That day my trowel handle snapped mid-wall

I was working on a chimney repair in a real tight backyard in Pittsburgh last August, humidity was killer and I was rushing to beat the rain. My old wood handle trowel just cracked clean off while I was buttering a brick, sent the head flying into a pile of mortar I just mixed. How do you all keep your tools from failing at the worst times?

2 comments

2 Comments

wendygrant26d ago

WAIT the head just flew off mid-air?" That's some nightmare fuel right there.

dylanh9726d ago

Used to be the type who'd just grab whatever trowel was cheapest at the hardware store and call it a day. Thought a handle was a handle, you know? But after hearing stories like yours and having a cheap plastic handle twist on me during a job, I started paying more attention to the ferrule and how the handle connects to the blade. Now I stick with riveted tangs on wood or vulcanized handles, and I check them for cracks before every use. Your mileage may vary, but that flying head scenario convinced me it's worth the extra couple bucks for something built better.