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That time a homeowner in Cincinnati asked me why I was using a 6-inch knife for the first coat
He said his dad, who was a taper in the 70s, always used a 10-inch for the first pass to 'let the mud do the work', and after trying it on his bathroom job, I haven't gone back to the smaller knife since.
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nancy8203mo ago
Is it really that big of a deal? I mean, I've used both sizes and they both get the job done. Sometimes a smaller knife is just easier to handle in tight corners. Maybe it's just me but I feel like people make too much of these old school tricks.
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nathan1933mo ago
Honestly, when you said "they both get the job done," that's totally fair. But tbh, the big deal is about speed and not wrecking your wrist over time. If you're just doing one onion, sure, grab whatever. But try dicing ten pounds of veggies with a small knife and your hand is gonna cramp up bad. A bigger blade uses its own weight to cut, so you're just guiding it instead of forcing it through.
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casey_lane731mo ago
The 10 pound veggie test is exactly right man. It's not just about knives either. I notice this same pattern all over the place, like with tools or even kitchen gadgets. People will use the wrong size wrench on a bolt and end up stripping it, then blame the wrench. It's fine for one quick job but when you push it, the limits show up fast. A lot of folks just never hit that point where the wrong tool actually costs them time and energy. So they think it's all the same until they're stuck with a cramped hand and half a pile of onions left.
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