There is a lot of satisfaction to be had in restoring a well-made old tool, even if it is a lowly putty knife. The Red Devil P1-1¼S pictured above is a perfect example (Note: the "S" suffix indicates that it is a stiff blade, as opposed to an "F" for flexible blade).
I found it in the bottom of a picked-over box at a flea market. It cost me one dollar. Trading an increasingly worth less Federal Reserve Note for a vintage P-series Red Devil putty knife was a heck of a deal.
Oh sure—the tool was a mess! But the caked-on gunk didn’t give me a second’s hesitation. And neither did some pitting rust on the blade. I knew I could have it restored to beauty and usefulness in an hour or so, and that’s exactly what I did…
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The P-series Red Devil knives were the highest grade of knife offered by Red Devil. They are, in my opinion, the best putty knives ever made in America.
According to the 1951 Red Devil tool catalog, the handle wood for the P-1 was either Nicaraguan cocobolo or rosewood. Both are considered rare tropical hardwoods these days. I don’t know which is on my knife, but it’s beautiful.
I sanded the gunk and rust away using a cheap (but dependable, and remarkably useful) Harbor Freight bench top sander. I finish-sanded by hand and sealed the wood with 2 coats of the Sam Maloof finish you see in the above picture.
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The blade still has some light pitting, but I didn’t want to sand the stamped name and number off the blade. It’s good enough.
The finished handle is a tactile delight. So smooth! It is very comfortable in the hand.
By the way, I’ve had that little jug of Sam Maloof “Poly/Oil Satin Finish” for at least 20 years, and the liquid is still perfectly good!
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As a Christian who takes my faith seriously, I’m not a fan of the “Red Devil” name. I mean, who in their right mind names their company after an evil entity? Well, company president, Landon P. Smith did it, starting in 1900.
Company lore explains that Smith, while on a buying trip to Sweden, heard a blacksmith angrily yell “Those little red devils!” after hot sparks from the forge singed his arm. And the rest is history. 🙄
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Red Devil is a USA tool and sealants manufacturer located in Oklahoma. The company has been owned by the same family for 90 years!
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There is a Red Devil tool collector’s Facebook group.
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