Surprised to learn a trowel's weight actually matters that much

I was reading through an old bricklaying handbook from the 70s I found at a garage sale in Detroit, and it said a heavy trowel can cause fatigue in your wrist after just 2 hours of solid work. Has anyone else noticed a big difference switching between a 12 oz and a 16 oz trowel?

4 comments

4 Comments

keith_bennett1mo ago

You used to think a trowel is just a trowel? Same here, man. I grabbed a heavy 16 oz one from a flea market cause it felt solid, but after a day of laying block I couldn't grip my coffee mug. Switched to a 12 oz and my wrist stopped barking at me after like a week. That old handbook is dead on.

the_leo1mo ago

Whoa, wait - 16 oz for block? That's insane!

calebc401mo ago

Ngl I gotta push back on that. I've been using a 16 oz trowel for block for years and my wrist is fine. The weight helps me get through the mortar faster and I don't have to push as hard. Maybe the real issue is grip or technique rather than the weight itself. A lot of guys I know swear by heavier trowels for the control you get on bigger blocks. Guess it's just different strokes for different folks.

drew_hart41mo ago

Dang @the_leo, never thought a flea market weight could wreck your wrist that bad.