A Palette knife is an artists tool. traditionally they were used to mix paint from the tube on the artists paint palette. Today they are more actively used in almost any paint process. There are essentially 2 types of Palette Knives, the true 'Palette Knives' and 'Painting Knives'.

• Palette Knives:
  Palette Knives are intended for mixing paint, they are generally long, straight, and have a rounded snub nose. They are relatively stiff and don’t usually have a crank in the shaft.
   
• Painting Knives:
  Painting Knives are usually cranked (have a bend in the shaft) and are made of very flexible thin steel. They come in a wide variety of shapes; often with a pointed or square cut on the end. They are often used for painting and are great for the impasto painting technique.

Another similar artists tool, sometimes used for similar purposes is a Canvas Scraper. Palette Knives, Painting Knives and Canvas Scrapers can all be bought at your local Art Supplies Store.