Great video! I actually use the solid stainless steel knives professionally and they do not slip on me. Also, worth mentioning is how easy they are to clean!
The Blue blade will rust overnight. Very frustrating. If you buy one, you better clean, and dry it completely, every single time. It will also rust in very humid conditions. I recently found that out. My quality one was in storage, and I was visiting relatives out of town, so I bought the cheap Blue blade to fix a ceiling. Rusted so quick, I was amazed. Learned a lesson though. Good information on this video.......AS USUAL!
You are absolutely the best! I have 22 years experience in maintenance and I still check out your videos to cover any areas where I am curious or don't have a lot of experience. Thank You!
great video! I was struggling with this in Lowes yesterday so I called the 1-800 number on the taping knife package. The customer service rep had NO IDEA what the answer was
I have been finishing for over 30 years. I use blue steel. Most finishers I know use blue steel. I haven't used those wooden handle knives in years. They are heavy and will wear you out if used all day. My opinion based on my experience.
This lady is talking out her ass. The smarter she tries to sound the dumber she looks to people who have a clue. Unfortunately the majority of her audience are clueless.
I picked up a set of wallboard high shine stainless steels like in your video. Only difference is I hit the handles with spray on rubber, and used with a pair of Milwaukee A3 cut protection gloves they are top notch. Great video and like always write in rain!
Never rule out the possibilities of that white plastic knife. If you do get some nubs on it you can drag that across a piece of 220 sandpaper on a flat piece of glass or surface equivalent and sharpen that knife right back up and you get a brand new sharp edge!
Stainless is important ESPECIALLY for a DIY because we take longer to work and my non-stainless blade will start to rust within minutes of being set aside while waiting for the Spackle to dry. Bonus Tip: I keep the Spackle that I'm working with from drying out by wetting it with a spray bottle. Especially if I have to walk away for a while.
The cheap plastic knives have their place too! Simply take your snips to the knife for a custom sized knife for awkward places such as the small reveal between a hollow metal door frame and the angle. Around some mechanical penetrations. I ALWAYS keep a selection of plastic knives on a large key ring just for such occasions.
@@joesoxer6766 good explaination, thank you. We are manufacturer of plastic scraper set, putty knife set. If any need, feel free to contact us. Thanks Amanda email: sales@mouettemachinery.com WhatsApp: +86 18115076599
I just bought the same plastic knife set to patch and tape seams I do have a 6 inch stainless steel so i'll try both and see how it goes eventually I will buy a pro one
I have two blue blade, another Carbon steel 6" knife, and a Marshalltown stainless inside-angle knife. The blue blade and 6" absolutely do rust if you don't take care of them, but just some basic maintenance and common sense, prevents rusting. After every use, clean the knife off, and wipe it dry. If you're going to be storing it for a while, either store it in a cool dry place, or put a bit of grease over the blade, and cover it with a cloth. If I had to do it again, I'd go stainless Marshalltown for everything, but the blue blades work well for my purposes. I'll also add, my blue blades did develop rust at first, but nothing a bit of a steel wool didn't take off. It'll take a while for the knives to pit, in which case just toss them and buy stainless!
bob mawr I was told once to leave them in a bowl of tea so I tried that and it worked pretty good, it oxidized and turned black. But I did buy some stainless steel anyway, if you can achieve the same workload and skip the extra maintenance then I'd go with the s/s
Truth be told every knife serves a purpose. Blue steel knives work best with regular joint compounds. Clean and dry after use and they won't rust . You can even spray a coat of light oil on them. Stainless steel knives work best with setting compounds. The plastic knives are great for cutting down to a odd size for hard to get at areas. This video seems to be more of a personal preference. My favorite knive is that 6" wallboard pro stainless you show. And I've never really had an issue with it slipping out of my hands while using. The difference in blue steel and stainless is how the compounds glide off the blade while using.
I agree. I've had my blue steel taping knives for years. My friends tease me saying that I never use them because of their condition. I always clean immediately after use and spray WD40 on them to preserve.
It is all about personal preference. I never use the plastic ones tho. They’re a waste of money even tho their cheap. And they don’t do as good smooth finish. I have the all stainless ones and the blue blade ones and they lasted me for years
I've had my wal board yellow Handel set the same knife she showed for years never get them wet he'll some times I don't even clean them just sand them off in the morning with a sanding block good trick to eat up time when your on the clock stainless is just to soft for me love cutting down the plastic knifes for them small spots like door jams hate steel doors why do they all ways put them so tight to the wall has any one ever asked that or is it just me lol any way I agree with you guys 100% the knifes she showed that she likes are better for paddling a canoe with coz that's all they are big flimsy paddels
Couldn’t agree more Leah!👍🏻 But, I’ve had guys that have worked for me before that swore by the blue steel taping knives. When they would get a new blue steel drywall knife they would stick it in a full box of joint compound and leave it overnight so it would rust... I’m a stainless steel man myself. Take care, -Paul
Could it be that the rust holds onto the joint compound better, and sort of pulverizes it as it's being applied, so you can load more of it on at a time? Also, the corners probably wear faster on a rusty knife, so it reaches that point where they are just dull enough to avoid scratching faster. I use a sharpener on my old rusty knife and always feel a little awkward when I have to use a stainless one, but I'm not a professional.
@@pcno2832 New blue steel knives have film on them that you need to sand off. They are very malleable. A good sanding with an 80/100 grit sanding block until there is no more blue film and you got yourself a knife that will hold mud well and will smooth compound properly.
Good explanation of good and bad drywall knives! I have used the cheap plastic knives for odd areas where a stainless knife won't fit. With a good pair of shears I can cut them to fit a space above or behind a door frame for example.
As a professional taper the blue steel knife is ok if your using it everyday. The plastic knives I keep around because they cut easy as I often need to cut a custom tool, also if you need to scrape mud off plastic or other surfaces that mark easy. The stainless knife and handle I found to be really noisy. It rings when you clean the blade on the mud pan, at least with the stainless mud pans.
For my 6 inch drywall knife I prefer the blue blade because it’s flexible compare to a stainless steel. You could always put WD-40 on it to keep it from rusting. Thanks for the video.
I like the cheap plastic ones, I mostly patch plaster and drywall and am always misplacing knifes (and caulk guns but that's another story, I now own 5 guns), if I get a nick in the blade I sand it out with the drywall sandpaper I have on the job. But if I did a lot more drywall i would buy those in a heartbeat. Been using Rite in the Rain for Years, bought my first one at a gun show. They make all sorts of different books for different trades.
Love most of your videos but this one i don't agree with. Most blades have a purpose. The flexible blue blade is without a doubt the best imo. Easy to re surface and it's forgiving.
Leah, Nice video and assesments on types of knives. I have bought a lot of the blue blade knives because I can get them in really wide widths here, and because they have a bit of flex, which for me, helps in blending the compound at the edges. I don't think that I have had the rusting isue that you mention, but I will start inspecting them as I use each one. That may be because I am pretty meticulous with the cleaning and care of them, not letting them stay wet. Thank you.
Lea once I get my knifecase into stores I would love for you to try my new knifecase out..u seem to know n love the art of finishing...I'm a master at finishing...42 yrs of hanging n finishing under my belt..
Absolutely ! , you just have to take care of em - stainless can be to stiff for most practical use - which is why most professional folks use blue steel, i guess the advice here is for the novice - if you want a professional opinion ask a professional .
I use mostly Marshalltown tools. Most of them are made in the USA "with global materials" whatever that means. Very good quality tools. I bought a wallboard knife the other day and I accidentally knocked it off a shelf about 3 feet high and the handle cracked in half. Not impressive at all.
Plus, rust in the blade mixes in with the mud, discoloring it. Hate having to clean the blades twice.., once after use and once before use to get the rust off
i cant speak for all the cheap-o knives, but carbon steel and some blue blades have better "flex" than stainless when using them regularly. That wouldn't make much difference to someone who doesnt use them often though.
A slightly pitted blade will not ruin a finish. I have a rusty knife I use all the time because I keep forgetting to replace it when I'm at the store. I can still get a perfectly flat finish with it.
I'm 40 years in the trade. The yellow handle blue steel blade is really the best for coating not to mention from an 8" to a 14" when one buys them the first thing they need to do is bend a cove in the knife and only ever use that side of the knife. And the blue steel will become razor sharp and thats a good knife. Stainless just won't bend properly. I've watched many of your other videos and they are always great.... always pleasant watching your videos. Tho, I will also say, you are correct when DIY'ers buy a steel knife they just don't do enough work to break a knife in. And again, nor do they know to cove a knife when it's first bought.
Hi Jim, I always appreciate hearing from other tradesmen and women! And one thing that I have learned from many years working alongside other journeymen in the field is that there are many ways to get the job done, and everyone has their favorite method and uses their favorite tools. I'm sure you know exactly what I am talking about!....:)... I appreciate your comments. Best regards, Leah
Great vid leah!! I bought the handsome knife lol but I put some shark bite silicone wrap on it for some extra grip. I have to order level 5 tools so home depot is easier for me to grab tools. Thanks to you I was able to find good knives!
I prefer the 6 inch stainless because it lasts, I used to use the Hyde's and other but just when they would get perfect the handle would rust off and break
Licensed drywall contractor for 30 years. The material the knife is made out of has no bearing on the application of the mud except... Blue steel is steel that is heat treated thus it turns blue to become "spring steel" and retain its shape so when you apply mud it is multiplying the force your hand is using and therefore causes less hand fatigue to drive mud into the surface. Stainless steel is thicker and the mud does not flow from it but slips from the surface because it is smooth. So when you use stainless the mud tends to run off the knife. Blue steel works best once the blueing wears off and the metal is rough and it actually grips the mud to it so you can flow the mud to the wall from it. It is the actual knife edge the mud is flowing off of, and that edge needs to be razor sharp. Each day the edge should be inspected by skimming a small patch and look for lines or grooves in the material applied to a wall. Then take 100 grit sandpaper and put it on the wall and hone the edge of the knife laying it near flat to the sandpaper and sliding the knife back and forth long ways on both sides . Then wipe blade edge with a towel. The 6 inch bell knife is used for corners and loading mud from a bucket, if you are going to leave it in the bucket overnight or for long periods then use stainless. If you care for your tools then use regular steel and clean the knife after use and spray with wd-40. The 8 inch knife is used for spotting screws and wiping down tape. It should be blue steel also to be springy to multiply pressure and reduce hand fatigue. The next knife you will need is a 12 inch knife , it too should be blue steel and should be broken in from use for best results. Ames tools and Wallboard are both professional tool manufacturer suppliers. Any knife you see in home depot with yellow handles and blue steel are your best choice to use . If it is a one time deal or you are a pro .
Hi Leah,love your videos,very informative step by step tutorials and reviews,have you seen the youtube video by the Canadian lad " DRYWALL PATCH WITH DRYER SHEEET !!!?? " it's really good.I live in Scotland so sometimes our products have diferent names and we can't get some of your tools and products in United Kingdom unless we have them shipped from the US which adds greatly to the cost but obviously we have equivalent tools for the job,keep them coming,always look forward to all your content
Great videos, but I have to disagree here. I've spent many hours applying joint compound, and I've never had slipping problems with all stainless tools. They're easy to clean, don't rust, and definitely worth the extra $.
Tons of misinformation here. There are a lot of professionals who prefer the steel blade taping knives. Properly cared for, they will last forever. The plastic knives have their place too. Usually for a quick job with products like bondo which can ruin a good knife. They are cheap enough to use once and throw away if needed. The all metal knife is also fine. If you keep the handle clean and dry, which isn't difficult, it will be fine. If you get drywall mud all over the handle, it's going to make any of those knives slippery.
I do drywall finishing for a living and hate the stainless steel knifes. They won't hang on to the mud like the regular knifes. I've had the same knifes for over a year. I clean them after every use. The mud slides off the stainless too easy which means less control and wasted mud.
TheEgg185 I didn't say soak them I said treat them. It only takes a very little bit. Stainless or not. It preserves the life of my blades. I'm not against people who don't or do different lol
Great video. I've been looking at lvl5 tools and all their knives have stainless steel handles. Now I'm new to mudding but my handle never gets coated so why not choose that one.
Level 5 is chinese made crap, but most tools are these days. But, there is no problem with the metal handles. This lady doesn't really know what she is talking about, but that goes for most people on youtube and it's getting worse every year.
I use the wallboard all stainless... cuts the tapes very well and I get my job done level5 plz people use wat makes you happy and what best works for you but don’t use plastic
The best drywall knives are the yellow handle Richards and are the best value in a professional tool. She is holding a black richards knife at the end that will also work but is a bit stiffer than the yellow knives. Unless you are doing mudding you are not going to paint you do not need a stainless knife.
That 6 inch stainless knife the truth. It won't slip out ur hand when u tapeing the blade most become part of ur arm an extension of u. Can you drop part of ur arm?
Lol... blue steel is sharper than stainless and allows you to cut edges better. The all stainless knife i use daily and its not slippery... a pro should have a mixture of knives bc they serve different situations and purposes. Blue steel will allways hold its blade longer than stainless
My local homedepot (maybe not all) are starting to have all the cheap plastic made in china tools. I think I will habe to just order tools online or find another hardware store
