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My old trowel finally gave out on me at the Pompeii dig site.
It was a Marshalltown I've had since my first field school in 2011. The handle snapped clean off while I was working a delicate ash layer yesterday. I had to borrow a spare from a grad student for the rest of the afternoon. Anyone have a good lead on a really tough replacement that can handle volcanic soil?
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matthew1226mo ago
Saw a thread on a field tech forum about WHS trowels holding up well in abrasive conditions. Might be worth a look.
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finley_bennett285mo ago
Hold on, have you actually used a WHS trowel on old mortar? I grabbed one a few years back thinking it was the answer, but it wore down fast on the really hard stuff. The steel they use just isn't as hard as some of the classic brands. For the really nasty, compacted plaster at Pompeii, I'd still stick with a Marshalltown. They last longer and hold an edge better, even if they cost a bit more upfront. You don't want to be stuck sharpening a trowel on site every day.
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anthony_burns6mo ago
Actually, volcanic ash is surprisingly soft on tools. Isn't the real killer at Pompeii all the old, hard-packed wall plaster and mortar?
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