Metal Detecting Fort Worth: An Interview With Detectorist Kenny Jewell

Some of the best metal detectorists are not the people with the largest YouTube channels, the biggest social media followings, or thousands of people recognizing their names at detecting events.

They are often the detectorists quietly putting in the hours, researching old locations, learning their machines, returning to difficult sites, and consistently recovering the kinds of finds that make other experienced hunters stop and take notice. Those are the detectorists I especially enjoy interviewing.

When a seasoned detectorist whose experience and judgment I respect told me, “You need to interview Kenny Jewell,” I paid attention. He explained how highly he thought of Kenny’s detecting ability and knowledge, and that was enough for me to want to learn more.

For those who have followed some of our historical artifact articles on Focus Speed, Kenny’s name may already be familiar. Over approximately 15 years of detecting around Fort Worth, Texas, Jewell recovered an impressive collection of 14 Texas chauffeur badges dating from 1917 through 1949; see image below. That collection alone demonstrates persistence, site selection, and the value of recognizing historical targets that many detectorists might otherwise overlook.

I wanted to ask Kenny the kinds of questions that experienced and newer detectorists alike can learn from: how he researches detecting locations, how he identifies promising old sites, how he approaches hunted-out ground, how he adjusts detector settings, and what ultimately caused the quality and quantity of his finds to improve.

Experience Matters More Than the Price of Your Metal Detector

Over the years, Kenny has metal detected with a Garrett AT Pro, Nokta Simplex, and Nokta Triple Score. His experience highlights something I believe is frequently overlooked when people ask which metal detector will find them more coins, jewelry, or relics. A more expensive metal detector does not automatically make someone a better detectorist. Modern detectors certainly offer advantages. Faster target separation, improved simultaneous multi-frequency technology, better ground handling, adjustable recovery speeds, advanced discrimination, and increasingly sophisticated audio can all help. But technology only takes you so far. Learning exactly what your detector is telling you—and understanding your hunting environment—is often considerably more important.

Knowing your machine well enough to recognize questionable targets, understanding how iron affects nearby signals, knowing when discrimination is hurting rather than helping, and recognizing how soil conditions influence target identification can make the difference between walking over history and recovering it.

Then there is the skill no detector can provide:  Knowing where to search. Research, site selection, patience, persistence, and years of accumulated field experience remain some of the greatest advantages a detectorist can have. That is exactly what I wanted to explore with Kenny.

Interview With Texas Metal Detectorist Kenny Jewell

How Kenny’s Metal Detecting Journey Began 

This is an important starting point because many successful detectorists can trace their development back to something specific—a childhood or adult fascination with history, coin collecting, searching old properties, or simply the excitement of wondering what might be beneath the ground.

Kenny, how long have you been metal detecting, and what originally got you interested in the hobby?

“I’ve been detecting for 17 years. I was on a vacation with my wife in 2008, and we went to the Arkansas Crater of Diamonds Park where you can search for diamonds. I hunted from the time they opened until they closed and wasn’t lucky enough to find one. I guess I was bitten by the treasure hunting bug because when we got home to Ft. Worth, I was trying to figure out a way to treasure hunt without having to go out of town. That Christmas, my wife surprised me with a Garrett Ace 250.”

Kenny’s Best Metal Detecting Finds 

One of the most exciting aspects of relic hunting is that age does not always correspond with depth. Detectorists sometimes assume the oldest targets must be the deepest, but soil movement, landscaping, erosion, construction, flooding, animal activity, and fill dirt can dramatically change where historic objects ultimately settle.

Knowing the history of a site can therefore be just as important as maximizing detector depth.

What is the oldest or coolest items you have ever recovered while metal detecting?

“I’ve been lucky to have found quite a few cool and/or old items. The one that I know is on every detectorist list is a gold coin. In the summer of 2018, I had been detecting all day in 105-degree heat and decided to head home. On my way I was driving through the south side of town and they were remodeling old turn of the century buildings when I noticed a big dirt pile in a parking lot with old cork top bottles sticking out of it. I immediately stopped and swung my AT Pro over the pile. I got a scratchy signal and dug it out. There were two pieces of iron stuck together with a gold edge of something sticking out. I pulled them apart, and to my utter shock, there was a 1854-O three-dollar U.S. gold coin!”

Researching Places to Metal Detect

Research is one of the biggest separators between random metal detecting and consistently finding older coins and relics.

Experienced relic hunters may spend significant time studying historic maps, aerial photographs, property records, newspapers, Sanborn maps, old road alignments, former schools, gathering places, demolished homes, fairgrounds, parks, swimming areas, and other locations where people historically congregated.

A detector can only find what is underneath the coil. Choosing the right ground to put that coil over is often the more important decision.

How much research do you do before choosing a location to detect?

“When I first started detecting, I read every historical book I could find that had anything to do with Ft. Worth and the surrounding area. I am also blessed to have a job that I drive around the city quite often. I quickly learned which streets and areas were the oldest or had historical significance. I then just started looking in those places for empty lots, sidewalk tear-outs, houses or buildings being demolished, and started swinging my coil. The older coins and relics began to come up.”

This is one of the questions I especially wanted Kenny to answer because learning how to read a site can dramatically improve metal detecting results. Old foundations, mature trees, changes in vegetation, broken glass, pottery fragments, bricks, old road beds, depressions, fence lines, unusually flat areas, stonework, and changes in soil can all provide clues that human activity once occurred there. The best detectorists often develop an instinct for recognizing those subtle signs.

What clues do you look for when trying to locate older sites?

“Definitely knowing the history of the area you are wanting to hunt is crucial, but I mostly look at the houses and buildings next to or near the site to gauge the time period of things I can possibly find. I also look for old signs such as glass, pottery, and even square nails or horseshoes. There are many signs that you learn from just spending time out in the field.”

Can a Hunted-Out Metal Detecting Site Still Produce?

The idea of a completely “hunted-out” site is something experienced detectorists frequently debate. Changing detectors can certainly uncover targets that another machine struggled with, particularly when newer technology provides improved target separation or handles mineralized soil better. But changing the way a site is hunted can matter just as much.

Searching from a different direction, slowing down, using a smaller coil, lowering sensitivity, changing recovery speed, reducing discrimination, or listening more carefully to partially masked targets can reveal finds that were missed previously. Seasonal soil conditions can also change target response.

A location that appears finished may simply need to be approached differently.

Have you found that returning to previously detected locations with newer equipment produces additional finds?

“Absolutely, it can and has for me. I also don’t think it necessarily has to be newer equipment. Just a change in the frequency (if your detector has that capability) can bring out targets previously missed. I’ve been hunting an area that was a city dump from the early 1900s for several years and started getting to the point where I wasn’t finding much, so I decided to change the frequency on my detector. Lo and behold, it was like a brand new hunting ground. I actually hunted it today and found a 1920’s American Railway Express badge! My motto is to keep hunting a lot (as long as it’s available) until you don’t find anything, and then hunt it a few more times to make sure!”

How Do You Get Better at Metal Detecting?

This may be one of the most valuable questions in the interview. Most serious detectorists eventually reach a point where something changes. Sometimes it is learning research. Sometimes it is finally understanding detector audio instead of relying entirely on target identification numbers. For others, it is slowing their swing speed, digging questionable signals, recognizing iron masking, learning soil conditions, or becoming more selective about where they spend their detecting time.

Equipment can improve. But detectorists improve too. Understanding what caused that transition can often provide better metal detecting advice than simply recommending another machine.

Was there a point in your metal detecting journey when you noticed a major jump in the quality or quantity of your finds? What do you think made the biggest difference and helped you reach that next level?

“There are several things that I believe helped me become a confident and successful detectorist. One was joining a local detecting club. I’m a member of The Cowtown Treasure Hunters Club. Being around like minded people and (although it might take some time) being able to get in with the ones who get out and hunt and have them invite you to hunt is essential to having a fast track to learning the hobby. I used to hunt with an experienced detectorist named Carlton who had sayings such as “ pick a lot, dig a lot” or “swing low, swing slow”. I think when I saw him going in slow motion, digging almost every signal while I was practically running around the lot trying to cherry pick the best sounding tones only to have him out hunt me, it finally sank in. It’s not a race, it’s who digs the most holes and doesn’t just rely on the sound or numbers that the detector is giving you.”

Metal Detecting Bucket List Finds

No matter how long someone has been detecting, there usually seems to be one elusive find that keeps them searching. For some detectorists it is a gold coin. For others it may be a particular military relic, rare token, historic badge, key-date coin, piece of local history, or deeply personal artifact connected to their area. That anticipation is part of what keeps metal detecting exciting. Every target could be the one.

What is still at the top of your metal detecting bucket list?

“Being a local history buff, my number one personal bucket list find is a White Elephant Saloon token. The White Elephant Saloon was on Main Street in Ft. Worth in the late 1800’s and has a very rich history. Although I have found many saloon tokens from the same era, that one seems to elude me.”

How Could Metal Detector Technology Be Improved?

Detector manufacturers have made tremendous advancements in recent years, particularly with simultaneous multi-frequency technology, wireless audio, target separation, lighter detector designs, waterproofing, and increasingly sophisticated discrimination systems.

But experienced detectorists spend hundreds or thousands of hours using these machines under conditions engineers cannot always fully reproduce in testing environments. Feedback from serious field users can therefore be extremely valuable. What experienced detectorists want next may provide an interesting glimpse into where metal detecting technology should go.

If you could gather the management and engineers from metal detector companies in one room, what suggestions would you share to help advance detector technology and improve the hobby?

“This is a tough one for me to answer. I’m not the most technical person out there. I have a mid-level detector because I like to just turn it on and go. I don’t like to get bogged down in programs and settings. I will tweak my settings in accordance to the situation but I’m more of a if it beeps then dig it kind of guy. I think that the advancements in detectors are great, but if you don’t get out and swing and dig, then there is no new technology that will help you find the treasure.”

Metal Detecting Discrimination Tips

Discrimination can make metal detecting more efficient, but aggressive discrimination can also create unintended consequences. Valuable targets do not always produce textbook signals.

Gold jewelry can register across a broad range of target IDs. Old coins can be affected by nearby iron. Bent or oddly positioned relics can produce inconsistent numbers. Corroded objects may behave differently from clean examples. In trash-heavy locations, the challenge is not simply eliminating unwanted signals. It is eliminating enough noise to hunt efficiently without filtering out the targets you came there to find.

How do you effectively use discrimination to reduce junk targets without missing valuable finds?

“I personally don’t believe in discrimination (That’s a joke and the truth!). I run my detector wide open with the exception of the iron tones on a lower volume. I have found that when you discriminate certain tones you can miss great finds that may be laying just under a piece of trash that you blocked your detector from telling you about. I would rather dig 100 bottle caps and not miss a gold ring or coin. I also can rest easy that night knowing that even if I didn’t find a gold ring I also didn’t skip any potential targets.”

Does Temperature Affect Metal Detecting?

Seasonal conditions can change the way a site hunts, although soil moisture and ground conditions often play particularly important roles in actual field performance. Detectorists frequently notice differences between extremely dry ground and moist soil. Rainfall, drought, frozen ground, mineralization, salt content, and changing soil moisture can all influence target response and digging conditions. Experienced detectorists often learn when particular sites perform best.

How does temperature affect the conductivity and detectability of metals, and do you adjust your detecting strategy based on seasonal conditions?

“I don’t usually adjust my detector according to the temperature. I have noticed that after it rains, targets seem to be more noticeable. Also, marbles are more likely visible due to the rain washing away the dirt. I think that when the ground is moist, most detectorists are more inclined to dig iffy targets because the ground is softer. Therefore, they end up with more good finds. So is it the conditions or the mindset?”

Best Recovery Speed for Trashy Sites

Recovery speed has become one of the most useful adjustable settings on modern metal detectors. In areas containing nails, aluminum, bottle caps, pull tabs, and other closely spaced targets, a faster recovery speed can help a detector separate adjacent objects.

However, increasing recovery speed can involve tradeoffs. This makes the correct setting dependent on the site, coil size, detector, target density, sweep speed, and what the detectorist is trying to recover.

Rather than searching for one universal setting, experienced users learn how to balance separation and depth for the conditions in front of them.

How do you adjust your recovery speed settings in trash-laden areas to maximize target separation and efficiency?

“Like, I mentioned earlier, I’m not the most technical guy, so if I’m in a particularly trashy area then I just go extremely slow. I know that sounds simple, but I personally don’t mind digging tons of trash because I just think to myself that I’m eliminating the stuff I don’t want so eventually I’ll find the stuff I do want.”

Metal Detecting in Mineralized Soil

Highly mineralized ground presents one of the more difficult challenges in metal detecting. Simply turning sensitivity to maximum is not always the solution. An unstable detector can produce so much ground noise and falsing that useful target information becomes harder to recognize.

Ground balance, sensitivity, frequency selection, search mode, recovery speed, coil choice, and sweep technique can all become important. The best settings are often not the highest settings. They are the settings that allow the detector to remain stable enough for the user to identify meaningful targets.

What are your preferred settings for maintaining depth and sensitivity when relic hunting in highly mineralized soil?

“I always start out with my standard setting. If I’m getting too much noise from the ground or power lines I will usually turn the sensitivity down. If that doesn’t work then I will go through the different frequency settings and find the one that is the quietest. I would just like to tell anyone who wants to find more quality treasures that equipment is valuable and definitely knowing your detector is key, but the best way is to get out and hunt. Remember, he who digs the most holes wins!”

Final Thoughts: Lessons From an Experienced Texas Detectorist

One reason I wanted to interview Kenny Jewell is that expertise in metal detecting does not require being a social media personality. It comes from experience.

It comes from spending years learning how targets respond, researching locations, digging thousands of pieces of trash along with the good finds, experimenting with settings, making mistakes, returning to sites, and gradually understanding what works. His finds were not produced simply because he owned a metal detector. They came from putting a detector over the right ground and having the experience to recognize and recover what was there. That distinction matters.

When people ask how to find more old coins and relics with a metal detector, the answer is rarely just “buy a better detector.” The answer should be:

• Learn the machine you already own.
• Research better locations.
• Understand your soil.
• Learn what questionable targets sound like.
• Experiment with your settings rather than copying someone else’s blindly.
• Return to productive locations.
• And most importantly, keep learning from detectorists who have spent years doing it successfully.

That is where some of the best metal detecting advice comes from.