Well there simply isn't an answer to this popular question asked by many. There's countless trowels on the market but its knowing what trowel is best used at certain stages of the set.
Many use the Marshalltown-permashape for putting on with simply down to the fact of its durability ands its generally the first trowel purchased for beginners.
Second to the Marshalltown Permashape we have the Nela-Mediflex & Refina Super-flex. At PlasterProfessional we like to call these the middle ground/ Finishing trowels. Not all but some plasterers prefer to use these trowels to put their walls on, down to the the nature of the thin blade design on them leaving no air pockets in the plaster, creating longer setting times. But there is also negatives in using these as application trowels due to there flexible nature some novice plasterers struggle to fill out beads and the deep areas with these trowels and follow the shape off the wall instead of providing a flat finish. so there is pro's and con's.
Popular final trowel is the plastic Plaziflex. PlasterProfessional use this trowel at the very end of the set. Usually just one final pass to give it that popular glimmering shine most customers are looking for. Sometimes a second quick pass in necesarry, going over kill with this trowel can tend to annoy the painter as the roller will slide on the wall, with longer paint setting times due to no air pockets in the finish. These are the guys we need to keep happy right?
Again some not all plasterer's use these trowels to flatten off with. Due to its high flexibility and low durability these trowels can form ripples which defeats the object of using it as a flattener. also with its low-Durability you will get through these trowels like no tomorrow using them to flatten off with.
Permashape Marshalltown.
A solid all rounded trowel, can be used at any time in your plastering set. Most usually favour it for putting on and second coating It's arguable the strongest and well made trowel on the market.
Aluminium alloy Xtralite mounting is lightweight but very strong beginners can do a better job and be more productive sooner. Broken-in-shape eliminates line and ripple marks right from the start, if brought in Carbon Steel it will rust if not taken care of properly but far superior to stainless in keeping a sharp edge. If brought in carbon steel I would recommend keeping some WD-40 in you work back and an old towel to keep it dry after using to stop rust.
2-3 years broken in these trowels can get seriously sharp and will only need to catch your skin slightly to cause some damage. I have a few mini scars over the years from this little beast. All in all a highly reliable trowel.
Nela Medi-FLEX
PREMIUM MediFLEX Finishing Trowel, BiKo GRIP CORK, Ultra-lightweight aluminium mounting made from a robust special alloy for ultra-high stability and easy handling. Attached with special bolts made from a high-quality stainless material. Secure handle mounting thanks to M8 nuts. High quality blades made from stainless spring steel. Blade finely burred all round. High-strength bond between both blades thanks to a special tape that withstands both solvents and extreme temperatures. Thickness 0,4 mm.
Cork handle fantastic for using in winter there's nothing like picking your trowel up in winter with cold hands. The cork handle doesn't take long to warm up giving it a nice feel. Not as durable compared to the marshalltown Permashape as previously mentioned. dropping this trowel on one of the corners could be game over as its a softer and thiner blade so take extra precaution when handling and don't be reckless when storing in the van. Keep your baby's clean looked after and soak them once in a while.
Plaziflex
These PLAZIFLEX skimming trowels are for finishing, final trowelling and polishing Multi-finish plasters. They are lightweight and easy to use leaving an excellent finish on the final trowelling
There are two types of PLAZIFLEX trowels.
The trowels with a flexiback design are produced with a 1.0mm black plastic blade and are the most flexible in the range
The flatback design are produced with either a 1.5mm black plastic blade (semi-flexible) or 2.0mm plastic blade (semi-rigid)
The Premium mini trowels are made in Germany and have a stainless steel blade with alloy shank and soft composite blue handle. Cork, leather and traditional wood handles are produced. The mini trowels slot into the blade holder bracket on the top of the replaceable trowel blade. As there are several types of handle in stock, order the trowel blade and handle separately.