The best Archaeology trowels, compared.
Top pick: Spear & Jackson 11104ARCH 4 inch archaeology trowel – Highest score, 84, at about £18.35, sold as a 4 inch archaeology trowel with a forged-blade claim and 4.7 from 662 ratings. Best value: Hilka 4 inch pointing trowel, soft grip – About £5.39 for a 4 inch pointer with 4.5 from 371 ratings, and no forge claim on the listing. Updated October 2026.
Humber and tells regular diggers to buy a 4 inch (102 mm). Leicestershire list a 4 inch pointing trowel for cleaning, and heavier tools when a lot of soil has to move. It is a 4 inch pointer with no forge claim on the listing. The [archaeology trowel buying guide](/hub/digging-tools/archaeology-trowel/sub/archaeology-trowel-buying-guide) sets length, forge, pattern and handle in that order. It is not a garden scoop and it is not a plasterer's trowel. An archaeology trowel, as UK field groups describe it, is a small pointing trowel for shaving soil and cleaning a surface.
Humber and tells regular diggers to buy a 4 inch (102 mm). Leicestershire list a 4 inch pointing trowel for cleaning, and heavier tools when a lot of soil has to move.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What is the job?
The Spear & Jackson 11104ARCH is a 4 inch wooden archaeology trowel at about £18.35, rated 4.7 from 662 amazon.co.uk ratings, and the bullets call the blade solid forged, hardened and tempered, with a high tang. UK reviewers describe it as thick and durable on clay, sections and a first dig, and several say it wears down over years rather than snapping. The high tang is what they credit for knuckle clearance, and reviewers who engrave initials prefer the wooden handle so the tool is not swapped on site. One reviewer bent the blade under heavy strain and says it held, another mentions minor blistering with heavy use, and rust is described as superficial and removable with a wire brush. A details line says the blade material is wood, which conflicts with the forged-steel bullets, and the listing does not name a London or Philadelphia pattern or a warranty. It weighs 160 g. Humber and Vale name a WHS Tyzack 4 inch for regular diggers; this ASIN is the wooden 11104ARCH, not the soft-feel part 11104SFARCH on the maker’s own page.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A UK community dig or field school that asks for a 4 inch WHS-style archaeology trowel with a wooden handle you can mark.
Less suitable: Pointing brickwork on a budget, or a buyer who needs the soft-feel part 11104SFARCH rather than this wooden ASIN.
Specifications
Common questions
What does the listing say the blade is?
The bullets say a solid forged blade, thicker and more rigid, hardened and tempered, with a high tang. A details line says blade material Wood, which conflicts with those bullets.
Which handle is it?
Wood. Model 11104ARCH. Spear & Jackson’s own page for the soft-feel version uses a different part number, 11104SFARCH, which is not this ASIN.
How heavy is it?
The listing says 160 g, and item dimensions 22.5 x 5 x 9.5 cm. Country of origin and warranty are not stated.
The Marshalltown 46 114S is listed as a London-pattern archaeology pointing trowel, 102 × 51 mm, at about £20.03, rated 4.7 from 255 amazon.co.uk ratings. The listing says the blade and tang are forged from one piece of high-carbon steel, thicker than a standard trowel, with a hardwood handle and a metal ferrule, and the stated weight is 109 g. UK reviews describe it as useful for scraping and digging, including harder dirt, and say it does not bend like cheaper trowels. One UK reviewer finds it thinner than other trowels and advises against gravel or stone, and another says the blade arrived printed with the maker’s name and did not match a plain blade in the photo. A bullet says made in the USA with global materials, while the country-of-origin line says China, so origin is not settled. Warranty is not stated. Handle failures in Australian, US and Italian reviews are not UK opinion. It is the Marshalltown archaeology model in this set, at a similar price to the Spear & Jackson and with fewer ratings.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A digger who wants a stated 102 × 51 mm London archaeology trowel with a wooden handle, and who can live with the unresolved origin line.
Less suitable: Gravel or stony ground if you share the thinner-blade review, or a buyer who needs a confirmed country of manufacture.
Specifications
Common questions
What size is the blade?
The listing says 102 x 51 mm, which is 4 x 2 inches, London pattern, model 46 114S.
Where does the listing say it is made?
A bullet says made in the USA with global materials. The country-of-origin line says China. Both appear on the listing, so origin is not settled.
Is the handle wood?
Yes. The listing says a hardwood handle with a metal ferrule. Weight is 109 g. Warranty is not stated.
The Faithfull FAISGTPT6 is a 150 mm London-pattern pointing trowel at about £3.90, rated 4.6 from 1,714 amazon.co.uk ratings, and the listing sells it for forming and repairing mortar. UK reviews mostly describe small mortar jobs, patio grout and weeding, not cleaning an archaeological surface. Several reviewers treat it as a detail tool rather than a bricklaying trowel, and surface rust if the blade is left wet comes up often, though they say it brushes off. The listing states a five-year warranty and a soft grip, while a materials field prints alloy steel for the handle, which does not match that grip. At 174 g and 150 mm it is longer than the 4 inch (102 mm) size UK dig kits name, and one review used it around gas mains, which is a use report rather than a reason to buy it for a dig. Country of origin is given as China, and the listing does not claim a one-piece forging.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Small mortar joints, patio grout and other pointing jobs where a cheap 6 inch London pointer is enough.
Less suitable: A community dig or a field school that asks for a 4 inch archaeology trowel, or anyone who needs a stated one-piece forging.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this an archaeology trowel?
The listing sells it for forming, repairing and replacing mortar. It does not describe archaeology. The blade is 150 mm (6 inch), longer than the 4 inch size UK dig kits name.
What is the blade pattern?
The listing calls it a London-pattern blade with a tapered tip, 150 mm long, with a soft-grip handle.
Does the listing state a warranty?
Yes. The listing includes a 5 year manufacturer warranty line. Country of origin is given as China.
The Marshalltown 46 114D is a London-pattern pointing trowel, 102 × 51 mm, at about £21.98, rated 4.6 from 142 amazon.co.uk ratings, sold for filling cavities and repairing mortar joints. The listing says one-piece forged high-carbon steel and a DuraSoft handle with a finger guard, and one bullet also names field archaeologists. UK archaeology buyers describe daily use, a light blade that peels dense clay, and a flexible feel that one of them prefers for pointing rather than general digging. A UK reviewer who compared it with a WHS called the blade thinner and springy, one says it snapped after a week, and another says it rusts if it is not washed and dried. The maker’s archaeology DuraSoft part is 46 114SD, which is not this ASIN. Country of origin says USA, and the printed item size of 25 × 25 × 25 mm is not a credible trowel measurement. At 90.7 g it is the lightest forged 4 inch London pointer here, and it costs more than the two archaeology-labelled listings.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Mortar joints and tight recesses, or a light blade for peeling clay, if you want a soft handle rather than wood.
Less suitable: A kit list that names a stiff WHS-style archaeology trowel, or a dig where a springy blade is the complaint you are trying to avoid.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this the archaeology model?
The title sells a masonry pointing trowel, model 46 114D. A bullet says masons and field archaeologists use it. The maker’s archaeology DuraSoft part on its own site is 46 114SD, which is not this ASIN.
What do UK reviews say about the blade?
UK reviewers describe a light blade that peels clay, and also a thin or springy blade. One says it snapped after a week. One says it rusts if it is not dried.
Where is it made, according to the listing?
Country of origin says USA, and a bullet says made in the USA with global materials. The printed item dimensions of 25 x 25 x 25 mm are not a credible trowel size.
The listing at about £19.52 is titled as a Marshalltown 114 × 57 mm Philadelphia pointing trowel with a DuraSoft handle, rated 4.5 from 423 amazon.co.uk ratings. The product-details block prints a different ASIN, B003A83DJO, and the highlight and handle-material field say wood, so the handle you receive is not settled. UK reviews praise long service on building work, including one citing 15 years and another 40 years on a previous pointer, but they also report a loose handle that needed glue, missing trademark engraving, and a wooden handle when DuraSoft was ordered. The bullets describe a one-piece forged high-carbon Philadelphia blade for mortar joints, about 4.5 inches, which is not the 102 × 51 mm London archaeology pattern. The printed weight of 45.4 g is far below the other steel pointers here and is not confirmed. A US reviewer bought it as an archaeology trowel and says a masonry trowel arrived; that is not UK opinion. Treat the identity as unresolved before you rely on it for a dig.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Mortar pointing only if you can confirm, on the live page, which ASIN and which handle you are actually buying.
Less suitable: A dig kit that specifies a 4 inch London or WHS archaeology trowel, or any order where the handle type has to match the title.
Specifications
Common questions
Which ASIN is this?
The amazon.co.uk link is B00AAFDID6. The product-details block prints B003A83DJO. Treat the listing identity as unresolved.
Wood handle or DuraSoft?
The title says DuraSoft. The highlight and the handle-material field say wood. One UK review says a wooden handle arrived when DuraSoft was expected.
What pattern is the blade?
The bullets say a Philadelphia pattern, forged in one piece, about 114 x 57 mm. That is not the London-pattern 102 x 51 mm archaeology model.
The Hilka 66306004 is a 4 inch pointing trowel at about £5.39, rated 4.5 from 371 amazon.co.uk ratings, with a padded grip and carbon steel in the details. Most UK reviews use it for pointing, small mortar repairs, plaster and weeding, and they praise the price and the small blade in tight joints. Two UK reviews mention archaeology: one calls it a cheaper stand-in for a Marshalltown, and one says it has been used on digs. The listing itself does not claim a forge, a high tang or archaeology use, and one review mentions welds, which is a comment rather than a specification. Several buyers say it looks smaller than the picture, one received it damaged, and one found the handle short of grip. At 150 g it is light, and origin and warranty are not stated. It is the low-priced 4 inch pointer in this set, with the limit that a dig kit asking for a forged WHS-style blade is asking for a different tool.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A first 4 inch pointer for mortar joints, or a spare blade, when you accept that it is not sold as a forged archaeology trowel.
Less suitable: A regular digger who wants the stiff forged 4 inch blade that UK field groups name, or a job that needs a stated warranty.
Specifications
Common questions
How long is the blade?
The title says 4 inch. The listing does not give a millimetre width or a London or Philadelphia pattern name.
Is the blade forged in one piece?
The listing does not say. One UK review mentions welds. That is a review, not a specification.
Who makes it?
Hilka Tools (UK) Ltd, model 66306004. Country of origin and warranty are not stated. Weight is given as 150 g.
Six amazon.co.uk listings were scored from 0 to 100. Nothing here is a laboratory test. Stars, review counts and prices come from those listings. Each score is stars, review volume, and fit to a 4 inch forged archaeology trowel. The 4.5 inch listing loses fit points because the URL ASIN and the details-block ASIN disagree. The three weights below sum to 100.
Amazon stars
30%30 points. The star rating on the amazon.co.uk listing. The Spear & Jackson and the Marshalltown 46 114S are both 4.7. The Hilka and the 4.5 inch Marshalltown are 4.5.
Review volume
15%15 points. The review count on the same listing. The Faithfull has 1,714 ratings and the Spear & Jackson 662. The Marshalltown 46 114D has 142.
Fit to a 4 inch archaeology trowel
55%55 points. A listing sold as a 4 inch archaeology trowel, with a forged-blade claim, scores higher. A 6 inch pointer, a budget pointer with no forge claim, and a 4.5 inch file whose ASINs disagree score lower.
Choose the job first, then a blade around 4 inches, then a forged tang, then a handle you will hold all day. A 6 inch brick pointer and a 4.5 inch Philadelphia pointer are not the same tool as a 4 inch archaeology trowel.
An archaeology trowel, as UK field groups describe it, is a small pointing trowel for shaving soil and cleaning a surface. It is not a garden scoop and it is not a plasterer's trowel. Humber and Vale tells regular diggers to buy a WHS Tyzack 4 inch (102 mm). Leicestershire Fieldworkers list a 4 inch pointing trowel for cleaning, and heavier tools when a lot of soil has to move.
UK field groups name a 4 inch pointing trowel for cleaning a surface. The Faithfull listing is 150 mm, and its reviews are mostly mortar, grout and gardening. A plasterer's trowel is a different tool.
The Marshalltown 46 114D reviews include a blade that snapped after a week, and a UK reviewer called it thinner and springy next to a WHS. On the 4.5 inch listing the URL ASIN and the details-block ASIN do not match, and the title and the handle field disagree.
Owning a trowel is not permission. Scheduled monument consent is required before works that would damage a scheduled monument. Report treasure within 14 days. In Northern Ireland a licence is required to excavate for archaeological objects.
Blade length comes first. The archaeology-labelled listings and the community kit lists use about 4 inches (102 mm). A 4.5 inch Philadelphia pointer is a different pattern. A 6 inch pointer is what the Faithfull listing is, at about £3.90, and its reviews are mostly mortar and gardening. The Spear & Jackson 11104ARCH is sold as 4 inch. The Marshalltown 46 114S states 102 × 51 mm. The Hilka title says 4 inch and does not give a millimetre width. Forged blade and tang come next.
London pattern, or the British WHS/Tyzack shape with a high tang, is what the UK archaeology listings describe. Philadelphia is the other Marshalltown pointing shape, and the 4.5 inch file is that shape, not the 102 × 51 mm London archaeology model. The Spear & Jackson listing does not name a London or Philadelphia pattern. The Hilka is described as pointed, without a pattern name. Wood on the 11104ARCH and the 46 114S can be marked so the tool is not swapped on site.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You need a 4 inch pointing trowel and you should follow the site's own kit list. The top pick is the Spear & Jackson 11104ARCH at about £18.35, score 84, with 4.7 from 662 ratings. The bullets say solid forged, hardened and tempered, with a high tang, and the wooden handle can be marked so it is not swapped on site.
You are filling joints, not cleaning an archaeological surface. The best value is the Hilka 4 inch pointing trowel at about £5.39, score 56, with 4.5 from 371 ratings and a padded grip. The listing does not claim a forge. The Faithfull 150 mm pointer at about £3.90 is the cheaper 6 inch option, and its reviews are mostly mortar and gardening.
Permission comes first. A small pointing trowel is only for after the landowner agrees, monument rules are checked and, on the Thames foreshore, a permit is in place. If the kit list asks for a 4 inch archaeology trowel, the Spear & Jackson 11104ARCH is the top pick in this set. Owning it is not permission to dig.
The top pick is the Spear & Jackson 11104ARCH, score 84, at about £18.35, with 4.7 from 662 ratings. The listing sells it as a 4 inch archaeology trowel, and the bullets say solid forged, hardened and tempered, with a high tang. A details line that calls the blade material wood conflicts with those bullets. The best value is the Hilka 4 inch pointing trowel, score 56, at about £5.39, with 4.5 from 371 ratings. It is the low-priced 4 inch pointer, and the listing does not claim a forge. The Marshalltown 46 114S scores 82 at about £20.03 with a stated 102 × 51 mm London blade, and it is not the value pick.
Spear & Jackson 11104ARCH 4 inch archaeology trowel
Highest score, 84, at about £18.35, sold as a 4 inch archaeology trowel with a forged-blade claim and 4.7 from 662 ratings.
Hilka 4 inch pointing trowel, soft grip
About £5.39 for a 4 inch pointer with 4.5 from 371 ratings, and no forge claim on the listing.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources from the research digest; retrieved 20 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk with the tag pcuk26-21. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars, and review counts are the UK listing lines used in this comparison. We did not run a lab test.
