DeWalt 5 in. x 2-1/2 in. Pointing Trowel

Why this pointing trowel earned a spot in my bucket

I reached for this DeWalt pointing trowel to repoint a weathered brick stoop and patch a few loose stones in a garden path. I wanted something small enough to work in tight joints but stout enough to scoop, pack, and shape mortar without fluttering. After a few weekends of use, it’s become my go-to for any masonry task that calls for precision over volume.

First impressions and build quality

Out of the packaging, the one-piece forged construction stands out. The blade and shank are a single piece of carbon steel with a clean transition into the handle tang—no welds, no rivets, no suspicious seams to loosen over time. The blade is hand-polished and edge-ground, and you can feel that in use: it slides through mortar with less drag than a rough-stamped blade, and the edges shave away squeeze-out cleanly.

The tip is relatively sharp for a trowel of this size. That’s great for cutting crisp lines and working into tight corners, but if you’re worried about marking soft brick or stone, a quick hit with fine sandpaper or a light pass on a grinder will knock the point back without compromising accuracy.

At 5 inches long by 2.5 inches wide, the blade sits in the true “pointing” category—purpose-built for packing joints rather than laying beds of mortar. It’s stiff. I could lever a small brick back into position without noticeable flex, and the blade didn’t oil-can even when I used it to scrape cured smears from a paver’s edge. That stiffness is an asset for compacting mortar into deep joints; it drives material where you want it without bouncing.

Handle and ergonomics

The soft-grip handle is one of the better ones I’ve used on a pointing trowel. The overmold is tacky enough to hold onto when your gloves are wet or gritty, but it doesn’t feel spongy. The diameter is on the fuller side, which I prefer for control and reduced finger cramping during longer sessions. If you have smaller hands, you may find it a bit chunky at first, but the shape encourages a neutral wrist position when pushing rather than prying—exactly what you want for joint packing.

Balance is slightly forward of the grip’s midpoint, which makes sense for a small trowel tuned for precision. You feel the tip. That helps when feathering along the edge of a brick or smoothing a joint in a tight corner. After a few hours of intermittent use, I had no hot spots and less wrist fatigue than I typically get with heavier, longer-blade brick trowels.

Performance in real jobs

• Repointing brick joints: On 3/8- to 1/2-inch mortar joints, the narrow profile slips in cleanly. I loaded the heel with mortar, skated the tip along the joint, and packed in passes. The blade’s stiffness helped me compress mortar deep into voids, and the edge-ground sides let me shave back flush without swapping tools.
• Stone walkway patching: Working between irregular flagstones is where a pointed blade excels. The tip navigates tight crevices, and with a light twist I could flare mortar into undercut edges for better lock-up. The polished underside reduced drag, so I wasn’t lifting aggregate out of the mix while smoothing.
• Clean-up and scraping: If mortar smeared onto the face of a brick, the trowel doubled as a scraper. The edge cleans up green (partially set) mortar well without chatter. I wouldn’t use it as a primary scraper on fully cured concrete—no trowel likes that life—but it shrugged off occasional scraping without rolling the edge.

I paired it with a jointer for final finishes on visible brickwork. The trowel handles loading and rough shaping; the jointer dials in the consistent profile. If you’re doing a lot of buttering on backs of bricks or placing larger volumes, you’ll want a margin trowel or a traditional brick trowel to complement it. This one is a precision tool, not a volume mover.

Control, feedback, and edge quality

The cross-ground and edge-ground finish matters more than it sounds. On this trowel, it means you can feather an edge or back-drag to smooth without tearing the surface. I could carve a consistent reveal along stair risers and strike a crisp line at transitions. Because the blade is so stiff, the feedback comes more through the handle than through flex; you feel resistance changes as you pack, which helped me avoid overfilling and reduced sanding or brushing later.

If you’re new to pointing, expect a small learning curve. A pointed blade rewards a light touch—short strokes to place and compress, then a clean pass to smooth. The tool won’t make your joints perfect by itself, but it makes it easier to achieve consistent results.

Durability and maintenance

Carbon steel is the right choice here: tough, holds an edge, and resists bending. The tradeoff is corrosion. Rinse or wipe it down before mortar cures, dry it, and give the blade a thin coat of light oil if it’s going to sit. After several uses—some in damp conditions—it’s still straight, the tip is true, and the handle remains tight on the tang. No squeaks, no play.

A note on misuse: it’s tempting to pry with any trowel. The forged shank on this one tolerated a few ill-advised pries during my stone reset, but I wouldn’t make a habit of it. Use a small bar for stubborn work and save the blade.

Where it shines and where it doesn’t

Strengths:
- Excellent access in tight mortar joints and irregular stone gaps
- Stiff, one-piece blade for confident packing with minimal flex
- Edge- and cross-ground finish for clean shaping and shaving
- Comfortable soft-grip handle with reliable traction when wet
- Sharp tip for precise work and crisp lines

Tradeoffs:
- The 5-inch blade is not intended for moving large volumes of mortar; pair it with a margin or brick trowel on bigger jobs
- The sharp tip can mark soft brick or stone; break the point slightly if that’s a concern
- Carbon steel needs basic care to avoid rust

How it compares to other pointing trowels

Stacked against similarly sized pointing trowels from legacy masonry brands, this DeWalt feels stiffer and a touch heavier in the blade, with a more comfortable grip. Some competitors use pinned or welded tangs; the one-piece forging here inspires confidence and eliminates a common failure point. The edge finish is also a plus—fewer burrs out of the box and less time “tuning” the tool before first use.

If you prefer a very thin, slightly flexible blade for delicate lime mortars, you might seek a lighter pattern. For modern Type N and S mixes, the extra stiffness is a benefit in my hands.

Practical tips from the field

• Load from the heel, not the tip, and push mortar into the joint with short, controlled strokes.
• Use the edge to shave squeeze-out while the mortar is still green; it reduces cleanup time significantly.
• Round the tip very slightly if you’re working on soft-faced brick to avoid accidental scratches.
• Clean before the mix starts to set; carbon steel will last for years if you keep it dry and lightly oiled between uses.

The bottom line

This DeWalt pointing trowel is a precise, durable tool for anyone doing tuckpointing, stone patching, or small-format cement work where control matters more than capacity. The one-piece forged blade and shank provide stiffness you can trust, the edge finish improves surface quality, and the soft-grip handle keeps hand fatigue in check over a day’s work. It won’t replace a larger trowel for bed joints or parging, but that’s not its job.

Recommendation: I recommend it. If your work involves packing and shaping mortar in tight joints—brick, block, or stone—this trowel hits the right balance of size, stiffness, and comfort. With basic care, it should outlast several projects and keep producing clean, consistent results.