The Best Putty Knives
The putty knife is the tool that comes before the brush. It fills nail holes, repairs surface damage, scrapes failed paint and caulk, and applies glazing compound to window sash. A quality putty knife has a forged or high-carbon steel blade ground to a consistent thickness, a handle shaped for pushing pressure without blistering the palm, and enough flex or stiffness for the task at hand. These are the knives worth having in the paint box.
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How to Choose
Stiff blades are for scraping -- paint removal, old caulk, and dried compound. Flexible blades are for applying -- spreading filler into low spots, feathering compound at the edges of a repair. You need both. Three-inch is the most versatile width for patching work; six-inch is better for skim coating large surfaces. Hyde and Red Devil have been making American putty knives since the 19th century and remain the standard.
Hyde 06180 3-Inch Flexible Putty Knife
Hyde Tools has been making putty knives in Southbridge, Massachusetts since 1875. The 06180 is a 3-inch flexible putty knife with a high-carbon steel blade, a hard maple handle, and a brass ferrule. The flex in this blade is calibrated: enough to feather compound at the edges of a repair, not so much that it wobbles on a straight scraping pass. This is the knife that professional painters reach for first.
Hyde has been in Southbridge since 1875. The brass ferrule on the handle will not crack or loosen over years of use.
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Red Devil 4200 4-Inch Stiff Putty Knife
Red Devil has been making paint tools in Pryor, Oklahoma since 1872. The 4200 series stiff putty knife has a high-carbon steel blade with a hardwood handle. The stiff blade is the right tool for scraping paint, removing dried caulk, and cleaning paint trays. A stiff blade transfers hand pressure directly to the work surface without absorbing it.
Red Devil, 1872. Two companies have been making American putty knives since before the Civil War. These are both of them.
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Marshalltown 6-Inch Drywall Knife
For larger repairs and skim coating, a 6-inch blade covers more surface per stroke and makes the feathering process faster. The Marshalltown 6-inch drywall knife has a stainless steel blade, a comfortable rubber handle, and a blade-to-handle junction that does not flex under pressure. Marshalltown has been making masonry and drywall tools in Marshalltown, Iowa since 1890.
A 6-inch blade on a large repair requires fewer strokes and produces a flatter surface than a 3-inch blade used repeatedly.
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