Abstract: A retainer for rotatably retaining a mining tool or a wear resistant sleeve in a support block includes a removable collar consisting of at least two semiannular members each having a flange extending from its inside diameter and a groove disposed about its outside diameter. The removable collar is circumferentially mountable about a rearward portion of either the mining tool or the wear resistant sleeve extending from the support block when mounted therein. The extending rearward portion has a groove circumferentially disposed therein. When the semiannular members are mated thereabout, the flange of each member cooperates with the groove in the rearward portion of either the mining tool or the wear resistant sleeve. The groove about each semiannular member defines in combination a substantially continuous groove about the collar. A snap ring is removably mounted in the substantially continuous groove about the removable collar.