"Whilst any good ironmonger can supply cold chisels and strong knives or trowels, he is very unlikely to have safe and suitable hammers in stock. The steel of ordinary domestic and many trade hammers is far too soft for use on most rocks. It will splinter and flying fragments of steel can cause nasty wounds, particularly to the eyes, not only of the hammerer but also of his companions." Fossils in Colour - 1967 - J.F. Kirkaldy, D.Sc. Formally Head of the Department of Geology, Queen Mary College London.

The rocks are soft and crumble very easily, there is also shale. Picks are ideal for this. At Elie Shore, the beds are often covered in the summer months, but at Wood Haven the rock are well exposed at all times.

Picks: A pick is very handy at Elie, it can be used for easily removing fossils from the soft volcanic beds and clays exposed onthe foreshore.

Knives: Knives can pick smaller fossils which can be very fragile and it is best to preserve them as quickly as possible.

Specimen Bags: These are ideal for collecting from Elie. Sealable Clear Specimen Bags can hold your finds. These can be purchased from UKGE for low prices and can easily be re-used.

Geological Bags: Strong, Waterproof and durable geological bags that last years are ideal for any keen fossil hunter. These quality bags from Estwing are ideal for bringing back those larger finds or sample bags.

Field Lenses: Elie can yield tiny fossils including small corals and shells which sometimes will require a magnifying lenses. It is not always possible to tell very small objects with normal eyesight. The most common type is the 10x.

Footwear: Hiking Boots are recommended fine for Elie.