15th October 2005, 02:28 PM
My old WHS (work hard and starve) trowel was a superb bit of engineering. Could demolish the tracks off a soddin Russian tank wivvit.
Am currently on my second (WHS/Spear and Jackson) of the new variety in less than six months. The blade has worn to half it`s size and, in common with at least two other colleagues have found that they break across the blade. Whats goin on? Whilst the new, thicker "knuckle protector" idea is a good un`, I`m still bleeding to death.Has the takeover company seen a good earner here? Use old Datsun steel and ensure high turnover of what was once an excellent tool?
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15th October 2005, 08:42 PM
Just got a new one too, and I'm not encouraged by it's thinner blade either. Not sure it's going to survive on our sticky old clayey gravels we have in our parts, plus the pinging noise is getting on my nerve's
Poor show Spear and Jackson. I'm tempted (May God strike me down) to swotch to a Marshalltown after all these years
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16th October 2005, 03:33 PM
I can't help feeling sad that no longer can you take a new digger down to the local hardware store and confidently slap a WHS into their temporarily ungrubby mit safe in the knowledge that trowel will be their constant companion for the next few years. I remember an excavation where I brought all the new guys into the site hut to ceremonially araldite their trowels
What is the world coming to? Are CAT still supplying WHS?
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16th October 2005, 08:33 PM
I've never put araldite on my trowel and the handle hasn't fallen off yet, I bought my WHS trowel about five years ago when I was a student and its about 2" long now but still going strong, I was thinking about buying a spare, now I don't know....
Lucy
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17th October 2005, 02:44 PM
I said they were crap 3 months ago but no one seemed to believe me. Clearly the new variety has now filtered through to the rest of the country. They keep breaking and can't actually be very good for pointing either. An old fish knife I once purloined from the canteen is made of stornger and harder metal than the new trowels.
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17th October 2005, 08:49 PM
The end of the world is most certainly apon us if a WHS trowl can no longer be relied on.
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17th October 2005, 11:31 PM
Completely agree! I wonder if we should`nt write to the company.....
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18th October 2005, 11:03 AM
http://www.shef.ac.uk/assem/2/2trowel2.html
ah the irony....
Have now talked direct to Spear and Jackson (or should I say... Neill Tools Ltd) I am to write to the Quality Manager. A nice bloke called Martin Aspinall
I will collate all these stories and try for a response
How sad though :face-confused:
Another day another WSI?
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19th October 2005, 09:19 AM
As archaeologists it is our duty to dwell on the past and bemoan the passing of WHS!
Cheers,
Eggbasket
Gentleman Adventurer and Antiquarian
Manners maketh the man
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19th October 2005, 10:57 AM
Have prepared a letter... (quite long actually) and will get back to you all with the reply.
I may try to get a deal on Marshalltown...
http://www.marshalltown.com/artrwbuy.html
but also will try for a trowel off.... good PR for the winner.
interseting news all round.:face-confused:
Another day another WSI?
