A palette knife is a blunt knife with a very flexible steel blade and no sharpened cutting edge. It is primarily used for mixing paint colors, paste, etc., or for marbling, decorative endpapers, etc. The "palette" in the name is a reference to an artist's palette which is used for mixing oil paints. Certain artistic techniques call for painting with a palette knife.

Art palette knives come primarily in two types:

• symmetric knife resembling a putty knife with a rounded tip, suited for mixing paints on the palette;
• asymmetric knife with a pointed tip, lowered or "cranked" like a trowel, suited for painting on canvas.

Palette knives are also used in cooking, where their flexibility allows them to easily slide underneath pastries or other items. See spatula.

Knives | Painting materials

Couteau de peinture | Paletmes | Palette knife