My uncle told me to always use a 6-inch knife for taping, and I fought him on it for a decade.

He said a 4-inch knife was for amateurs and would leave more ridges. I stuck with my 4-inch for years, thinking it was just his old-school way. Then I did a big ceiling job in a Denver loft and the ridges were so bad I had to sand for two extra days. Switched to a 6-inch Goldblatt knife the next week and the difference was instant. Anyone else have a tool they resisted that turned out to be a game changer?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_joel6h ago

My old boss swore by a specific brand of chalk line for years. I thought any line would snap straight until mine kept breaking on a long layout. Using his red Stanley felt like cheating, it was that much better.

lopez.simon5h ago

Heard the same about chalk line reels, is that true?

rubyk865h ago

Found out the hard way with a cheap chalk line snapping mid-pull.

luna8246h ago

Ever try to cut in a ceiling with a cheap brush? I used this flimsy two inch thing for ages, swore it was fine. Then my buddy handed me a fat three inch angled brush, the kind that holds a ton of paint. It was like night and day, one smooth pass and done. Felt like an idiot for all the drips I used to fix.