William Hunt and Sons

William Hunt and Sons or WHS is a British brand of masonry tools.

Originally, William Hunt was a tool manufacturing firm from Sheffield in England. The company was founded in 1793, acquired by Brades Nash Industries in 1951, by Spear and Jackson in 1962, and by Neill Tools in 1985, which still owns the brand today. [ [http://www.shef.ac.uk/assem/2/2trowel2.html A history of WHS and their role in archaeology] ]

It is said that in the UK building trade, the WHS initials are affectionately referred to as 'Work Hard or Starve'. Amongst British archaeologists, who use the firm's 4" pointing trowels, this has become 'Work Hard "and" Starve', a reference to the notoriously poor pay and conditions in that industry.

Archaeology trowels

A Good trowel is prized amongst archaeologists in the United Kingdom who find its strength useful in digging heavy deposits. In his 1946 book "Field Archaeology", Richard J. C. Atkinson (best known for excavating Stonehenge), "unequivocally" recommended the use of a trowel for archaeology; during the postwar era, WHS and a competing brand from Bowden were predominant. By 1960, archaeologist Paul Stamper was told that a WHS trowel was a "prerequisite", and by 1999, he deemed it the "industry standard". [cite journal
last = Stamper
first = Paul
year = 1999
month = April
title = Only one way to scratch up the dirt
journal = British Archaeology
issue = 43
publisher = Council for British Archaeology
location =
issn = 1357-4442
url = http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/ba43/ba43int.html
accessdate = 2007-12-23
format = subscription required] "Current Archaeology" sums up the choices:cquote|There are really only two contenders on the single-forged blade market, WHS (UK) and Marshalltown (US). WHS blades are thicker, but consequently become blunt as they start to wear down. Marshalltown blades are sharp, flexible, and strong enough to deal with most types of soil. [cite web
url = http://www.archaeology.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=7&Itemid=83
title = Digs
author = Mark Anderson
publisher = Current Archaeology
accessdate = 2007-12-23]

In 2005, the company introduced a new version of the 4" WHS pointing trowel (officially known as the London handle type standard heel width pattern number 111, part number 11104L, 100mm (4 inch) one-piece solid roll forged pointing trowel).cite journal
year = 2006
month = January
title = WHS Trowel bites the dust?
journal = The Digger
url = http://www.bajr.org/diggermagazine/Digger39/4.html
accessdate = 2007-12-23] The new, thinner and more brittle design was designed more for the construction industry but encountered resistance from archaeologists who found it inferior to the predecessor model. Oxford Archaeology indicated it might switch to the American-made Marshalltown trowel. As of 2006, complaints of breakages on site to the British Archaeological Jobs Resource brought about indications from the firm that it might re-introduce the original model, but with significant changes suggested by archaeologists.

In the summer of 2006, the a trowel was produced. After listening to archaeologist feedback and extensive field trials coordinated, the new trowel [ [http://www.pasthorizons.com New design WHS trowels] ] (which even says "archaeologists trowel" on the blade) has incorporated:

* Thicker, stronger blade
* Higher lift for extra knuckle clearance
* Flattened tang to stop handle rotation

The WHS Trowel is still seen as the preferred tool for archaeologists - long may a simple drop forged piece of steel and wood be the equipment, in skilled hands, that discovers our past.

References

External links

* [http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/ba43/ba43int.html WHS trowels in archaeology]
* [http://www.bajr.org/DiggerMagazine/Latest/index.html The Digger]
* [http://www.bajr.org/BAJRForum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=521 The BAJR Forum]