Overheard a guy at the lumberyard in Fresno say he uses a 6-inch knife for everything, taping to finishing. That's just wild to me.

He was bragging about how it saves him time not switching tools. I get the appeal, but a 6-inch for taping beads? For finishing? That's a hard pass. I've tried it before on a rush job and the ridges were impossible to get smooth. You need the right knife for the right phase, period. My 10-inch for the second coat makes a difference you can see and feel. Am I just being too particular, or is this a legit corner that gets cut too often?

2 comments

2 Comments

coleman.karen9d ago

Okay that is just NUTS. A six-inch knife for the final coat? You can see every single swipe mark from a mile away. That guy's clients must have walls that look like a topographical map. There is a REASON we have different sized tools, it's not just for fun. Trying to finish with that is like painting a house with a toothbrush, you're just asking for a bad time.

the_julia9d ago

Right? It's like they skipped the whole point of finishing tools. A six-inch knife leaves those obvious ridges that catch the light, especially on big flat walls. You'd have to sand for days to fix that mess, and even then it never looks right. It just shows a total lack of care for the final product, which is the whole job.