That expensive brick trowel I almost returned turned out to be worth every penny

I bought a $120 Marshalltown trowel six months ago and thought I made a huge mistake the first week. The handle felt too slick and the blade was way too stiff compared to my old $30 one. But after about 15 hours of use the handle broke in and molded to my grip perfectly. Now I cant go back to cheap trowels because the balance and wrist fatigue difference is huge. Anybody else had a tool that took a while to click for you?

2 comments

2 Comments

schmidt.amy1mo ago

Honestly that's exactly what happened with my framing hammer. Took a solid month of swinging before the handle felt like it was part of my hand.

lilyo301mo ago

My buddy Dave bought a vintage Estwing from a garage sale for like 15 bucks. Told me the first week his whole arm ached from the weight balance being off. By week three he was driving 16d nails with one swing no problem. @schmidt.amy I think that worn-in feel is real when the wood grain just molds to your grip. He still talks about that hammer like it's an old friend