Atwood Prybaby - should I get S30V or titanium?

T

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Well, the title sums up my question - would y'all recommend a Prybaby in S30V or titanium? What are the potential strengths and weaknesses of each material?

From what I see, the titanium's benefits are: rustproof, non-magnetic, light weight, good selection of finish colors and patterns. On the other hand, the S30V may be tougher, being steel. The S30V is $20 cheaper. These seem to be the primary benefits of each. Have I overlooked anything? What are y'all's thoughts? Thanks :)
 
I am a TI freak but never for prying, unless its weapon grade , s30v is great for strength . I am sure if he makes it out of TI it will do as he says. K - go for the TI ,lol , :) sorry not much help.
 
It is a pry bar/screwdriver/can opener, get it in a simple carbon steel like 1050. If you want stainless for some reason, again get something simple like AISI 420.

-Cliff
 
This is a Gadgets & Gear question but I think I'll leave it in Blade Discussion for a while; people who know alloys are likely to find it here.

Titanium is light weight and corrosion proof, though whether it's worth the expense.... What's the advantage of S30V over less expensive and easier to work steels? Why do you use S30V, Peter? Is it just because that's what the customers ask for or do you think it really is the best steel for the purpose?

My thought is to use 5160 and either cold blue or Kalguard for corrosion resistance.
 
Give me a call at 800-365-1168 can help you decide if CPMS30V is right for the application - scott
 
Cougar Allen said:
...use 5160 and either cold blue or Kalguard for corrosion resistance.
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5160, as a spring steel would be fine, however I would be hard pressed to try to defend anything other than a plain carbon steel as actually offering a functional improvement. It isn't like you are looking for wear resistance, ease of spring temper, depth of hardening, finish quality, etc. . I would just get whatever decent tool steel was cheapest for the maker to get and finish.

All you actually need is something that can get decently hard and isn't brittle. Plus it isn't like people are going to be banging on these with hammers, and there isn't enough size to it to put a huge load across it anyway. But hey, if you have the money, get it made in a fancy pattern damascus.

As for corrosion resistance, how many pry bars, can openers, and screwdrivers actually worry about this at all. On a knife the edge rusts first and once it is dulled it isn't much of a functional knife. That tool could be horribly pitted and its functionality would not be significantly effected. Though pitting isn't a concern for carbon steels anyway unless the enviroments are extreme, it will just patina with age.

-Cliff
 
Anyone know what the steel is in one of those can/bottle openers is? The ones that looked stamped and the can, v shaped is on one end and the bottle, round is on the other. I've pryed everthing with those things.
 
db said:
Anyone know what the steel is in one of those can/bottle openers is? The ones that looked stamped and the can, v shaped is on one end and the bottle, round is on the other. I've pryed everthing with those things.
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:D Mr Plow!
 
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Most small utility tools like that and nail clippers, are made out of really low grade steels. You don't need high grade tool steels for such tools. If you wanted to go really high end with a pry baby type tool, McClung could probably make one out of ceramic, he makes full length prybars out of it.

-Cliff
 
I mention corrosion resistance because I think many Prybaby owners carry them in a pants pocket and are likely to prefer to avoid even cosmetic rust.

If you're going to carry it in a messenger bag, though, corrosion resistance shouldn't be a problem at all.
 
, McClung could probably make one out of ceramic, he makes full length prybars out of it.
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Can you please post a link to the ceramic pry bar? This would be very odd, since ceramic is very brittle, and will readily snap.

Mcclung made a spring tempered 01 prybar with a long G10 looking handle that looked interersting.
 
I have used S30v from the beginning for several reasons. At first it was because it was the flavor of the day and everyone wanted it. This was 3 years ago or so when S30v was brand new and few makers had started using it.

I also justified it for strength reasons because it has up to twice the lateral strength of the other stainless steels such as ATS34 or 440c. I have made a couple in ATS and the tips definitely hold up better on the S30v. There's no fantasy there.

Next there are heat treating issues. I really hate dealing with oil quenching steels so even if they were stronger for prying I don't want the trouble involved with heat treat and finishing. I have a Paragon oven with computer controller and I can do a very nice job with stainless so this was important to me just for ease of processing. Bottom line, it's easier and cleaner.

Lastly there is the corrosion resistance aspect. We all know that S30v will rust a little especially if bead blasted and I am doing more and more of that lately. However, as Cliff points out, a nice patina evolves over time with continued use so I'm not terribly worried about it. And a little WD40 applied periodically goes a long way. Plus refinishing is a breeze with bead blasting.
 
Which is better in a Prybaby®, titanium or S30v? Well, it depends on what you want to do with it and how you want to carry it.

I personally EDC an S30v one with fancy edges and a raised honeycomb pattern. It's a one of a kind experimental piece.

I feel that the steel is more durable than the ti in certain ways. Yes, the ti is probably stronger for prying or at least less brittle. However, it has this weird malleability property that makes it softer than the steel. So I think it scratches a little easier than the steel. The anodizing provides a bit of protection here because it lays down a layer of tough oxide so it does help. But I'm always bummed at the thought of my nicely anodized tools getting all scratched up on people's keys.

I'll tell you though, that my college aged stepson has been EDCing a blue snakeskin titanium Prybaby® for almost a year and he has beaten on it mercilously. He actually used it to open a can of tuna one day! I could have killed him when he told me that but instead I bit my tongue and bought him a can opener. :D Anyway, I looked at his closely the other day and was surprised to see how well it has held up despite his best efforts to the contrary.

So which is better? Get one of each and see for yourself! :P :)

BTW, I'll have a table at Blade this year. Please come by and see all the cool new finishes and toys........ ;)
 
[S30V]

Peter Atwood said:
...it has up to twice the lateral strength of the other stainless steels such as ATS34 or 440c.
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The strength of tool steels is very similar at a given hardness, until they reach their yield points of which S30V's is actually fairly low as it breaks at a low angle like most high carbon stainless steels. It certaintly doesn't have double the yeild point of ATS-34, if this was the case the flexibility would be insane, you would have blades bending to massive angles and then returning to true.

The only way in which S30V doubles ATS-34 is in charpy tests splitting the grain. This would only be relevant to prying if you were smashing the tool with a metallic object when you were prying and you for some reason ran the grain sideways through the tool instead of from tip to tip. Prybars generally need high impact toughness in general because people beat on and with them, and they smash into metallic objects.

For fine prybars like renovating bars, where the tips are a lot thinner for cabinet work and such, you don't need high toughness as you never hit that part and you would be really careful not to drive the tip into a nail, you just need a fairly hard steel, none of them are made out of stainless steels. Some are chrome/moly alloys, but again a lot of these are thick and thus there are issues which are not relevant to thinner tools, plus you can obviously get a lot of force going on a three foot bar.

Ti is a *lot* softer than hardened tool steels, even its alloys like Mission uses so it is both easier to bend and dent, so you have to watch edged contacts off of hardened metals.

knifetester said:
Can you please post a link to the ceramic pry bar? This would be very odd ...
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Not if you are McClung :

http://www.streetpro.com/gif/md/prybars1.jpg


-Cliff
 
Trout Tamer,
I have a Prybaby in S30V and have had one for about five months. Mine is the plain beadblast finish. I've used it for odd jobs from prying metals apart to those nasty little scraping jobs. It has held up fine, with no problem with rust or scratches. In fact, I'm waiting for the day to give it a hard work out (may try the can prying as Mr. atwood noted). I feel that 'hard work out' can be taken by my S30V Prybaby. Despite the true metallurgical aspects between the two metals noted by Mr. Stamp and Mr. Atwood, the S30V should be fine for standard duty, that is, unless you'd prefer the lighter weight of titanium. Mine stays on my keychain, without any noteable difference in the pocket or hand (I often forget it's there until I need it). Hope this helps.
 
Although it might seem like overkill, I have considered doing some in 3v. This steel is really something in the lateral strength department and it is just harder than hell so it resists scratches. I'm using it more and more for small fixed blades and my occasional folders. It's very hard to grind in comparison to other steels but it would be ideal for prytools. Maybe I'll do a few Bug Out Bars in it........
 
Hateman said:
the S30V should be fine for standard duty
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I would not argue otherwise, just that it is really overkill to have a steel with a high level of abrasion resistance for that type of tool. S30V has the wrong set of attributes for prying, but that is so small it doesn't matter.

Take the top handle of a nail clipper and bend it by prying, it takes a large amount of force because you have no lever arm distance, and that is just junk steel, not hardened tool steel of any type.

-Cliff
 
Thanks for all of the replies, guys :)

Cliff Stamp wrote:
It is a pry bar/screwdriver/can opener, get it in a simple carbon steel like 1050. If you want stainless for some reason, again get something simple like AISI 420.
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Well, I do not have a choice of different steel, since Mr. Atwood, the maker, offers the Prybaby (excellent name and idea, btw) in the originally mentioned 2 materials.

Peter Atwood wrote:
Which is better in a Prybaby®, titanium or S30v? Well, it depends on what you want to do with it and how you want to carry it.
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First off, thanks for your personal reply to my question. I intend to carry the Prybaby on my keychain and to use it for all those little things that I'd rather not use my knife for. I don't forsee prying doors off hinges with it, or anything like that. But, you never know ;) I'd carry the Prybaby in my pocket, which could become humid from sweat, especially with summer fast approaching.


Hateman, your reply was exactly what I was wondering, thanks. Mr. Atwood and Mr Stamp, thanks for the info regarding S30V and titanium properties; I had no idea that titanium was softer than steel. In fact, for some reason, I was under the impression that ti is harder! :eek: That info alone is enough to convince me that I want the stainless steel version. And, as Mr. Atwood pointed out, the ti anodizing will rub against my keys every day.

Again, thanks to all for the replies :cool:
 
I asked similir question earlier, I understand need/ want for stainless but I asked why not in lower grade tougher stainless like 420 or aus6 etc, peter believes s30v is tougher then these steels, also that the forks (for prying presumable) in ats34 can't take the abuse of s30v. I don't understand how this can be true, besides cheaper price I think these "cheaper" stells would be better but YMMV I guess. He also has made in damascus for interested people - http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=337732
 
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