LEVEL5 16" Skimming Blade | Smoothing/Knock-Down Knife | Extruded Aluminum & European Stainless Steel Construction | High-Impact End Caps | Sheetrock Drywall Gyprock Wall-Board Plasterboard | 4-916

I'm not sure if this type of tool was available when I did drywall work in the late 1990s. I'd consider myself a capable owner (I build my own cabinets, doors, railings, and column wraps, among other things). I had a rental with a wall that was such a mess from the ostensibly professional contractor who had done repairs that I knew I'd have to skim it back to health after I patched it. br>br>I expected my first time to be a disaster of a learning experience. With only a few liftoffs to deal with later, I was *amazed* at how quickly and easily I was able to make this wall look like new drywall. br>br>Without exaggeration, it took about 15 minutes. To thin the compound and skim this wall, it will take 20 minutes. I know it would have taken me hours and a lot of swearing with wide tapeing knives in the past. It's a dream to use these gadgets. I can only imagine how good it would look in the hands of a pro.

Bennett Munoz

| Jun 03, 2021

up, as well as extra end caps! I read a few reviews that said the end caps were broken when they arrived. Because it came with spares, I believe the manufacturer read those reviews as well. By the way, mine were in perfect condition, and the tool was well-protected. I decided to go with the 24" model. Even for someone like me who only does drywall on occasion, it's incredibly simple to use. The grip and motion were both very natural to me. I leveled/smoothed everything with another knife after adding compound. It can also be used to see how level a surface is once everything has dried. br>br>I was working on a wall that had been wall papered but hadn't been painted, so removing the wall paper ruined some of the drywall paper (I used Zinsser Gardz, which is also excellent). Not only did I have a lot of repaired areas to deal with, but the people who did the job originally knew they were going to use wall paper and did a poor job of finishing the wall. At the 4 foot mark, there was a visible seam that ran the length of the wall. It looks fantastic when you use this tool and concentrate on that section of the wall. I'm surprised I was able to make it look so good. br>br>Another general tip I discovered and hadn't tried before was to inspect, circle areas with a pencil, and label them "S" for sand and "F" for fill. Because it's difficult to spot flaws on a large wall with compound, circle and mark them as you inspect. I didn't cover the entire wall with this, instead focusing on the long seams, corners, and larger areas. I believe I would have used less pencil if I had used it more! Great tool! br>br>.

Kaisley Foster

| Aug 31, 2021

This is a fantastic skimming blade. Add some dish soap after mixing the ready mix with water until it just falls off the mixer. Allow 5 minutes for it to set before skimming it on with a 10" taping knife from your pan, smoothing it out with a 24" taping knife, and finishing with a couple swipes with this skimming blade to make the wall smooth and even. Great job on the final product!.

Ansley Parker

| Aug 09, 2021

This thing has the potential to change the game entirely. After a traditional first coat and light sanding, make a thin mud mixture and roll it out in large sections before hitting it with this.

Niklaus PEACOCK

| Dec 17, 2021

I would have bought this Level 5 skimming blade years ago if I had known how much easier it would make my life. I've been repairing nail pops in my 1960 house and have decided that after removing all the nails and replacing them with screws, skim coating the walls is the best option. I was dreading the procedure, but now that I've invested in this tool, I'm glad I did. This book comes highly recommended.

Kobe Gray

| Feb 01, 2021

This tool is made of high-quality aluminum. It has a nice, balanced feel to it in the hands.
CON: Why is there a cheap piece of molded plastic as a stop on such a high-quality product? It's easy to see why these are broken when they arrive. Except for the blade, which is packed in an open ended cardboard cap, presumably to allow the blade to move and not put pressure on the plastic end cap, the packaging is good. However, because the box is almost an exact fit, it pushed the end of the box in towards the blade every time it was stood on end during transit. The box eventually softens, and the cardboard end protection is rendered useless because the blade it shields is free to make contact with the outer box and is pushed. On the other end, the plastic end cap has cracked. I'm going to keep it in the box and secure it with duct tape on both ends to keep the blade from moving outside the cardboard. br>Update 1/15/21: The manufacturer got in touch with me and sent me a new plastic end cap to replace the one that had broken. I was also told that the packaging had changed, and that I might have received an older method of boxing. Of course, I won't be able to confirm this until I buy something else. However, I can assure you that the quality of this company's products is of paramount importance to them. Excellent service to customers.

Aden Schaefer

| Jul 20, 2021

Seriously, game changer, the amount of blade on the wall is 10 to 15 times more contact than standard mud knives, don't get me wrong, you still need mud knives for tapping or just to get the mud on the wall, but watch out, I can come in behind you and move it where it needs to go faster than you can put it on, I want to design a pump that can put the mud on the wall easier than a plunger, something I can use my Milwaukee batteries in with a ha ha Thank you, L5, for making my life easier, more professional, and giving me more free time. 👍👍.

Zelda McNeil

| Feb 20, 2021

I would have bought this Level 5 skimming blade years ago if I had known how much easier it would make my life. I've been repairing nail pops in my 1960 house and have decided that after removing all the nails and replacing them with screws, skim coating the walls is the best option. I was dreading the procedure, but now that I've invested in this tool, I'm glad I did. This book comes highly recommended.

Brendan Newman

| Nov 08, 2021