Tools Under $30 Gift Guide: Gasket Scrapers

Whether it’s for holidays or a birthday, this Gift Guide Series shows you important, yet somewhat uncommon, tools that any gearhead would want.

Today, let’s talk about Gasket Scrapers.

While folks may be tempted to improvise tools when removing stubborn gaskets, there’s a reason specialized gasket scraping tools exist.

For starters, you’ll mitigate some risk of marring or nicking the mating surface, like you could with (shudder) a screwdriver or chisel.

Secondly, thanks to strategically-angled handles, you get a nice grip and some leverage—which goes a long way towards fighting hand fatigue. (Ever remove a gasket with an old credit card? You know what we’re talking about here…)

Many of these tools are sold in sets or feature interchangeable scraping heads, so you can use a scraping edge that complements the hardness of the surface you’re scraping on. That’s especially important if you’re removing a gasket from iron or aluminum (AKA the stuff engines are made of), because it’s easy to damage the relatively soft mating surfaces.

And gasket scrapers, particularly ones with a plastic edge, are handy for plenty of other jobs too.

Need to get caulk off tile? Check.
Clean gunk from a stovetop? Check.
Remove that Spongebob sticker your kid slapped on the front window? Double-check.

A lot of folks don’t know that specialty gasket scraping tools exist, so they’re often a smart gift to give and receive. Better still, there’s a good chance you can find a nice set for under 30 bucks.