Karni Masonry Trowel

• Brand: Panther — Hard Steel, a Parnami product, established 1989
• Product: Karni (mason's trowel), size No. 1
• Blade: Leaf shape — pointed tip with a wide belly
• Handle: Wooden, with a metal ferrule
• Shank: Forged, stepped up from the blade to keep your knuckles clear
• Use: Plastering, bricklaying, mortar work and pointing

Panther Karni No. 1 is a mason's trowel with a hard steel leaf blade and a wooden handle — the tool a mason picks up first and puts down last.

The leaf shape is what makes a karni different from a flat Western brick trowel, and it does two jobs in one blade. The wide belly carries a working load of mortar off the bandli, so you are not walking back every few seconds. The pointed tip reaches into corners, pushes mortar into joints, and lets you work an edge cleanly — which a square-ended blade simply cannot do. It is why the pattern has not changed in generations.

The shank is forged and stepped up from the blade. That offset is not decorative: it lifts your hand clear of the surface so your knuckles are not dragging along brick while you work, and it puts the load through the strongest part of the tool. The joint where shank meets blade is where a cheap trowel fails, so it is worth looking at on any karni you buy.

The wooden handle with a metal ferrule is the traditional fitting, and it is still preferred by most masons — wood stays comfortable through a long day, does not get slippery with sweat the way moulded plastic can, and absorbs a little of the shock when you tap a brick down.

Technical Specifications

Applications

1) What does “No. 1” mean?

It is the size. Karnis are sold by number and most masons have a number they prefer and stick with. Because numbering is not perfectly consistent between makers, check the blade length and width in the specification table above against the karni you are used to, rather than going by the number alone.

2) Why is the blade leaf shaped instead of flat and triangular?

It does two jobs at once. The wide belly carries a working load of mortar so you are not refilling every few seconds, and the pointed tip reaches into corners and pushes mortar into joints — which a square-ended blade cannot do. That combination is why the pattern has stayed unchanged for generations.

3) How do I look after it?

Clean it before the mortar sets — a rinse and a wipe at the end of the session, every session. Dried mortar left on the blade builds up, ruins the smooth face that makes a trowel work, and has to be chipped off. Do not leave it soaking in water either: the wooden handle swells and loosens in the ferrule, and the steel will rust.

1. Return within 24 hours of delivery for:
   • Damaged or defective product
   • Wrong or missing item
2. Product cannot be returned once installed or used
3. Refer to Refund Policy for complete details