I chose a rock hammer over a chisel for my first fossil hunt in Utah

Everyone in my group said a chisel was better for splitting shale, but I went with a 22 oz Estwing hammer instead. It let me break through a tough limestone layer that was covering the fossil bed. I found three small trilobites after about two hours of work. Has anyone else picked the 'wrong' tool and had it work out better?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor.paige10d agoTop Commenter

My first fossil was a fern I smashed with a brick because I forgot my tools at home.

kimg5726d ago

That's a great point from ryanpatel about the masonry hammer. Sometimes you just need a good solid whack, right? I've been in spots where the "right" tool felt too light or flimsy. A heavier hammer gives you that extra force to pop a stubborn rock open. It's all about what gets the job done in front of you, not just what the guidebook says.

ryanpatel26d ago

I saw a geology blog post last year where a guy swore by using a simple masonry hammer for most of his field work. He said the weight and balance just worked for him, even on sedimentary rock. Sometimes the standard advice doesn't fit the actual rock you run into. Your story about getting through that limestone layer totally proves that point. Glad it worked out and you found some trilobites, that's a solid haul.