Spear & Jackson 11104ARCH-08 Archaeology Trowel with Wood Handle, Multi-Coloured

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.

Had the opportunity to try one of these a friend had. I was very impressed how sturdy it was. When I received mine it was exactly the same.

Super high quality. After 40 years of use, I finally broke off the tip of my trowel which I used for archaeology and, later in life, gardening. The new trowel feels right in my hand and is obviously high quality.

Having used standard WHS pointing trowels size 4 or 5 inches for archaeology for long periods and found them excellent - they never break, just wear down - this one even tops them, with a slightly longer shaft to save your knuckles and a thicker tang. Having a worn trowel is a badge of honour, but I guess you will have to put in more hours before you reach the same stage with this one! I have always found numerous other uses for a trowel, so if you are starting in archaeology, buy the best because it will give years of use, whether for digging or anything else.

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.

Like others have said, this does not come with a wooden handle - it has a blue and red plastic handle. This is good for me as no one else on site has a similar looking one, so I don't worry about losing it. It's sturdy and has worked well for me so far. I would recommend this to someone looking for a trowel, but I think the seller needs to change the product description and picture to be accurate to the product actually being sold.

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 named my trusty trowel Steve, and together we have been on one dig so far in the course of my university degree, but we hope to go on many more. He has been loyal and trusty, he has not been bent or damaged in the course of his use. I purchased him back in my first year and it is now my third, but he's still around waiting for the next dig. I 100% recommend these trowels, they will serve you well, especially when you're clearing pit walls (mumble, grumble).