Putty knives, sanding and scrapers: which prep tools do you need?

A smooth paint job starts with the surface: fill and level with a putty knife, sand to the right grit, and scrape off old paint or residue when needed.

At Saniso this prep & finish line covers 89 STALCO / STALCO PERFECT products: 51 putty knives and spatulas, 33 sanding items and 5 scrapers. Hand spatulas run 30–240 mm; wide blades and aluminium spatulas 250–1500 mm; sanding grits in assortment G24–G240. Browse painter's putty knife, surface putties, accessories for surface fillers, sandpaper for painting prep and paint scrapers. They sit under spatulas, floats and putties, abrasives and scrapers. Saniso B.V. in Zwaag sells the STALCO / STALCO PERFECT brands as a wholesaler and webshop. This guide is part of Saniso’s painting-tools series (prep & finish first).

What are prep & finish tools (putty knife, sanding, scraper)?

Prep & finish tools here are the hand tools and abrasives you use before you roll or brush paint: putty knives and spatulas to apply and smooth filler, sanding sheets, rolls, mesh, discs and blocks to level the surface, and scrapers to remove old paint or cut plasterboard and polystyrene. On saniso.nl they sit in three families — putty knives (51), sanding (33) and scrapers (5) — all 89 SKUs in this guide. Rollers, brushes, tapes, foils, trays, sprayers and paint cans are not in this guide.

Why prep the surface before you paint?

You prep for filling holes, smoothing filler and evening walls before painting. A putty knife lays and levels compound; sandpaper and related formats knock down ridges and create a paint-ready tooth; a scraper clears loose paint or cuts board edges so the next coat sits clean. STALCO abrasive paper rolls on Saniso list processing of metal, wood and painted surfaces, and smoothing gypsum plasters and fillers — typical surface-prep language on those product pages. Skipping prep usually shows through as telegraphing ridges, flashing or peel.

Who typically buys these products at Saniso?

Saniso B.V. in Zwaag sells STALCO / STALCO PERFECT as a wholesaler and webshop, so typical buyers are painters, finishers, contractors and serious DIY customers who pick spatula width or grit from an offer, or restock workshop rolls and discs. Article codes (S-… / S0…) work as product references when you open the matching product page.

Putty knives: hand spatulas vs wide blades vs accessories

Putty tools on Saniso split into three category leaves — do not treat them as one product type:

Hand spatulas 30–240 mm (STALCO + cork-handle PERFECT)

STALCO painter’s spatulas (14) cover widths 30, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 150, 200 and 240 mm. On sampled product pages the blade is stainless steel, polished and flexible, with a varnished wooden handle, for painting and finishing work. Narrow end: S-37003 (30 mm). Mid band: S-37010 (100 mm). Wide end: S-37129 (240 mm).

On several widths Saniso lists two STALCO article codes with the same millimetre title — for example 40 mm as S-37004 and S-37040, and likewise pairs on 60 / 80 / 100 / 120 mm. Treat them as separate product pages; the titles alone do not say which series differs how.

STALCO PERFECT cork-handle spatulas (5) run 40 / 60 / 80 / 100 / 120 mm, plus cork spatula + bit S-73371 (no millimetre in the title). Example 100 mm cork: S-73367 — product pages list a polished / hardened stainless blade and an ergonomic cork handle.

Wide aluminium and plastic blades (250–1500 mm)

For large flat walls and ceilings, STALCO PERFECT offers wide surface spatulas and replaceable blades:

• Aluminium spatulas (Surface putties, 10): titles list 250–1000 mm at 0.3 mm or 0.5 mm — e.g. S-73592 (250 × 0.3 mm) and S-73600 (1000 × 0.3 mm). Sampled pages describe an anodized aluminium profile with replaceable blades.
• Replaceable Plastic Putty Knife Blade (6): titles 250–1250 × 0.3 mm, e.g. S-73562. Use the product-page title wording (Plastic); check the live page for full material details.
• Aluminum Putty Knife Blade accessories: further 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm widths up to 1500 mm under accessories — link the article code you need from that leaf.
• STALCO plastic putty knife blades (2): S030539754 (400 × 0.4 mm) and the plastic putty knife blade 600 × 0.4 mm S030539755.

Handles, telescopic pole and replaceable blades

Accessories complete the wide-blade system: spatula handle S-73628 and telescopic pole for aluminium putty adapter 0.93–1.43 m S-73630. Choose the handle and pole for the width the product page names.

Sanding: sheets, rolls, mesh, discs and blocks (G24–G240)

The sanding family (33 SKUs) covers formats and grits for prep before paint. Browse by leaf:

Examples: paper roll G60 S-36315; mid grit G120 roll S-36318 (title 155 mm × 50 m — check the live product page for dimensions); cloth G40 pack S-36324; mesh G40 S-36040; self-adhesive ø125 G24 S-36301; perforated 225 mm G60 S065136334; sanding block G36 S-71259 (product page: four abrasive surfaces, wet and dry); beveled G36 S-71280; PVC sanding trowel S-37523. Also under sanding blocks and painting accessories when you browse related hubs.

Scrapers: paint, plasterboard and multi-purpose

Five STALCO scrapers cover three leaves under ripoff and scraping tools:

On S-37184 the product page lists a plastic handle and replaceable trapezoidal blades. On S-18810 / S-18806 pages: plastic body, easy blade replacement, for plasterboard and polystyrene. S-37186 is titled multifunction scraper — keep use to what that page states.

Choosing width and grit for the job

Match tool size to the patch, then grit to how aggressive you need to sand:

Start coarser only where the surface needs it, then step finer before the topcoat. Exact grit steps depend on the substrate and filler — use the grit printed on each STALCO / STALCO PERFECT title as your order reference.

Overview: STALCO / STALCO PERFECT prep tools at Saniso

Representative product links (not a full dump of all 89):

Open any artikelcode above for live stock and details. Brand pages: STALCO · STALCO PERFECT.

FAQ

How do you choose putty knife width for filling and smoothing?

Match the blade to the repair: small holes and edges with 30–60 mm, everyday wall patches with 80–120 mm, larger flats with 150–240 mm hand spatulas, and full wall or ceiling passes with wide 250–1500 mm aluminium or plastic-titled blades. Open the product page for the millimetre in the title — that is your order width.

Which sandpaper grit do you use before painting?

In this STALCO assortment, start coarser (G24–G60) when you need to strip or level hard ridges, move to mid (G80–G120) for general prep, and finish finer (G150–G240) before paint. Paper rolls, cloth sheets, mesh, discs and blocks all print grit in the title — pick the format that fits hand or machine work, then the grit band.

When do you need a scraper instead of a putty knife?

Use a putty knife to apply and smooth filler; use a scraper when you must remove old paint, cut plasterboard or polystyrene, or clear residue. Saniso’s paint scraper, plasterboard scrapers and multifunction scraper are the removal tools in this guide — not substitutes for laying compound.

What is the difference between sandpaper, abrasive mesh and a sanding block?

Sandpaper here includes rolls (155 mm × 50 m in titles) and related sheets for cutting to size. Abrasive mesh (e.g. S-36040, 105 × 280 mm G40) is an open mesh sheet for hand sanding. A sanding block (e.g. S-71259) is a flexible block with grit on the faces — handy for hand work and, on that page, wet and dry use. Discs add pad / machine formats.

Hand spatula or wide aluminium blade — which fits wall prep?

A hand spatula (30–240 mm) suits spot fills and everyday patches you control by hand. A wide aluminium spatula or replaceable wide blade (250 mm and up) suits large flat wall or ceiling smoothing. Many jobs use both: hand spatula for edges and repairs, wide blade for the field.

Contact: Saniso B.V., De Corantijn 95, 1689 AN Zwaag · +31 85 488 5920 · Contact.