11104ARCH Tyzack 4" Wooden Handle Archaeology Trowel

Perfect. A proper WHS trowel (it's stamped on the blade), strong, forged. I've just 'christened' it on a small Roman site, with very solid dry clay soil. The only thing that would be even better would be if they still did a 3 inch version. If you're after a trowel for archaeology, this will serve you nicely. Recommended.

My second purchase, wore the first down! Took a few years though. Good tool, sturdy but light.

A must have in every archaeologist's tool belt. The best trowel for the job for the price, without a doubt. I've strained mine to the point where the blade is bending (tough to do when you feel the strength of the blade) and everything's held up fine. The metal will rust, it's just superficial and absolutely nothing to worry about. Attacking it with a wire brush will leave it looking rust free again. All in all: 10/10

I was initially sent the wooden handled trowel despite ordering the soft grip, but the replacement arrived a day later. Good, strong trowel made with a much thicker blade than the Marshalltown and doesn't snap as easily in dense clays, although this also means it's not quite as nice as the Marshalltown for section faces. The soft grip handle is much better than the wood, as the plastic curves down the tang making it much more comfortable for gripping at the top of the handle as the wooden handled trowel can be uncomfortable on the finger where the metal sleeve at the top of the handle meets the tang.

Good tool

The WHS Archaeology trowel is superb. It is the most durable on the market: it has a thickened blade that won't bend in stiff clay or prizing up masonry; its made from a single drop-forged piece of steel so there are no welds to fail; it has a long, thick shank to protect the archaeologist's knuckles and allow a shifting grip; it has a notched collar to stop the tang spinning in the handle; and finally, a comfortable grip for hours of trowling action. Personally I prefer the wooden handle over the rubber because I can personalise it with engravings and make sure I do not get it mixed up with other peoples' trowel (which happens a lot on a site where everyone uses them). Cheaper builder's trowels have thin blades and dodgy welds which will snap in a few days, or if you are lucky, weeks. The WHS Archaeology will last years. The American rival, the Marshalltown, has a spectacularly thin blade and will break in hours. The Marshalltown is designed for precision, slow trowling in fine earth, which just doesn't happen in British archaeology. We need robust tools for rapid excavation in tough soils. There genuinely is no substitute for a WHS.

All from boulder clay to silty sand will cower and fall before the colossal might of this archaeological essential. You've never seen sections so straight.

Strong wooden handle easy to hold

Die Kelle kam direkt aus England und wurde schnell geliefert. Soviel zum *****-Amazon-Service. Die Kelle ist speziell für archäologische Anwendung konzipiert. Das bedeutet: Das relativ kleine Blatt ist deutlich stärker ausgeführt als bei herkömmlichen (Maurer-)Kellen, deren Blätter einsatzbedingt natürlich etwas flexibel sein müssen. Es lässt sich, da dick und nicht aus Edelstahl hergestellt, ganz hervorragend schärfen und wird sich auch nicht so schnell abarbeiten, wie das bei handelsüblichen Kellen geschieht. Die Schweißnaht sitzt mittig und ist sauber(st) ausgeführt, das ist eine wahre Pracht und wahrlich keine Selbstverständlichkeit mehr bei günstigeren Produkten. Ebenso ist der Bügel wesentlich dicker und stabiler als bei Kellen für das Maurergewerbe, da eine Archäologenkelle ja in der Regel auch deutlich stärker beansprucht wird. Zudem besitzt der Bügel eine längere vertikale Kröpfung als Maurerkellen, was die Gefahr reduziert, sich die Hand an Steinen zu verletzen. Etwas skeptisch war ich bei der Beschreibung "Kurzer Griff". Der stabile, lackierte Holzgriff ist aber sehr gut verarbeitet, besitzt eine vertrauenerweckende Zwinge und ist auch für große Hände ausreichend lang und dick. Kurz: die schwere Kelle liegt hervorragend in der Hand, ist ausbalanciert und wirkt ausgesprochen stabil. Das Metall der Kelle wurde nach dem Schweißen komplett überschliffen. Da gibt es keine scharfen Kanten oder Schweißlunker. Das Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis darf als angemessen bezeichnet werden, da die Kelle erstens deutlich länger halten sollte als eine Maurerkelle (stabileres, stärkeres Blatt, um auch mal einen Stein auszuhebeln) und zweitens auch gleich die für Ausgrabungsarbeiten vorteilhafte Form mitbringt, wobei da jeder natürlich seine persönlichen Präferenzen hat. Die Verarbeitung (Materialstärke, Schweißnaht, Griff) ist über jeden Zweifel erhaben und auch den teuren, gängigen Werkzeugen aus dem Baumarkt oder dem Fachhandel) überlegen. Ein wahrlich 'schönes' Werkzeug, dem man die Qualität ansieht und sie auch spürt. Fazit: Eine lohnende Investition in ein Werkzeug, mit dem man gerne arbeiten und das auch lang halten wird. Nachteil: Solches Werkzeug 'verschwindet' auch mal gerne :-). Von mir somit 5 Sterne.

Fiquei muito satisfeita com a qualidade geral da ferramenta. Nota-se logo que não é um produto básico, mas sim pensado para trabalhos de precisão e uso regular. A lâmina em aço carbono é resistente e bem afiada, permitindo remover camadas de terra com bastante controlo, mesmo em solos mais compactos. Para trabalhos arqueológicos ou de detalhe, esta precisão faz realmente a diferença, ajudando a trabalhar com cuidado sem danificar materiais. O formato do colherim é muito equilibrado e funcional. Permite escavar, raspar e limpar zonas específicas com facilidade. Senti que a ferramenta responde bem aos movimentos, sem ser demasiado rígida nem flexível. O cabo é confortável, adapta-se bem à mão e não escorrega, mesmo após algum tempo de utilização. Em sessões mais longas, isso ajuda bastante a reduzir o cansaço, algo que nem sempre acontece com ferramentas mais baratas. Outro aspeto positivo é a robustez. Após vários usos, o colherim mantém-se sólido, sem folgas entre o cabo e a lâmina, e continua a trabalhar de forma eficaz. Com uma limpeza simples após o uso, percebe-se que é uma ferramenta feita para durar. Pontos positivos: Boa qualidade de construção Excelente precisão para trabalhos arqueológicos e de detalhe Cabo confortável e bem equilibrado Sensação de ferramenta profissional A ter em conta: O aço carbono requer alguma manutenção para evitar ferrugem, mas isso é normal neste tipo de ferramenta. Conclusão: Uma ferramenta muito fiável e bem construída, adequada tanto para quem está a aprender como para quem já trabalha na área. Recomendo sem hesitação a quem procura um colherim de arqueologia durável e preciso.

The first one I received had a strange imperfection on the end of it, and Amazon sent me another which was better. I love the carbon steel blade on the trowel, it feels much more sturdy than an average craftsman's trowel. I accidentally left it next to something wet alongside my other basic trowel and the other rusted, but this one did not. Sharpens quite well and holds up well in most conditions. Handle also feels quite sturdy and I like the finish on it.

The trowel is very effective and efficient. I love it. I bought mine for an archaeological field school. It worked amazingly. It’s sturdy and I love that the handle and trowel are one piece of metal. This makes it a very sturdy tool. The only thing I would recommend is to sharpen the edges with power prior to going out to the field, using a field file will take you forever.

I bought this trowel because I watch Mudlarking on the Thames with Nicola White. I wanted to try Mudlarking in my area. HOWEVER, when trowel arrived I was surprised by the quality and workmanship of the trowel! It is a great general trowel which I immediately used on all my house plants to loosen soil and improve the health of the soil. ALSO, the Grandkids (8 & 12) liked it a lot and can't wait to go troweling about my yard and local streams and lakes. Worth the price.