Roger Bisby checks out the new Prestige range of trowels.
Introducing a new trowel range into the UK is not for the faint hearted because we are already spoilt for choice, and the major brands are well dug in, but Toolbank has the distribution so Faithfull Tools are half way there with their new range of Prestige Trowels.
The Faithfull range is well known for budget tools, but this range is not your usual budget line. They have taken the wise decision to move in on the likes of Marshalltown and WHS with features and quality that professionals expect, but at a price which will tempt them to move away. The Philidelphia and London pattern trowels come with chrome vanadium steel, which is ground and tempered. There is a high lift handle for knuckle clearance on the Phili, but they also do an arched handle on the London pattern. As you would expect, the handles are through tang one-piece forgings with a reinforced rubber button on the end for tapping down. There is also a lacquer coating to help the mortar slide off a bit more easily, though I would question how long the lacquer can last out on site, particularly if you rub your trowels clean with a piece of brick as I do.
The pointing trowel has a straight edge for weather struck joints and a very sharp tip. They also have a gauging trowel, margin trowel and bucket trowel. With 25 trowels in the range – and more to come – it would be impossible to cover them all here, and we will revisit the range to look at the pre-worn stainless steel plastering trowels.
Probably my favourite trowel – and I don’t know why – is the tuck pointer, which is 13mm wide. I have used a 10mm tuck pointer for years and never thought to use one which is slightly wider than the joint, but it works a treat for weather struck pointing and, as I have a mile of that to do later in the year, it will get used. I love a bit of pointing – switch on the radio and drift away.
