What Is It?

The 5 in 1 paint scraper is perhaps the most versatile tool known to mankind. Seriously. I have used this thing to break into customer houses (hey we said we would be their at 7 am), clean my fingernails, pry out nails, shim up sheets of drywall, take off light switch covers, cut deer sausage, throw it at disorderly vermin, and of course for paint related stuff.

What I look for in a 5 in 1.

Simple is better than stupid. I use a standard sized and standard utility scraper, anything oversized or bigger than 2 1/4 inches wide is a waste of your pocket. The “Warner ProGrip 5-in-1” is an ideal scraper for all painting needs. The larger 3 3/4 inch headed scrapers only increase the odds of jabbing your thumb when the scraper is in your side pocket.

Nothing fancy, just cheap, durable 5 in 1’s.

A Full Tang.

Any scraper you purchase should be a thick metal throughout. I have seen many people live and die by Hyde scrapers. They do scrape better, however cost more and always break at the handle.

Simplicity is the Key.

A person only needs a scraper for roller cleaning, indenting of drywall nail marks, scraping dried paint chunks on wall, and scraping dried paint off the brush crimp and ferrule areas and opening gallon cans with the stub end. Think about scrapers that offer can opening, bottle opening, hammer, and wrench sizes. When you need a can opener, you get a get a can opener. When you need to hammer, you get a hammer. Finally, when you need to wrench something, you get a wrench. There is no reason to overpay for a 5 in 1, for extra accessories.