As a geologist who also happens to be a woodworker I have a great apreciation for good tools, thaks for finding such good tools for the geo community. Also, a piece of advice for the rest of the viewers, epoxy is soluble in alcohol before it sets, so you can clean epoxy leaks with rubbing alcohol
Thanks. I am really getting to like the tungsten faces too. They are significantly more expensive, but they last much longer if you dont do anything silly!
I did a double-take when I heard you say, "it's made by Throw and Holden in Vermont"!! What a small world!!! Trow & Holden Company is located about an hour north of me, in Barre, Vermont. According to their website, they've been hand-forging stoneworking tools since 1890. The city of Barre was hard-hit with flooding a couple of weeks ago, but their site says production is back in operation.
Yes, and they managed to ship those heads out to me just a few days after the floods. I have turned off autocorrect for everything. I make enough mistakes on my own without adding computer generated ones!
This is a great video! I still have my grandfathers 60 + year old Eastwing leather wrapped geo-hammer, with a very rounded head. :) My philosophy, if it breaks rocks it works! Never appreciated the importance of dressing the square face, or availability of tungsten metal inserts designed for the hammer face and chisel tip. I have replaced many tool heads using wedges, skipping the epoxy step, due to an early failure - obviously, I was in error and impatient; didn't wait long enough for the epoxy to cure! I never thought to buy a silicone mat for epoxy assembly or the use of plastic coated fiberglass handles designed for small hammers only 2 pound mini-sledges deigned for brick chisels - I have an expensive broken framing hammer head ready to practice, thanks for the valuable tips!
Another great video, informative and has given me some food for thought. Will be checking out Throw and Holden in regards to the masonry tools and possibly the geo picks! Thanks again.
I've always gone to one-piece-made forged metal hammers (Estwing, Ox Pro...), even though they're not made with tungsten inserts. One only forged piece is always better (unparalleled robustness / resistance / longevity.)
I did actually try to get Trow and Holden to make a prototype with a one piece head-handle and tungsten faces, but the retooling costs were just too high.
@@GeologyUpSkill That sounds quite interesting! 👍🏻 But yes, building a single unit (or a few) can be very expensive and not profitable. Unless you want to amortize the investment by manufacturing and selling many units, which is uncertain and a risk. Although on the other hand, building a tool for yourself according to your own desires can be a very rewarding adventure, no matter how expensive it may be. In any case, I continue to insist that tools made from a single forged piece (head-handle) are much more resistant and durable. Cheers! 🍻
Thanks for posting. Give me the longhandled leather or vinyl bound Estwing. They require some care and upkeep but the handle, being part of a single forging, is much stronger. A long handle is also prefered for applying greater force and, as you say, the shrapnel. Using fiberglass short handled tools is asking for wounds, and sooner or later the head will fly off. The geometry of the tool is such that one also cannot apply the leverage that is possible with a long handle, for freeing up jammed rock. As for the tungsten, well, it's brittle and is it really necessary? They also cannot be so easily used to pop a bottlecap, as well as a number of other informal duties. The Canadian (I believe) tool that is essentially a smallish mattock with a hammer head and long hickory handle (arms length) are also very functional. When the only tool you possess is a hammer, everything looks like rock! All the best from Namibia.
I really got to like those tungsten faces. They stay sharp as you can see and that make a big difference to the amount of energy required to break rock. Not quite as versatile as steel, but if you use the right tool for every job, it will seem less like a job!
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Great stories to go with the tool! I ended up with an Estwing Geopick due to extreme temps I haven’t been able to visit the mines talings piles 👍
Estwings are great, and the market leader for good reason. They are almost indestructable, but they do wear out if you use them every day.
As a geologist who also happens to be a woodworker I have a great apreciation for good tools, thaks for finding such good tools for the geo community.
Also, a piece of advice for the rest of the viewers, epoxy is soluble in alcohol before it sets, so you can clean epoxy leaks with rubbing alcohol
Agreed. The pleasure in using good tools far outweighs the pain of their price.
I'm impressed with the tungsten. Nice job with the epoxy too.
Thanks. I am really getting to like the tungsten faces too. They are significantly more expensive, but they last much longer if you dont do anything silly!
I did a double-take when I heard you say, "it's made by Throw and Holden in Vermont"!! What a small world!!! Trow & Holden Company is located about an hour north of me, in Barre, Vermont.
According to their website, they've been hand-forging stoneworking tools since 1890. The city of Barre was hard-hit with flooding a couple of weeks ago, but their site says production is back in operation.
Autocorrect keeps charging T R O W to Throw. LOL
Yes, and they managed to ship those heads out to me just a few days after the floods. I have turned off autocorrect for everything. I make enough mistakes on my own without adding computer generated ones!
This is a great video! I still have my grandfathers 60 + year old Eastwing leather wrapped geo-hammer, with a very rounded head. :) My philosophy, if it breaks rocks it works! Never appreciated the importance of dressing the square face, or availability of tungsten metal inserts designed for the hammer face and chisel tip. I have replaced many tool heads using wedges, skipping the epoxy step, due to an early failure - obviously, I was in error and impatient; didn't wait long enough for the epoxy to cure! I never thought to buy a silicone mat for epoxy assembly or the use of plastic coated fiberglass handles designed for small hammers only 2 pound mini-sledges deigned for brick chisels - I have an expensive broken framing hammer head ready to practice, thanks for the valuable tips!
To be fair, I've been through a lot of hammers, and I did most of the things like you and learned along the way.
Another great video, informative and has given me some food for thought. Will be checking out Throw and Holden in regards to the masonry tools and possibly the geo picks! Thanks again.
Thanks. I using the long handle version in the field now. It really gets the job done :)
I've always gone to one-piece-made forged metal hammers (Estwing, Ox Pro...), even though they're not made with tungsten inserts.
One only forged piece is always better (unparalleled robustness / resistance / longevity.)
I did actually try to get Trow and Holden to make a prototype with a one piece head-handle and tungsten faces, but the retooling costs were just too high.
@@GeologyUpSkill
That sounds quite interesting! 👍🏻
But yes, building a single unit (or a few) can be very expensive and not profitable. Unless you want to amortize the investment by manufacturing and selling many units, which is uncertain and a risk.
Although on the other hand, building a tool for yourself according to your own desires can be a very rewarding adventure, no matter how expensive it may be.
In any case, I continue to insist that tools made from a single forged piece (head-handle) are much more resistant and durable.
Cheers! 🍻
Thanks for posting.
Give me the longhandled leather or vinyl bound Estwing. They require some care and upkeep but the handle, being part of a single forging, is much stronger.
A long handle is also prefered for applying greater force and, as you say, the shrapnel.
Using fiberglass short handled tools is asking for wounds, and sooner or later the head will fly off. The geometry of the tool is such that one also cannot apply the leverage that is possible with a long handle, for freeing up jammed rock.
As for the tungsten, well, it's brittle and is it really necessary?
They also cannot be so easily used to pop a bottlecap, as well as a number of other informal duties.
The Canadian (I believe) tool that is essentially a smallish mattock with a hammer head and long hickory handle (arms length) are also very functional.
When the only tool you possess is a hammer, everything looks like rock!
All the best from Namibia.
I really got to like those tungsten faces. They stay sharp as you can see and that make a big difference to the amount of energy required to break rock. Not quite as versatile as steel, but if you use the right tool for every job, it will seem less like a job!
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