Natural Stone Tools of the Trade
Let’s talk about tools! Most people have a set of tools they use to make occasional repairs. Sometimes you might even have a few special tools you plan on using for arts and crafts – once you get the time. And if you’re like most people, you want to save money on those tools because you’ll only be using them occasionally. It just doesn’t make economic sense for you to invest in them too heavily.
Natural stone layers and other trades-people have a completely different attitude. Put yourself in their shoes. If you’re buying a tool that’s going to put food on the table – one that will be a constant companion throughout your working life – savings is the furthest thing from your mind. Instead, you’d be interested in performance and durability. If you’re going to use a tool every day as part of your profession you don’t even think about what you’ll save at the time of purchase.
If you’re planning on doing work with natural stone yourself, you should buy tools with the same attitude, even if you only plan on using them for a few jobs. Leaving aside the fact that some tools have uses beyond natural stone, working with it is the type of process where tool quality will add little to the total budget, comparatively speaking. Consider safety, too. Natural stone isn’t necessarily dangerous, but it’s a relatively hard, heavy substance. Poor tools can chip and shatter, leading to cuts, eye injuries and even fractures in cases where the breaking tool causes a piece of stone to fall on a digit.
(And speaking of safety, remember that you also need to get a good pair of safety boots, gloves and goggles. Without owning them and knowing when to use them, you’ll exponentially increase your chances of injury.)
Finally, you can always see the influence of good tools on a job’s workmanship. You can’t get the best results without solid, professionals tools. If you use cheap tools your levels will be off, your stone will show ugly gouges from tool slippage, and the result just won’t fit together well. A good stone layer uses top of the line tools and it shows in his work. The tools and tradesman become like old pals, thanks to a positive working relationship. An experienced stone layer’s hammers, chisels, levels and trowels look as aged and weathered, but as strong and confident as he does.
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