The structure of a tuck pointer is very simple. All types of tuck pointer have a long blade which is thin enough to fit into brick joints, attached via a tang and ferrule to a handle that is far enough from the base of the blade for the user to press mortar into a brick joint without their hand coming into contact with the wall.
Blade
The blade of a tuck pointer has a long toe and pronounced heel, to allow it to fill the whole length of a brick joint. The blades on conventional tuck pointers also have narrow edges to allow them to slice easily through mortar.
Some manufacturers produce tuck pointers with tall, thin blades that are useful for cutting and carrying larger slices of mortar.
Taller tuck pointers sometimes have grooved blades which leave a ‘bead’ of lighter-coloured mortar when they are scored over recently-laid mortar. This is useful for traditional tuck pointing.
Ferrule
Tuck pointers are usually held together by a ferrule: a circular clamp that holds the blade and tang in place through “crimping” (depressed grooves in the metal created by a crimping tool). Rubber or fibreglass tuck pointers sometimes lack a ferrule, and the handle is simply sealed around the tang, or attached via a joint that allows the handle to rotate.
Grip
The grip of the tuck pointer is simply the part held by the user while they are using the tool. It is angled away from the blade to ensure as much comfort and leverage as possible.
Tang
The blade and tang of the tuck pointer are usually forged as one piece, but may be welded together, with the tang extending up into the grip, secured by a ferrule. This structure allows the user to apply greater pressure with the tuck pointer, because the force is leveraged through the handle rather than being fixed on the point of connection between the handle and the blade
