Serious question, did anyone else's mason just tell them they don't need a level for every course?

I was talking to an old timer named Frank at the supply yard last Thursday. He said after 40 years he can run a line and feel if a brick is off by a quarter inch without even looking. Said I was wasting good money on all those levels I keep clipping to my belt. It hit different because I watched him lay a whole wall that afternoon and never once touched a level. Has anyone else had a mason tell you to ditch some tools you thought were essential?

2 comments

2 Comments

lindaw294d agoMost Upvoted

Do you really need to keep six levels on you at ALL times though? I used to load up my tool belt like a pack mule till an old timer told me the same thing. Now I just keep one 4-footer and a torpedo level, and I check my layout string way more careful. Saves my back and I honestly haven't noticed a drop in quality. Give it a try on a small wall first, see if you can trust your eye.

hollym124d ago

Nah, I gotta disagree hard on this one... once you start eyeballing things you're just inviting problems down the road. A 4-footer and a torpedo won't catch a twisted stud or a floor that's out by a 16th over eight feet. I'd rather carry the extra weight than tear out a whole wall because I trusted my eye too much.