Hello Twowrench,
yes there is a tool, its a flat steel bar, with a fork at one end, in the centre of the fork is a pin. The handle is cranked to give clearance for your hand (Sort of Z shape in profile) Just push the forked end between the escutcheon and the handle, locate the pin and align the tool so the centre pin in the tool lines up and push down, remembering to catch the pin as it drops. Replacing is the reverse process, you may need to feed the tool in from below, if that's the way the pin lines up.
Alec