My old boss swore by a 6-inch taping knife for inside corners, and I finally get it

He told me 'a skinny knife gives you control a 10-inch can't' when I was learning in his crew in Phoenix. I fought it for ages, but after a really bad job with wavy mud, I switched and the next three houses went up smooth. What's your go-to corner knife size?

3 comments

3 Comments

evan_dixon679d ago

Yeah, the part about a skinny knife giving you control really hits home. I read an article once where this old taper said he used a 6-inch for corners because it's like drawing with a pencil instead of a paint roller. You can really feel the angle of the wall and fix little bumps before they set. I tried a bigger knife on a closet once and it was just clumsy, left a bunch of lines I had to go back over. Now I keep a 6-inch just for that.

the_joel6d ago

Oh man, I feel that. I tried using my 10-inch knife on a ceiling corner once and it was a total mess. I ended up looking like I was fighting a ghost up there. Some jobs just need the small tools.

-1

jana_hernandez9d ago

Wait, you used a bigger knife in a closet? That sounds impossible to even move around in there. I can't picture getting any kind of clean line with a big blade in such a tight spot. Did you have to sand for hours after that?