Hyde Tools 02870 6" Black & Silver® Joint Knife with Hammer Head®

across the handle with the thumb behind the blade to control the bend; you press to load and bed, and ease off to level. Angle: fairly flat to the wall for wiping and building, steeper only to press material into a joint. Coats: thin and layered, each wider than the last — a wide blade tempts a heavy single pull, but two thin coats level better and sand less. Using the striker: tap to set a fastener flush, don't swing it like a hammer. Steel: high-carbon hones keen and flexes true; wipe it dry after water-based compound so it doesn't rust and streak the next coat. Clean it wet — dried mud on a 6" blade drags a line across everything after it.