Drywall taping knives are essential for finishing walls.
They ensure a smooth joint compound finish and are perfect for feathering out mud. So, if you’re gearing up for a drywall job, having a good knife in your toolbox is a must.
To ensure you don’t get a dud, check out these best drywall taping knives of 2022.
Best Drywall Taping Knives
- 10″ Soft-Grip Stainless Steel Taping Knife (Our Top Pick)
- DEWALT 16″ Big Back Taping Knife (Best High End)
- 12” Drywall Taping Knife (Best Budget)
- Goldblatt Drywall Hand Tool Kit
What Size Knife Is Best For Taping Drywall?
The best size knife for taping drywall is usually around 4 or 6 inches. These smaller versions are joint knives.
They’re ideal for putting down tape and placing the first layer of drywall mud.
After using your joint knife, you’ll switch to a taping knife for subsequent layers.
Is A Drywall Taping Knife Necessary?
Yes, a drywall taping knife is necessary. While you should apply the first layer of mud with a joint knife, you need to apply subsequent layers with a taping knife.
This is because smaller joint knives allow for more pressure and can help you quickly fill divots or a drywall joint. But, they leave behind indents and uneven mud applications.
So, after using your joint knife, you’ll add the remaining layers of mud with a taping knife. A taping knife will help you feather out mud for a more even, less rough finish.
What Drywall Knives Do Professionals Use?
One of the top drywall taping knives professionals use is the Dewalt 16 inch Big Back Taping Knife.
This knife’s long blade allows for even application and easy feathering of the joint compound. It’s also lightweight, has a soft-grip handle, and comes with a lifetime warranty.
What Is The Difference Between A Taping Knife and A Joint Knife?
Joint knives have smaller blades and rounded edges. They are ideal for applying the first coat of drywall mud and the tape.
Their curved edges can also aid in putting mud into the inside corners of a wall.
A joint knife looks very similar to a putty knife.
Drywall taping knives have blades that are usually at least ten inches long. They are ideal for applying and smoothing mud.
In addition, their long blades help fix imperfections that the joint knife caused during the first layer.
Are Taping Knives Curved?
Taping knives are square on the sides. Joint knives generally have curved sides and look similar to a putty knife.
What’s The Difference Between A Drywall Taping Knife and A Scraper?
Scrapers have very stiff blades that can scrape things off the wall. For example, in a drywall job, you may use a scraper on any left behind mud when doing a repair.
However, since the blades are so stiff, they are not ideal for applying joint compound.
Drywall taping knives have a flexible blade that allows you to apply pressure without causing damage to the drywall.
Will Using The Wrong Size Knife Damage Your Walls?
Using the wrong size knife won’t necessarily damage your wall, but it can make achieving a smooth finish hard to accomplish.
When finishing your drywall, start by applying your first coat and your tape with a 6-inch knife. This small knife will help pack mud into the seams and screw indentations.
Next, use a drywall taping knife with at least a 10-inch blade for your second coat.
This longer-bladed knife will help you achieve the best finish.
What To Look For When Buying A Drywall Taping Knife?
Design Of The Handle
When choosing a drywall taping knife, the handle should fit your palm nicely. Since you’ll be using the knife to apply several layers of mud, it needs to feel good and not cause any wrist or hand pain.
Durability
Of course, a drywall taping knife needs to be durable. It should have a corrosion-resistant blade, a well-made handle and ideally, come with a warranty or guarantee.
Blade Size
With a drywall taping knife, the blade size is essential. You’ll want a blade that’s at least ten inches long.
However, some professionals prefer even longer blades, up to 16 inches.
Top Drywall Taping Knives Reviews
1. 10” Soft-Grip Stainless Steel Taping Knife (Our Top Pick)
Our top pick is the 10” Soft-Grip Stainless Steel Taping Knife. This knife has a ten-inch blade, which is the standard for taping knives.
However, you can also order it in 8, 12, or 14 inches.
It has a premium stainless steel blade that’s flexible and corrosion-resistant. The handle on this knife is soft-grip and comfortable.
It has an ergonomic design that prevents fatigue. It also has an alloy-metal hammer end, perfect if you need to reset a drywall nail.
There aren’t really any cons to this knife. It’s professional-grade and can help you achieve a smooth finish on your drywall mud.
Pros:
- Multiple lengths
- Soft, ergonomic handle
- Flexible, corrosion-resistant blade
- Alloy metal hammer end
Cons:
- None – good bang for your buck
Buy The 10” Soft-Grip Stainless Steel Taping Knife On Amazon
2. Dewalt 16” Big Back Taping Knife (Best High End)
Our best high-end pick is the Dewalt 16 inch Big Back Taping Knife. This taping knife comes in five blade sizes, including 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 inches.
The blade is premium stainless steel that is both corrosion-resistant and flexible. In addition, its big backplate allows you to hold more compound to get the job done faster.
The Dewalt taping knife has a soft-grip ergonomic handle which can reduce fatigue if you’ll be doing a large job. The end of the handle acts as an alloy metal hammer, so you can use it to reset drywall nails.
And Dewalt offers a lifetime guarantee.
The only con to this knife is that it’s a little more expensive than comparable options. But since it comes with a lifetime warranty, it may be worth the splurge.
Pros:
- Stainless steel, rust-proof, wide blade
- Comes in various sizes
- Soft, ergonomic handle
- Lifetime warranty
- Alloy metal hammer end
- Large hang hole
Cons:
- More expensive than comparable options
Buy The Dewalt 16” Big Back Taping Knife On Amazon
3. 12” Drywall Taping Knife (Best Budget)
If you plan on doing one DIY drywall finishing job and don’t want to spend much money, consider our best budget pick – the 12-inch drywall taping knife.
Instead of a stainless steel blade, this is a blue steel taping knife. Blue steel is incredibly flexible and can help you achieve smooth finishes.
In addition, it has a tapered blade, which allows for better application around corners.
The handle is also lightweight and ergonomic, perfect if you have many areas to cover.
Now, to the cons.
The biggest con is that the blade isn’t rust or corrosion-proof. So, unless you are very careful to clean and dry this correctly, it probably won’t last for more than a job.
In addition, it only comes in one size – 12 inches.
Pros:
- Flexible blade
- Ergonomic handle
- Budget-friendly
Cons:
- The blade is not rust or corrosion-proof
- It only comes in one size
Buy The 12” Drywall Taping Knife On Amazon
4. Goldblatt Drywall Hand Tool Kit
Our last pick is the Goldblatt Drywall Hand Tool Kit. This kit is perfect if you’re looking to purchase all your necessary drywall tools in one go.
It contains a 12-inch mud pan, 8-inch drywall taping knife, 12-inch drywall taping knife, 4-inch joint knife, 6-inch joint knife, and a 3-inch multi-functional scraper.
This kit is highly rated, with 5 out of 5 stars from more than 1,000 Amazon reviewers.
All the tools in this kit have soft ergonomic handles, stainless steel blades, and alloy metal hammer ends. If you want to skip collecting individual products and go all out for this set, it’s a good one.
The only real cons are that you may end up with tools you already have.
Pros:
- It comes a taping knife set
- Come with two sizes of high-quality joint knives
- It comes with a mud pan
- Knives have stainless steel blades
- All tools have soft, comfort grip handles
Cons:
- You may already have some of these tools
- More expensive because it comes with so much stuff (still a good deal for the price, though)
Buy The Goldblatt Drywall Hand Tool Kit On Amazon
Conclusion
If you’re wondering if you need a taping knife to finish your home improvement drywall job, you most definitely do. While you should apply your first layer of mud with a smaller joint knife, subsequent layers require a drywall taping knife.
Drywall taping knives are usually at least 10 inches. Their longer blades allow them to hold a lot of mud, and they create a much smoother finish than joint knives.