using an arbor press or bearing press was used.

Most 'corkers' were somewhat deaf by the time they were 40 or so.

No earmuffs in those days.