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Serious question, is a rock hammer always the right tool for the job?
For years, I only used my Estwing rock hammer for every field sample, even on soft shale. Last fall in the Badlands, I watched a colleague use a simple masonry chisel and a small sledge to pop off perfect, thin layers. I tried it on a stubborn concretion and got a much cleaner break. Now I carry both, but I wonder if I was just stuck in my ways. What's your go-to tool for delicate sedimentary work?
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carr.jennifer6mo ago
Oh man, that chisel trick is a game changer. I spent a whole season in Wyoming trying to get clean slabs of sandstone with just a rock hammer, making a total mess. A visiting geologist finally handed me a brick bolster, basically a wide chisel, and it was like magic. My pack is heavier now, but my samples aren't just rubble anymore.
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christopher676mo ago
Totally get that. My first field season ended with a bag full of gravel. The professor took pity and showed me how to score a deep line around the sample with a regular chisel first. Then you give it a solid tap on the back, and it pops off along that line. Saves so much frustration.
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murray.betty6mo ago
My buddy had the same "total mess" problem until he found a wide chisel at a yard sale.
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