A trowel is a small hand tool with a flat metal blade and a handle, primarily used for applying, smoothing, or moving materials like mortar, plaster, and soil
Primary Varieties
Trowels are categorized by their specific trades: [
1]
- Masonry Trowels: Used to spread and shape mortar. The Brick Trowel (triangular) is the standard for laying bricks, while the Philadelphia Pattern has a wider blade suited for picking up more mortar for larger stones or blocks.
- Plastering & Finishing Trowels: Large rectangular tools used to smooth and level the top layer of concrete or plaster. These are often made from stainless steel for rust resistance or blue steel for more flexibility.
- Pointing Trowels: Smaller, scaled-down versions of brick trowels (typically 4–7 inches) used for detailed work, such as filling joints in old brickwork or tight corners.
- Garden Trowels: Feature a scoop-shaped blade designed for digging small holes, transplanting seedlings, and weeding.
- Archaeology Trowels: Standard 4- or 5-inch pointing trowels used by archaeologists to carefully scrape layers of soil and expose artifacts without damaging them
