Rant: I see so many guys not cleaning their trowels properly at the end of the day

I was on a site in Springfield last week, and I watched a crew just toss their tools in the truck bed, all caked with mortar. It drives me nuts. Leaving that stuff to hard overnight is murder on your edges and makes the tool harder to use the next morning. I've been using the same Marshalltown trowel for eight years because I take five minutes to scrape it clean with a putty knife and run it under a hose. My buddy never does, and he's buying a new one every season. It's not just about the money, it's about having a tool that feels right in your hand. Does anyone else have a specific routine for tool care, or am I just being too picky about it?

3 comments

3 Comments

ivanc452mo ago

Eight years with the same trowel is wild, I see guys burn through them in a single summer.

elizabeth2202mo ago

Used to think it was all about the gear, honestly.

the_hannah2mo ago

That kind of longevity with a tool says more about the person than the gear. My grandpa had this one hammer he used for decades, handle worn smooth from his grip. He’d just shrug and say you don’t blame the pencil for bad writing. Some people just have a lighter touch, or they care for things differently. Makes you wonder how much is the tool and how much is the habit.