Always hated corner trowels until I saw a guy use one on a retaining wall

Been laying brick for about 8 years and always thought corner trowels were a gimmick. I was working a job over on Elm Street last fall, doing a curved retaining wall for a garden bed. The guy next to me on the crew pulls out this little blue handled corner trowel and starts buttering the inside corners of his soldier course in like 3 seconds flat. I asked him about it and he showed me how it saves you from scraping your knuckles on the edge of the wall when you're doing tight radius work. Tried it myself on the next bend and it cut my time by maybe 20 percent on those sections. Anyone else had a tool they ignored for years that turned out to be a game changer?

3 comments

3 Comments

sethhernandez1mo ago

Man that's exactly how I felt about margin trowels! My old timer on a job showed me how he uses one for popping out old mortar in tight spots and I couldn't believe I'd been fighting with a hammer and chisel all those years. It's funny how the smallest tools end up being the most useful once you give them a real shot.

umar591mo ago

Oh man, that old timer sounds like he knew exactly what he was doing... @sethhernandez, did he show you any other tricks with that margin trowel that surprised you?

cameronn621mo ago

The part about fighting with a hammer and chisel really hit home with me. I had the exact same experience but with a different tool honestly. I used to struggle so bad trying to get old caulk out of window frames and door jambs. Tried everything scrapers, screwdrivers, my fingernails sometimes when I was desperate. Then a buddy of mine who does window installs handed me a cheap five-in-one painter's tool. I was like this little thing? But the curved end on it works perfect for digging into those corners without scratching up the wood. Now I can't go back to anything else. It's wild how one simple thing can change your whole approach to a job you've been doing for years.