Prospecting Pry Bar/Crevicing Tool

This is a tool with prospecting specifically in mind. It is a combination pry bar/chisel/crevice scraper. The scraping end is also designed as a wedge that can be used to force a small gap wider in stone or bedrock allowing for easier access deeper into the cracks or in preparation for further prying or removal. I feel that there has been an oversight in effective crevicing tooling that this item can fill. This is intended as a multi-tool so as to lighten the load of the prospector by incorporating a pry-bar, small light-duty chisel, scraper, and widening wedge into one tool. The thin bladed crevicing scraper can reach up to one and a half inches into a crevice that is at least 1/2" wide. If there isn't enough room, a slightly curved pry-bar is included on the end so as to facilitate widening of a crevice or removal of stones and debris. The scraping end is bent at a sharp right angle so that the tool can be effectively hit with a hammer and still direct all the energy straight down the shaft of the tool and not damage the scraping tool. The intention is a jack-of-all-trades type of implement. It will not reach as deep as some tools, nor will it take the impact of a large stone or cold chisel, but it will do all of the necessary jobs to a certain extent.

Please be aware that all steel tooling comes with some risks. If struck too hard or not dressed occasionally pieces of the tool can be liberated at very high speeds and can cause damage, or unseen flaws in the steel can cause breakage. Please always wear appropriate safety gear when using all tooling, including gloves, protective clothing, and eye protection. With that in mind, certain steps have been taken to improve the durability of this piece. The right angle at the scraping end of the tool has been softened to a deep blue, almost grey temper that softens the steel so it will not chip as easily, but will mushroom over instead. The tip of the scraping point has been tempered to a knife temper to resist breaking, but should retain enough hardness to not wear down too quickly. The chisel/pry bar end has been taken all the way back to a deep blue temper to resist breaking under prying strain or impact abuse. The shaft of the tool has been left in a normalized state, and widened to increase it's strength in the prying axis. The parent material is a half-inch diameter car spring which is most likely a 5160 carbon steel "alloy".

I hope that this tool improves your prospecting experience and lightens the load in your pack. Thank you very much.