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A trowel is a small
hand tool A hand tool is any tool that is powered by hand rather than a motor. Categories of hand tools include wrenches, pliers, cutters, files, striking tools, struck or hammered tools, screwdrivers, vises, clamps, snips, hacksaws, drills, an ...
used for digging, applying, smoothing, or moving small amounts of viscous or particulate material. Common varieties include the
masonry trowel The Masonry trowel is a hand trowel used in brickwork or stonework for levelling, spreading and shaping mortar or concrete. They come in several shapes and sizes depending on the task. The following is a list of the more common masonry trowels: ...
, garden trowel, and float trowel. A
power trowel Power most often refers to: * Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work" ** Engine power, the power put out by an engine ** Electric power * Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events ** Abusive power Power may a ...
is a much larger gasoline or electrically powered walk-behind device with rotating paddles used to finish concrete floors.


Hand tool

Numerous forms of trowel are used in
masonry Masonry is the building of structures from individual units, which are often laid in and bound together by mortar; the term ''masonry'' can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are bricks, building ...
,
concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...
, and
drywall Drywall (also called plasterboard, dry lining, wallboard, sheet rock, gypsum board, buster board, custard board, and gypsum panel) is a panel made of calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum), with or without additives, typically extruded between thic ...
construction, as well as applying adhesives such as those used in tiling and laying synthetic flooring.
Masonry trowel The Masonry trowel is a hand trowel used in brickwork or stonework for levelling, spreading and shaping mortar or concrete. They come in several shapes and sizes depending on the task. The following is a list of the more common masonry trowels: ...
s are traditionally made of
forged Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of metal using localized compressive forces. The blows are delivered with a hammer (often a power hammer) or a die. Forging is often classified according to the temperature at which it ...
carbon steel Carbon steel is a steel with carbon content from about 0.05 up to 2.1 percent by weight. The definition of carbon steel from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) states: * no minimum content is specified or required for chromium, coba ...
, but some newer versions are made of cast
stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's r ...
, which has longer wear and is rust-free. These include: *Bricklayer's trowel has an elongated triangular-shaped flat metal blade, used by masons for leveling, spreading, and shaping
cement A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel (aggregate) together. Cement mixe ...
,
plaster Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for moulding and casting decorative elements. In English, "plaster" usually means a material used for the interiors of buildings, while "re ...
, and mortar. *Pointing trowel, a scaled-down version of a bricklayer's trowel, for small jobs and repair work. *Tuck pointing trowel is long and thin, designed for packing mortar between bricks. *Float trowel or finishing trowel is usually rectangular, used to smooth, level, or texture the top layer of hardening concrete. A flooring trowel has one rectangular end and one pointed end, made to fit corners. A grout float is used for applying and working
grout Grout is a dense fluid which hardens to fill gaps or used as reinforcement in existing structures. Grout is generally a mixture of water, cement and sand, and is employed in pressure grouting, embedding rebar in masonry walls, connecting sect ...
into gaps in floor and wall tile. *Gauging trowel has a rounded tip, used to mix measured proportions of the different ingredients for quick set
plaster Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for moulding and casting decorative elements. In English, "plaster" usually means a material used for the interiors of buildings, while "re ...
. *Pool trowel is a flat-bladed tool with rounded ends used to apply coatings to concrete, especially on
swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built ...
decks. *Margin trowel is a small rectangular bladed tool used to move, apply, and smooth small amounts of masonry or adhesive material. *Notched trowel is a rectangular shaped tool with regularly spaced notches along one or more sides used to apply adhesive when adhering tile, or laying synthetic floor surfaces. Other forms of trowel include: *
Garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...
trowel, (
Khurpa A khurpa is a short handled cutting tool similar to a Trowel with a flat blade used for digging soil and weeding in small gardens or vegetable farms. It is commonly use in small farms or in ridges or rows of vegetables to hoewing or earth up the ...
in
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
/
Khalistan The Khalistan movement is a Sikh separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state, called Khālistān (' Land of the Khalsa'), in the Punjab region. The proposed state would consist of land that cur ...
/
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
) a hand tool with a pointed, scoop-shaped metal
blade A blade is the portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with an edge that is designed to puncture, chop, slice or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they are to be used on. Histor ...
and wooden, metal, or plastic handle. It is comparable to a
spade A spade is a tool primarily for digging consisting of a long handle and blade, typically with the blade narrower and flatter than the common shovel. Early spades were made of riven wood or of animal bones (often shoulder blades). After the a ...
or
shovel A shovel is a tool used for digging, lifting, and moving bulk materials, such as soil, coal, gravel, snow, sand, or ore. Most shovels are hand tools consisting of a broad blade fixed to a medium-length handle. Shovel blades are usually made o ...
, but is generally much smaller, being designed for use with one hand. It is used for breaking up earth, digging small holes, especially for
planting Sowing is the process of planting seeds. An area or object that has had seeds planted in it will be described as a sowed or sown area. Plants which are usually sown Among the major field crops, oats, wheat, and rye are sown, grasses and leg ...
and
weeding Weed control is a type of pest control, which attempts to stop or reduce growth of weeds, especially noxious weeds, with the aim of reducing their competition with desired flora and fauna including domesticated plants and livestock, and in natu ...
, mixing in
fertilizer A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...
or other additives, and transferring plants to pots. *
Camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...
trowel, a hand tool used in the outdoors to securely stake and prop up a tent, channel a small stream of water, level a sleeping surface, dig a cathole for no traces of waste and do many more outdoor survival chores. Camping trowels can sometimes be made of lighter weight materials than gardening trowels to make them easier to carry in a backpack or they can be made of heavier materials for chopping kindling or shoveling soil without having to awkwardly reach or bend over. Camping trowels may incorporate a secondary side ruler to measure ground surface depth; however, the ruler might prematurely become defaced from course soil particulates. Camping trowels sometimes have a front tip and side features, such as a pointed tip and a serrated side edge to easily cut through tree roots or frozen soil. These serrated camping trowels may include a cover guard to protect the user from cut wounds as well as save backpacks from puncture holes and tears. They may also fold-up for added protection and easy storage. Few others allow for items such as toilet paper to be stored upon or inside the handle. Camping Trowels - Equipment Spotlight. 2. Amazing Outdoor Adventurers Article. Retrieved 2020-05-08. Best Camping Trowels Reviewed. *In
archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsc ...
brick or pointing trowels (usually 4" or 5" steel trowels) are used to scratch the strata in an
excavation Excavation may refer to: * Excavation (archaeology) * Excavation (medicine) * ''Excavation'' (The Haxan Cloak album), 2013 * ''Excavation'' (Ben Monder album), 2000 * ''Excavation'' (novel), a 2000 novel by James Rollins * '' Excavation: A Mem ...
and allow the colors of the soil to be clear, so that the different strata can be identified, processed and excavated. In the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, there are several preferred brands of pointing trowels, including the Marshalltown trowel; while in the
British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isl ...
the WHS 4" pointing trowel is the traditional tool.


See also

* * *
Taping knife A taping knife or joint knife is a drywall Drywall (also called plasterboard, dry lining, wallboard, sheet rock, gypsum board, buster board, custard board, and gypsum panel) is a panel made of calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum), with or with ...
, a drywall tool with a wide blade for spreading joint compound *
Putty knife A putty knife is a specialized tool used when glazing single glazed windows, to work putty around the edges of each pane of glass. An experienced glazer will apply the putty by hand, and then smooth it with the knife. Modern insulated glazing ma ...
, a generally smaller and variously shaped tool used in a variety of applications *
Palette knife A palette knife is a blunt tool used for mixing or applying paint, with a flexible steel blade. It is primarily used for applying paint to the canvas, mixing paint colors, adding texture to the painted surface, paste, etc., or for marbling, decora ...
, a smaller but similarly shaped tool used in oil painting *
Kunai A is a Japanese tool thought to be originally derived from the masonry trowel. The two widely recognized variations of the kunai are short kunai (小苦無 shō-''kunai'') and the big ''kunai'' (大苦無 ''dai-kunai''). Although a basic tool ...
* Hori hori


References

{{Garden tools Mechanical hand tools Gardening tools Plastering