Traded my old trowel for a pointed masonry one and my trench walls stopped collapsing

I used to think any trowel worked for cleaning out a test pit. Last summer on a site near Santa Fe, I kept losing chunks of my trench profile because my flat trowel kept smearing the dirt instead of cutting clean. A buddy let me try his WHS 4 inch pointed trowel and the difference was night and day. That sharp point lets me get into tight corners without disturbing the adjacent dirt. Anyone else swear by a specific tool for cleaning up unit walls?

2 comments

2 Comments

lewis.mila1d ago

Oh man, the pointed trowel is a total game changer for clean walls. I won't touch a flat one for test pits anymore.

jordan46421h ago

Did you try it on a really dry clay layer yet? In my experience the pointed trowel can be a bit grabby if the soil's baked hard, so I keep a flat one around just for that. Your mileage may vary but I had better luck with a rounded point for more control on those stubborn patches.