RGM Painting Knife Deals: Compare Sale Prices & Find the Best Discount UK

Most artists own at least one painting knife, but few think about where it came from. If it’s a good one, there’s a fair chance it was made in Maniago, a small town in north-east Italy, about an hour from Venice, that has been famous for making blades, knives and shears for centuries. In the late 1950s, a local craftsman called Rosa Gastaldo Mario saw an opportunity to bring that blade-making heritage to artists. RGM was officially founded in 1961 to supply painting knives to artists around the world, and more than sixty years later it’s still a family business, now run by the second and third generations, working from a small factory in Maniago.

That heritage shows in the products. A painting knife looks simple, but getting the steel, the shape and the flex right takes real skill. The blade needs to be thin and flexable enough to spread paint smoothly and sensitively, yet strong enough not to bend out of shape, and the handle needs to sit comfortably in the hand for hours. RGM has refined those details over decades, often working with artists to develop new shapes and styles, and today its range includes more than 200 models.

The range is easiest to understand by line. The New Age painting knives are RGM’s best-known range, with dozens of numbered shapes, from small pointed trowels for fine detail to wide blades for spreading large areas of colour. Each number gives you a slightly different blade shape and size, so many artists collect a few favourites for different jobs. The Plus range includes sets, such as a set of 12 painting knives, which are a great way to try a variety of shapes. Idea Line steel palette knives and Step Line palette knives offer further choice, and the Soft Grip palette knives have colourful, comfortable handles that are ideal for students, classrooms and anyone who finds traditional wooden handles hard to grip.

It’s worth knowing the difference between a palette knife and a painting knife, as the names are often mixed up. A palette knife is designed for mixing paint on your palette and usually has a straight or slightly angled blade. A painting knife is designed for applying paint to the canvas, and typically has a cranked handle, a step between the handle and the blade, so your knuckles stay clear of the wet paint. Painting knives are a favourite for impasto, thick textured oil and acrylic work, sharp edges, and the bold, expressive marks you simply can’t get with a brush.

RGM doesn’t stop at knives. Thanks to its blade-making expertise, the company also makes stainless steel sculpture tools for clay and modelling, gilding tools, and linoleum chisels for printmaking, with blade shapes for cutting fine lines, broad areas and everything in between. If you’re into lino printing, RGM chisels make a solid, acurate alternative to cheaper cutter sets.

In sixteen years in the art supplies industry, including nearly a decade running digital marketing at ARTdiscount, I’ve seen painting knives become hugely popular with acrylic and oil painters, especially as textured and impasto styles have taken off on social media. In our community of 36,000 UK artists at Discount Art Supplies, painting knife recommendations come up regularly, and RGM is one of the names that comes up most when people want a knife that’s well made and good value.

Getting the best deal on RGM comes down to a few things. First, compare prices before you buy. Individual knives are inexpensive, but sets and specialist tools vary in price between retailers, and our comparison above checks Cass Art, Jackson’s, Amazon and others in real time. Second, consider a set if you’re just starting out. A set lets you try several shapes, and you’ll quickly discover which ones you reach for most. Third, once you know your favourites, buy individual knives by number, so you only pay for the shapes you’ll actually use. And finally, watch for sales. RGM knives are often included in UK retailer promotions, especially around Black Friday and in seasonal sales.

A few questions come up again and again. What’s the difference between a palette knife and a painting knife? A palette knife is for mixing paint, while a painting knife has a cranked handle and is designed for applying paint to the canvas. Which RGM knife is best for beginners? A set is ideal for beginners, or a couple of classic trowel-shaped New Age knives in small and medium sizes. Can you use RGM painting knives with acrylic? Yes. They work with acrylic and oil, but clean them straight after use, especially with acrylic, which is hard to remove once dry. Where are RGM knives made? In Maniago, Italy, by a family company that has been making painting knives since 1961.

RGM brings centuries of Italian blade-making tradition to the artist’s studio, and its knives are made to last. Looking for an RGM sale, discount or discount code? Check the price comparisons above, updated in real time, and you’ll always know you’re getting the best current UK price.