Best putty knife

Hyde's 06308 is my top pick because a plumber's scraping is mostly wax, putty and old sealant, and Hyde built this blade for that. Hyde says the Pro Stainless stiff scrapers are made for demanding scraping and excel at removing paint and putty.

Stiff matters on wax. A flexible blade bends and rides over an old wax ring. A stiff one pushes under the wax and lifts it off the flange in strips, so you're not smearing it around.

The blade is stainless steel, which Hyde says is hardened for durability. Stainless is the right call for plumbing, since the knife spends its life around water and wet wax. A plain carbon blade left damp in a bucket starts to rust.

Two inches is a useful width for a toilet flange. It's wide enough to clear the flat face of a flange in a few passes and narrow enough to fit between the closet bolts.

The grip is Hyde's rust-resistant overmold, and the butt has a HammerHead that Hyde says is for setting nails and screws. On a plumbing call, that end sets a nail in a drywall patch.

Hyde makes the same stiff scraper in 1-1/4, 1-1/2, 3 and 4 inches: catalog numbers 06258, 06158, 06408 and 06579. If you want a narrower one for a basket strainer opening, the 1-1/2 inch 06158 is the same tool.

The one place I wouldn't use it is a finished surface. Hardened steel is harder than the gloss on an acrylic tub or a chrome trim ring, so it can leave marks. Switch to plastic there.

The listing gives China as the country of origin. Hyde's page for this line doesn't state a warranty, so I've left that out.

It was sold by Amazon.com and in stock on the day of the update. If you carry one putty knife in a plumbing bag, make it this one.

Red Devil's 4718 is the set I'd keep for any surface you can't afford to scratch. It's three plastic knives: a 1-1/2 inch putty knife, a 3 inch spreader and a 6 inch taping knife, per Red Devil's catalog.

Plastic is the safe choice on acrylic and fiberglass tubs and showers. Those surfaces are softer than steel, so a metal putty knife can leave scratches that show every time light hits the tub. A plastic edge is softer than the finish.

Red Devil's catalog puts these in its 4700 Economy Series and says its plastic putty knives and scrapers are ideal for most home repair projects. The Amazon listing adds that the plastic gives strength and flexibility, and that the knives are disposable once the project is done.

Each size has a plumbing job. The 1-1/2 inch fits around a drain flange or a faucet base. The 3 inch spreader clears a strip of old caulk along a tub edge. The 6 inch taping knife smooths patching compound over an access hole.

Disposable is a feature with wax and old silicone. Some messes aren't worth cleaning off a tool. When the plastic edge is caked or chewed up, toss it and use the next one.

The trade-off is speed. Plastic is slow on hard, dried putty, and the edge wears as you push. On a tough spot, soften the old material first, or switch to a razor scraper with a plastic blade for a sharper edge.

Don't pry with these. A plastic blade bent sideways snaps, and the broken edge can gouge the surface you were trying to protect.

Red Devil's catalog doesn't list a warranty for this set. It was sold by Amazon.com and in stock on the day of the update.

Titan's 17013 is the tool for old silicone caulk. Titan's listing says it cleanly removes caulk, sealant and putty. A razor edge gets under a cured bead in a way a putty knife's thick edge can't.

What makes it right for bathrooms is the blade choice. The kit comes with 10 non-marring plastic blades and 11 #20 steel blades, per Titan. Titan says to use the plastic blades to make sure the surface or finish isn't harmed.

So the plastic blades go on acrylic tubs, fiberglass showers and chrome. The steel blades are for glass, glazed tile and other hard surfaces where you need a sharper edge and a scratch won't show.

The body is tough polypropylene with a TPR comfort sleeve, per Titan. A set screw holds the blade, and you twist it to tighten or loosen when you swap blades.

A protective safety cap covers the blade between jobs, and two resealable containers hold the spare plastic and steel blades. Keep the cap on in the bag; a loose razor edge is how hands get cut.

For a caulk job, my order is simple. Cut along both edges of the old bead, lift it with the plastic blade, then clean the leftover film before the new bead goes on. New silicone won't stick well to old silicone.

The plastic blades matter most in a bathroom. Acrylic tub walls and fiberglass shower pans show every scratch, and a scratched finish is hard to hide. With ten spare plastic blades, you can swap to a fresh edge as soon as one starts to chew up on a stubborn bead.

A razor blade isn't a putty knife, and that's the trade-off. It can't spread filler and won't push a thick wax ring. Keep it as a second tool for caulk and labels.

It was sold by Amazon.com and in stock on the day of the update.

Red Devil's 4204 is the narrow, flexible blade for small spreading jobs. It's 1-1/2 inches wide with a flex blade, part of Red Devil's 4200 Professional Series, per the 2024 catalog.

Red Devil says the blade is high-carbon, precision-ground steel, lacquered to prevent rust, and that it extends through the handle. A blade that runs through the handle won't work loose when you lean on it.

The handle is black nylon, which Red Devil calls solvent-resistant. The Amazon listing describes it as shatterproof polypropylene, so the two sources differ on the plastic. Both say it resists solvents.

On the butt, there's a brass-plated solid steel nail setting head. Red Devil says it's for setting drywall nails and other hammering jobs.

In plumbing, the narrow flex blade suits small, precise spreading. Pressing epoxy putty around a pinhole leak, smoothing filler at the edge of a small patch, or working putty into a tight corner all go better with a blade that bends a little.

It's also narrow enough to clean the inside lip of a sink drain opening before a new strainer goes in. For that job, the flex lets the blade follow the curve.

For wax rings, I'd leave this one in the bag. A flex blade bends over a wax ring instead of getting under it, which is why the stiff Hyde 06308 is my top pick and this is a second knife. Together they cover scraping and spreading.

Carbon steel is the catch for wet work. Red Devil lacquers it against rust, but I'd still wipe it dry after a wet job.

Red Devil's catalog doesn't list a warranty. It was sold by Amazon.com and in stock on the day of the update.

ALLWAY's UX2F is the knife I'd pick for wet work. ALLWAY says it's made entirely from mirror-polished stainless steel, in a single piece that forms both the blade and the handle.

That one-piece build is the point. There's no plastic handle to crack and no rivets where water sits and rust starts. ALLWAY says the unibody construction is easy to clean and resists corrosion.

The blade is flexible and professionally ground, per ALLWAY, and the listing says that gives a high level of control for applying and spreading putty. ALLWAY lists scraping, spreading spackle and applying adhesive as uses.

The handle is contoured and rivet-free. ALLWAY's listing says the small size suits tight areas and awkward angles, and the contoured handle reduces hand fatigue.

There's a built-in hammer end. ALLWAY says it sets nails in drywall or drives in loose or extended nails.

For plumbing, I'd use it on the patch after the repair. When you open drywall to reach a valve or a leak, this 2-inch blade spreads compound in the corners of the patch. It wipes clean in the same bucket you rinse your hands in.

The polished blade helps with cleanup. ALLWAY says the one-piece build is easy to clean. A smooth stainless face gives compound and putty little to grip, so a rag usually clears it before it dries on.

Two inches matches the Hyde 06308. If you carry both, you have a stiff blade and a flexible blade at the same width: scrape with the Hyde, then spread with the ALLWAY.

It's also a good blade for spreading a thin layer of plumber's putty or adhesive, where a stiff blade would gouge instead of smooth.

ALLWAY's page doesn't list a warranty or where it's made. It was sold by Amazon.com and in stock on the day of the update.

Hyde's 06321 is a 2-inch brass scraper. Hyde says the Pro Project brass scrapers are ideal for scraping paint and removing putty in tight areas where the material underneath needs protecting.

Hyde also says the brass is designed for non-sparking applications, and calls it safe for volatile environments. A steel scraper striking metal or stone can throw a spark. Brass is far less likely to.

Where would a plumber care? Scraping near a gas meter, around a gas appliance, or in a space where fumes from solvent cement or a cleaner might hang. Ventilate first; a non-sparking tool is a backup, not a fix.

The other reason is gentleness. Brass is softer than hardened steel, so it's kinder to glazed tile, china and brass drain bodies. It's still harder than plastic, so test it before you use it on acrylic or chrome.

The blade is stiff, which Hyde says allows precise removal in tight or delicate areas. The handle is Hyde's overmold comfort grip. The Amazon listing adds a die-cast hammer head on the end. The listing also mentions carbon steel blades, which conflicts with Hyde's page; I go by Hyde's page, which calls it brass.

One limit to be plain about: if you smell gas, no hand tool makes the job safe. Leave the building and call the gas utility from outside. Brass is for routine work near gas lines, not for working through a leak.

Hyde makes the same brass scraper in 1-1/4 inches as the 06081. The 2-inch is the more useful width on a toilet flange or around a fixture base.

The trade-off is wear. A soft brass edge dulls and rolls faster than hardened stainless, so it's a second scraper for special cases, not the one you use every day.

It was sold new by a third-party seller, 502 Distribution, not Amazon.com, and in stock on the day of the update. Hyde's page doesn't list a warranty for this line.