I went with a rock hammer over a chisel for my last field trip and people thought I was nuts

I had to pick one tool for a weekend mapping project in the Mojave, and everyone in my group said a masonry chisel was better for splitting samples. I brought my Estwing rock hammer instead because I find the pick end way more useful for prying and starting fractures. It worked out great when we found a vein of quartz that needed careful work to get a clean piece. Has anyone else stuck with a hammer when everyone told you to use something else?

2 comments

2 Comments

jakeh7522d ago

That part about the pick end being better for prying is so true. I got the same weird looks on a trip up north. Everyone had chisels for shale, but my hammer's pick was perfect for lifting up those thin sheets without shattering them. A chisel just wants to go straight down. Sometimes you need that sideways force to pop something loose cleanly. They stopped laughing when I had the best samples.

wesleyburns22d ago

My buddy had the same thing happen with slate last fall.