New Marshalltown

With my dig kit packed away in an obscure corner, I needed a new trowel. Add that to curiosity about the resurrected Marshalltown moniker and it was a win for getting one.

Seems like it's still a solid tool and made here in the states but the joint at the blade looks different from my old ones. I'll have to pull my dig kit anyway so I can compare the new and old as well as check the Marshalltown site but it looks like maybe? something other than drop forging and the Marhsalltown name is printed on instead of embossed. Beyond that its the same old reliable 45-5 London pointing trowel from field school and CRM digs past. Same new(dull) edge too, now where did I put my file?

Of Archaeology and Marshalltown trowels

I recently started applying for archaeology jobs again. Aside from just missing it, archaeology was my first real career path after blacksmithing and my favorite Marshalltown trowel that's been with me since my first field school was one of the random things I brought with me when I moved west. It's long since been put back in storage safe but not easily accessible. After writing a few cover letters for archaeology work I started to wonder if I could find another drop forged trowel as the last time I knew, Marshalltown had stopped making them. Low and behold they are back in production, looks like for at least a little while now and have added an "archaeology sheath" to the offerings. I wouldn't have thought we bought enough of them to warrant that kind of love but I'll welcome it. After, I don't know how many, hours digging very precise holes, Marshalltown trowels were the only ones that lasted. I was part of more than one foray into town searching out trowels in flea markets and old hardware stores that might still stock one or two.