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Whether you ’re patching nail holes before paint a new paries , mudding over drywall articulatio , or scraping away old paint or wallpaper , putty knives are crucial to the job . These simple yet all-important tools dwell of a hold with a thin metal blade that ’s flexible enough to feather joint compound to a fluid coating while still being inflexible enough to separate old key or wallpaper from a paries .
While these tools are bare , there are of import features to consider when shopping for the optimal putty tongue , include leaf blade size and deal blueprint . I test five of the top putty knife and find theHusky 2 - column inch Putty Knife With Stainless Steel Blade , with its durable unsullied steel brand and comfortable handle , to be the best of the bunch .
Photo: Tony Carrick for Bob Vila
Keep reading to find out more about this top picking and determine how to choose the right type and size of putty tongue for a pass on job . Whether you ’re taping and mudding drywall , skin away stubborn wallpaper , or spackling nail holes to prep for a new coat of rouge , you ’re sure to find the good putty tongue for your needs .
Best Overall
Husky 2-Inch Putty Knife With Stainless Steel Blade
Our military rank : Ergonomics5/5;Performance4.5/5 ; Durability5/5 ; Value5/5
Husky break itself from the pack with the tone of the handle on this small putty tongue . It ’s beefier than most other putty knife handles and features a secure rubberized hairgrip . Whereas other putty knives I tested felt too low for my bridge player , this Husky putty knife conformed perfectly to it . During my testing , I had a feeling of greater control and leverage when bearing down to genuflect one-time paint . This putty knife also had a stiffer blade than other putty knife I prove , making it particularly effective as a scraper .
In terms of chassis quality , the combination of a beefy handle and thicker steel gives this knife a durable feel . It power through my pigment come up test without any noticeable clothing or rent . In short , this Husky modeling is a putty tongue that should last for many task . While the blade does lack the tractability of other putty knives I tested , it was n’t so stiff that it was difficult to apply a smooth layer of spackle over nail cakehole and divots in wallboard .
Photo: Tony Carrick for Bob Vila
Overall , the Husky putty tongue feel like a higher - calibre product compared to similarly priced knives I tested , making it a bang-up economic value and rightfully a no - brainer when it comes to choose a putty knife .
Get the Husky putty tongue atThe Home Depot .
More Putty Knives Worth Your Money
Along with the Husky model , these putty tongue also performed well in my testing and come from brand with reputations for fabricate quality tools .
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How We Tested the Best Putty Knives
I evaluated the above putty tongue by put them to the test on some of the most common undertaking that demand aputty knife : spreading spackle and scraping paint . I considered how well-off it was to complete each job , noting the flexibility of the knife and the durability of the metal and the boundary . I also considered the handle , evaluate its weight , how well it check in my hand , and how comfortable it was to hold . Last , I noted the overall time value of each putty knife by factorisation in operation , enduringness , and price .
What to Consider When Choosing a Putty Knife
The best putty knife is useable in two types of materials and a spacious range of sizes . Read on to discover which eccentric and size works well for your needs so you canchoose the right scraperfor any job .
Types of Putty Knives
A putty knife , which is sometimes called a spackle tongue , issue forth in two material types : plastic and stainless steel .
Blade Size
Spackling knives are useable in a variety of leaf blade sizes to suit dissimilar jobs . Putty knives with 2 - in or 3 - column inch brand are idealistic for spackling nail holes and other pocket-size harm to drywall prior to house painting . This sizing of knife is also useful for pulling putty out of smaller container . A broad putty knife with a 6 - column inch to 8 - column inch sword is a ripe alternative for embedding chemical compound tape , laying a first coat of muck on drywall , or repairing larger holes . Large 10 - in blade are suitable for laying finishing coats when mudding drywall to reach a placid , professional look .
FAQs
If you ’re wondering whether you need a plastic or metal putty knife for a finical job , or even which jobs are appropriate for a putty tongue , then read on for more expert insight into these tools .
The good cloth for a putty tongue is unsullied steel . Stainless sword flex well , wo n’t be rust by the moisture in putty , and wo n’t bust . While a plastic putty knife is suitable for nonaged patching jobs , the deficiency of flexibleness makes it more unmanageable to lie an even coating of spackle drywall mud , and it ca n’t function as a scraper .
A unbendable putty tongue is idealistic for heavy scraping jobs that involve divest away former paint or wallpaper , while a flexile putty knife is well suited for spread out and square spackle and joint chemical compound .
Photo: The Home Depot
While it usually is n’t necessary to sharpen a putty tongue , you may habituate a file to ensure the blade is straight with a 90 - degree bound .
A putty knife is typically little and stiffer , which makes it best suit for working in corners and other tight spots and for scraping one-time paint or wallpaper . A taping knife is mostly wide and more flexible , making it idealistic for spreading and feathering joint compound .
Meet the Tester
Tony Carrick is a free-lance writer specialize in abode betterment , landscape gardening , technology , habitation security measures , and design for such site and publications as Popular Mechanics , Pro Tools Review , CNN Underscored , andThis Old House Magazine .
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Photo: Tony Carrick for Bob Vila
Photo: Tony Carrick for Bob Vila
