Hand Carving: Is a Mallet essential for scale work?

[WeekendMiniaturist]

On the subject of hand Carving, recently I found a Woodworking Magazine with a DIY carving mallets of two types to turn on your lathe and was wondering if anyone in the forum has had a need to use a mallet when carving in miniature.  If so, what size would someone prefer?   

It is springtime and my thoughts return to the subject of tool making for use in making miniatures through late spring -fall.