Is a scraper the same as a filling knife?

No. A scraper's blade is rigid and does not flex; its job is removal. A filling knife's blade is thin and springy; its job is to lay filler. They are used in sequence on the same surface.

Which one is used for stripping wallpaper?

The scraper. A wide blade lifts the paper in strips; a narrow blade takes the residue out of corners, frame edges and around sockets. After wetting the paper, keeping the blade low to the surface avoids scoring the plaster.

Do scraper blades rust?

Carbon steel blades rust if they are put away wet. Clean and dry the blade at the end of the job. Stainless blades are preferred for wet rooms and exterior work.

Is the pole included with a pole-mount scraper?

No. The threaded socket in the handle accepts a standard paint pole or extension handle; the pole is sold separately.

Brand

Sort

Scrapers & Filling Knives

A scraper or filling knife is the tool for the preparation that comes before painting. The split is whether the blade flexes: a rigid scraper blade removes, a filling knife's flexing blade lays filler into the surface. A pole-mount scraper has a threaded handle, so a ceiling is worked from the ground.

1–24 of 56 · page 1 / 3

Rigid blade or flexing blade?

A scraper's blade is thick and rigid; the force goes into cutting rather than into bending. Blistered paint, flaking distemper, old wallpaper, glue residue and set mortar come off with it.

A filling knife's blade is thin and springy. The flex lets it follow the surface, lay filler into the hole and strike off the excess; a rigid blade doing the same job leaves a mark in the filler.

In practice both are used on the same job: loose material comes off with the scraper first, then the holes are filled with the knife.

How the blade width is chosen

A narrow blade puts more pressure behind the same force: corners, frame edges, around sockets and stubborn spots.

A wide blade clears more area per pass on a flat wall and leaves a flatter surface when filling -- but on an uneven surface its edge leaves a line. One narrow and one wide blade are kept together.

Pole-mount scrapers

The blade is the same; the difference is the handle. Its end is threaded and takes a paint pole or an extension handle.

Ceilings, stairwells, high walls and facades are then scraped from the ground rather than from a scaffold. It also works as an ordinary scraper without the pole.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a scraper the same as a filling knife?
No. A scraper's blade is rigid and does not flex; its job is removal. A filling knife's blade is thin and springy; its job is to lay filler. They are used in sequence on the same surface.
Which one is used for stripping wallpaper?
The scraper. A wide blade lifts the paper in strips; a narrow blade takes the residue out of corners, frame edges and around sockets. After wetting the paper, keeping the blade low to the surface avoids scoring the plaster.
Do scraper blades rust?
Carbon steel blades rust if they are put away wet. Clean and dry the blade at the end of the job. Stainless blades are preferred for wet rooms and exterior work.
Is the pole included with a pole-mount scraper?
No. The threaded socket in the handle accepts a standard paint pole or extension handle; the pole is sold separately.