DeWalt 3.5" Stainless Steel Pointing Joint Knife

A week of patch work reminded me that not every drywall knife needs to be 10 inches wide. I spent several days reaching for DeWalt’s 3.5-inch pointing knife for tight spaces, inside corners, and small hole repairs, and it proved its worth as a specialized, highly controllable companion—not a do‑everything finisher, but a very good detailer.

Design and build

This is a compact, purpose-built tool. The 3.5-inch stainless blade sits under a mirror-polished finish that genuinely helps with clean releases when feathering compound. The blade is pointed at roughly 60 degrees, which sets it apart from standard square knives. That geometry makes it easy to work into inside corners, tight seams, and irregular patches where a wider knifes’ shoulders would smear adjacent faces.

DeWalt hollow-grinds the blade, so it’s a touch thinner mid-span than at the spine and edge. That gives the knife just enough flex for feathering without feeling floppy. I’d call the stiffness medium: plenty of control for pushing compound into cracks, but not the rigid scraper feel you get from some thicker carbon blades.

The handle is lightweight nylon with a pronounced swell that fills the hand. It’s riveted through the tang, and it feels solid—no play, no creak, and no sense the handle could separate under pressure. The solvent-resistant material is a practical choice for a drywall tool you’ll clean aggressively. At the butt, a metal hammer end is built in for resetting popped nails or tapping bead. A large hang hole is a small but appreciated quality-of-life detail.

At 3.2 ounces and roughly 9.5 inches long overall, the tool is light and well balanced. That balance point matters in a narrow knife; it helps avoid over-rotating the blade when you’re working along edges or corners.

Ergonomics and comfort

The handle shape is a strong point. Some compact knives skimp on handle proportions, which can make them feel toy-like or imprecise. Here, the grip is sized like a full tool, not an accessory. I could choke up for delicate pressure in corners or relax my grip for broader strokes when feathering a small patch. The nylon surface stays grippy when wet, and it cleans up quickly with a scraper or rag without getting tacky.

Because the tool is so light, fatigue is minimal, especially when you’re doing repetitive touch-up work on a ladder. The tradeoff is that the hammer end has less mass behind it. It will reset a popped nail, but it’s for light taps—think corrective, not demolition.

Performance on drywall

• Inside corners: This is where the knife shines. The 60° point lets you lead with the tip and maintain contact on both faces without smearing compound back into your work. My technique was to bias pressure on one wing, feather the first pass, then flip the knife and address the other side. The mid-blade flex helps keep the skim thin without chatter.

• Small patches and screw holes: For dime- to quarter-sized repairs, the narrow width places compound precisely without trailing wide edges. Two light coats and a quick sand yielded paint-ready surfaces with minimal fuss.

• Tight seams and detail work: Around electrical boxes, window returns, and trim terminations, the point gets where a standard knife won’t. I also used the tip to rake out loose paper and re-pack with compound—controlled and clean.

• Feathering: On longer seams, it’s limited, as you’d expect from a 3.5-inch tool. You can pre-fill or spot touch with this knife, but you’ll still want a 6- to 12-inch knife for broad feathering and final blends.

• Cleaning and sticking: The polished stainless surface sheds compound better than brushed finishes. A quick flex and wipe cleared build-up at the edge. Stainless also means less anxiety about rust if you toss it in a bucket after a long day.

Durability

Stainless steel resists corrosion and holds its shape. After multiple sessions, the edge stayed true without nicks, and the mirror polish didn’t scuff to the point of dragging. The riveted handle inspires confidence; there’s no wiggle at the ferrule, and I didn’t see any seam splits in the nylon after solvent exposure. The hammer cap shows light scuffing—cosmetic only.

As with any drywall knife, don’t pry. The hollow grind is tuned for controlled flex, not leverage. Use a dedicated scraper for stubborn staples or tile mastic, and this knife will stay accurate longer.

Maintenance

• Wipe down between coats; the polished blade releases compound easily.
• For dried compound, a plastic scraper preserves the finish better than steel.
• If you do use solvents, the nylon handle tolerates them, but rinse with water to avoid lingering film.
• Hang it—literally. The large hole fits on pegboard or a carabiner so the edge stays protected in transit.

Where it fits in a kit

Think of this as a detail and corner specialist. It slots between a 1.5-inch putty knife and a 6-inch taping knife:

• It replaces a tiny putty knife for patching because the pointed geometry is more versatile.
• It complements, not replaces, your wider finishing knives. After using a 10- or 12-inch on flats, this is the tool I’d grab to clean up corners, tight spots, and problem areas.
• For taping inside corners from scratch, I still prefer a dedicated inside-corner tool for the final pass, but this DeWalt knife is excellent for pre-filling voids and tightening the angle before that last step.

Limitations

• Width: At 3.5 inches, it’s not a primary finishing tool. Large surfaces demand a wider blade for true, flat blends.
• Hammer end: Helpful for quick resets, but the light mass reduces effectiveness. Don’t expect to drive anything substantial.
• Learning curve: If you’re used to square knives only, the pointed profile changes how you approach angles. It’s intuitive after a few passes, but your first seam might take a minute to figure out pressure and orientation.

Value

Given the build quality—polished stainless blade, true hollow grind, riveted handle, and a metal butt cap—this knife punches above its weight for the category. It’s a single piece, not a set, and the one-year limited warranty is standard. The long-term value comes from the stainless construction and the versatility of that point: fewer tools out of the pouch for corner prep and small repairs.

If you’re building a lean drywall kit or you do a lot of trim-adjacent patching, this earns its spot immediately. Pros with a full spread of knives will still appreciate it for those tasks where a wide blade becomes a liability.

Tips for best results

• Lead with the point in corners, bias pressure to the active wing, then flip to finish the opposing face.
• Use light, overlapping strokes to feather small patches; let the hollow-ground flex do the work.
• Pre-fill gaps and voids with this knife, then switch to a wider blade for final blending on flats.
• Keep the edge clean; a polished blade only pays off if you wipe it between passes.
• Tap nails with controlled, small strikes using the hammer cap—avoid glancing blows that can mark finished surfaces.

The bottom line

The DeWalt 3.5-inch pointing knife is a capable, thoughtfully designed tool for detail drywall work. Its pointed, hollow-ground stainless blade offers precise control in corners and tight spaces, the handle is comfortable and confidence-inspiring, and the polished finish cleans easily. It doesn’t replace wider finishing knives, and the hammer end is best for light corrections, but within its lane, it performs reliably and efficiently.

Recommendation: I recommend this knife to anyone who does regular drywall patching, inside-corner touch-ups, or trim-adjacent repairs. It’s durable, easy to control, and genuinely useful in places where wider knives struggle. If you need a single tool to finish large flats, look elsewhere; if you want a compact, precise knife to complement your set, this one earns its keep.