Oil Paint

What Type of Painting Knife Does Bob Ross Use?

Bob Ross commonly used two sizes of painting knife in The Joy of Painting, choosing the larger or smaller blade according to the scale and detail of the mark.

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In the 'Joy of Painting,' Bob Ross frequently uses 2 types of palette knives. 

  1. Bob Ross number 10, known as a large painting knife 
  2. Bob Ross number 5 is known as a detail painting knife.

In This article, I will explain the following:

Bob Ross palette knife and alternative

Ross-style painting knives have flexible metal blades and distinct shapes, but similar artist knives can work when the edge, flexibility, size, and handle suit the technique.

Paint Knife Grade Note 
Martin/F. Weber Bob Ross Number10 Standard Painting KnifeArtistic & Bob Ross brand Large knife. Great knife for painting big objects like rocks, cliffs, mountains, and big things covering many areas.
Martin/ F. Weber Bob Ross #5 Detail Painting KnifeArtistic & Bob Ross brand Short knife. This knife is used for painting details and where the big paint knife can not reach properly.
Repino Painting Knife Set of 2Student Great alternative for beginners. The top edge is not sharp, which is good for beginners.

Bob Ross number 10 or large painting knife

The larger Bob Ross knife is useful for broad mountain planes, rocks, snow, and other wide marks where a longer flexible edge can deposit or scrape paint cleanly.

  1. Big edge: It is used to create the big objects I already mentioned. You also use the edge to create nice snow on the mountain.
  2. Little edge: This area is used for scratching and adds extra details. 

Bob Ross number 5 or detail painting knife

The smaller knife is better suited to tighter highlights, distant features, and narrow edges where the larger blade would make controlled placement more difficult.

What are the pros of Bob Ross painting knives?

The knives are shaped for the wet-on-wet technique, with flexible blades and usable edges that make broad pulls, sharp highlights, scraping, and controlled paint loading easier.

  1. Flexibility: These knives are made from stainless steel, which is pretty flexible. The flexibility helps you blend different colors in a palette, especially when you scrape the paint. Also, it makes easier to apply paint on a canvas. 
  2. Handle: The round handle looks very premium with the Bob Ross signature. Also, it is very comfortable to grab. It is slowly thin to thick from upper to bottom, and this shape perfectly fits in your hand.
  3. Blanched: The balance is pretty good. You can apply paint with good archery.

What are the cons of Bob Ross painting knives?  

Their specific shapes may feel limiting for artists who prefer other palette-knife profiles, and similar performance can often be achieved with compatible artist knives.

  1. Sharpness: Sharpness is an important part of paint knives because it is a knife. But the sharpness is not beginner friendly. Most beginners break paint using the Bob Ross knife. For a beginner, I always recommend using a sharpless knife. One I already mentioned. 

Are Bob Ross knives worthy?

Bob Ross knives can be useful for painters following his technique, but value depends on blade flexibility, edge shape, comfort, durability, and whether those features suit your work.

But you are very new to painting knives, the sharpness can be difficult for you. So I have chosen an alternative for you. However, if you want to achieve the sharp knife technique from the beginning, choose the Bob Ross knife and start your adventure. 

What should you check before buying an alternative Bob Ross painting knife?

Look for a flexible metal blade, comfortable handle, clean edges, suitable size, and a profile that can reproduce the broad pulls and fine highlights used in the technique.

Continue with Bob Ross painting tools and preparation guides covering brushes, paint type, base coats, and canvas priming.