My trowel snapped on a dig site and I had to improvise

It happened yesterday at the Carter's Ridge site, right when I was carefully working on a clay layer. The steel blade just sheared off clean at the handle. I was stuck for a solid hour because the supply truck wasn't due until the next morning. Ended up using a stiff plastic putty knife from my tool bag to keep going, which actually worked okay for the softer sediment. Has anyone else had a critical tool fail in the field and what did you use to finish the day?

2 comments

2 Comments

taylorcarr23d ago

A putty knife? That's some real caveman tech.

wade55823d ago

My grandpa was a painter for 40 years and his putty knife collection was serious. He had a thin one for windows and a wide one for drywall. It's not just for globbing stuff on, the right angle gets a perfect smooth patch. Calling it caveman tech misses how much skill goes into using the right tool.