Appreciation post: the old Italian trowel that finally made sense to me

I inherited a beat-up Marshalltown trowel from my uncle about 8 years ago and never used it because the handle felt weird. Last month I watched a YouTube video from a restorer in Philadelphia who explained how the offset handle reduces wrist strain on long runs. I tried it on a fireplace job with 2,000 bricks and my hand felt way better by the end of the day. Now I'm wondering if the new ergonomic handles are worth the extra $30, or if the old geometry is just as good. Has anyone else switched back to older tools after years of using new ones?

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the_lisa2mo ago

2,000 bricks and my hand felt way better" is a pretty strong claim for a handle change. I mean, sure, old tools can feel right, but I've been using the same cheap trowel for fifteen years and my wrist complains no matter what. The offset thing sounds like one of those YouTube rabbit holes where a guy with a nice camera makes simple stuff sound complicated. If it works for you, great, but I'd bet the new ergonomic handles are mostly marketing. Save the $30 and buy a good pair of gloves instead.

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