My field brush crumbled on a dig site in New Mexico, 3 hours from anywhere

The handle just snapped clean off mid-sweep near the San Juan Basin. Dust everywhere, and I had to use my hands for the rest of the trench wall. Been using that same brush since 2016, probably worth $15 but it was broken in perfect. Got a new one from the supply tent, but the bristles are stiff and I keep scratching the plaster. Has anyone else lost a favorite tool and felt like the whole site just frowned at you?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_angela24d ago

Wait, the San Juan Basin is mostly in Colorado, not New Mexico. The basin does dip down into the northwest corner of New Mexico, but a lot of folks mix that up. Anyway, I get the brush thing. It sounds silly, but a tool that fits your hand just right is like an extension of your arm, and losing that mid-season feels like a bad omen. The new brush will break in, but it takes weeks of sweat and grit to get that perfect wear pattern. Maybe try wetting the bristles and letting them dry with a slight curve, that can soften the stiffness a little faster. It won't be the same, but it'll get you through until you can retire it properly. That old brush is probably in some drawer at the field school now, being judged by every new student who picks it up.

margaret_jackson7323d ago

The wet-dry trick only works on natural bristles, not the synthetic ones most field crews use now.