My trowel snapped in half on a dig site in Santa Fe last Tuesday

I was working on a unit near the old mission, carefully scraping back a layer, and the blade just gave out with a loud crack. It was a Marshalltown 4.5 inch pointing trowel I've had for almost a decade. I had to finish the day using my backup, which is a cheap hardware store one that's basically a butter knife. Anyone have a favorite brand that can actually handle some pressure?

2 comments

2 Comments

emma_smith1mo ago

Ouch, that's a real bummer. A decade is a good run though. Was the soil particularly hard or rocky in that unit, or did it just fail out of the blue? I've seen some guys put crazy lateral pressure on the tip when they're trying to pry something loose.

noah_rivera571mo ago

Yeah, mine went the same way last year. Honestly just got a cheap replacement from the hardware store and it's been fine. I mean, a decade is a long time for any tool.