I was nervous to try this at first-drywall finishing sounds like something a pro should do. But I redid my guest room last summer, and I used my soft touch putty knife, and it worked way better than I thought.
Drywall finishing is all about the seams-you put tape over the gaps, then spread joint compound over the tape, and smooth it so it blends with the wall. With a regular knife, I'd always press too hard or too soft. Either I'd leave ridges, or I'd take off too much compound and have to start over.
The soft touch handle changed that. I could hold the knife steady, not too tight, and apply just the right pressure. The blade bends a little, so it glides over the tape without lifting it up. I also had to "feather" the edges-tapering the compound so there's no line where the compound ends and the drywall starts. That part's tricky, but the soft grip kept my hand from getting tired, so I could take my time.
I made a few mistakes at first-once I put too much compound on-but I scraped it off with the same knife and tried again. By the end, the seams were smooth. When I painted the wall, you couldn't even tell where the seams were. My cousin, who does construction, came over and said, "Did you hire someone?" I told him it was the knife, and he went out and bought one the next day.
