Snapped my 6-inch taping knife mid-finish on a ceiling today

Was feathering a butt joint in a tight hallway and the handle just gave out on me - guess 8 years of daily use finally caught up. Anyone else had a favorite tool just fail at the worst possible moment?

3 comments

3 Comments

betty_kelly91mo agoTop Commenter

Oh man, that hurts just reading this. I had my favorite old Stanley 6-inch give out on me mid-skim coat once, right in the middle of a living room ceiling. Handle just split clean in half, left me standing there with a handful of plastic and the blade clattering on the drop cloth. Eight years of use is a good run, but it still stings when it happens at the worst time. I ended up finishing that ceiling with my backup 4-inch and it felt like painting with a toothbrush.

the_jana1mo ago

Honestly though, @betty_kelly9, is it really that deep? Like yeah it sucks when a tool breaks (especially mid-job), but eight years out of a plastic-handled Stanley feels like borrowed time to me. You got your money's worth, right?

miller.rowan1mo agoMost Upvoted

Painting with a toothbrush" - that's exactly how it feels. I had a similar moment with a cheap trowel that snapped on me during a bathroom ceiling. I just stood there like a fool holding two pieces of metal while my mud started setting up. Made the rest of the job take twice as long and I probably invented a few new curse words that day.