Level 5 and Dewalt (made my Level 5) have come out with new one-piece stainless steel drywall knives in a range of sizes.
What’s special about these drywall joint compound knives is that they have a full-length internal tang that has been robotically welded at four points of contact for extreme durability. The handles feature welded seams that are polished to a mirror finish.
Level 5 says that their one-piece stainless steel drywall knives are lightweight, extremely comfortable, and “clean up like a dream.”
The blades feature a hollow grind that provides a flex point midway up the blade instead of near the handle, which is said to give the drywall knives a broken-in feel with the first use. Level 5 says that this will give users a better feel for faster application rates, optimum blade control, and smoother finishes.
The Level 5 drywall tools have a lifetime guarantee, and the Dewalt versions are similarly guaranteed against defects in workmanship for as long as you own the tools.
The one-piece drywall knives are available in 3″, 4″, 5″, 6″, 8″, and 10″ sizes.
Features
- 100% premium stainless steel for corrosion resistance
- Robotically welded at four points of contact
- Unique hollow grind at mid blade for optimal mid-blade flex
- Broken-in feel even with first use
- Precision-ground blade edge
- Ergonomically-designed handle
- Robotically-welded handle mirror polished until seamless
- Oversized hang hole
Prices range from $15.49 to $20.49 for Level 5 tools. At the time of this posting, the Dewalt versions are all $1 more than Level 5 tools of the same size.
Buy Now(Level 5 One-Piece Drywall Knives via Amazon)
Buy Now(Dewalt One-Piece Drywall Knives via Amazon)
Compare(Kraft One-Piece Drywall Knives via Amazon)
Discussion
I don’t do enough work with drywall joint compound to make a convincing argument for or against these one-piece drywall knives. But, with stainless steel handles I’d imagine they’re lighter than tools with solid plastic handles. They’re probably a lot easier to clean, with no grooves or crevices to accumulate compounds or other work materials.
Since the Level 5 and Dewalt-branded drywall knives are both made by Level 5, and the Level 5 versions are each $1 cheaper (at least as of the time of this posting), I can’t see any reason users would be compelled to go with the Dewalt tools. $1 more per tool for a different removable label and differently etched/marked handle?
As for the price difference compared to other drywall knives or finishing tools, it seems that a lot more work goes into forming, welding, and finishing these tools.
These aren’t the first one-piece all-stainless steel drywall tools on the market. Have you one-piece drywall joint compound knives before? Would you try these?
