When we’re building or restoring boats, the difference between a pleasant or a miserable day in the shop often comes down to the effectiveness and quality of a hand tool. Whether we are stripping out an old interior or scraping freshly cured glue during new construction, the Titan 17007 Pry Bar and Scraper Set is a favorite in our small-boat shop. Titan, based in Kent, Washington, has been around since 2001 and specializes in hand tools and tools for the automotive trade. While designed for automotive work, the 17007 set is equally useful for small-boat building, finishing, and restoration. It includes three stainless-steel bars of different lengths: 5 1⁄2″, 7 1⁄4″, and 9 1⁄4″. Each bar is the same shape: the straight end has a beveled chisel edge that can be wedged into tight spaces; the curved end has a sharp scraper edge. The varying sizes of the bars add to their versatility.

Photographs by the authors

Whether prying or scraping (as here), the smallest of the three bars is useful for reaching into tight spots.

For prying, the 9 1⁄4″ Titan is ideal when working on larger pieces such as removing a rubrail or releasing a plank, while the smaller bars are useful in tight spots when, for example, removing frames or thwart supports. All three bars are rigid enough to provide substantial leverage without flex and have smooth, wide, bent necks that distribute pressure while not marring the surrounding wood. Thanks to the thin profile we can slide the bars under tight trim pieces, and pressure is distributed evenly without leaving large divots in the surface beneath.

Each bar also features a nail-puller hole, the perfect size for easing out stubborn nails or rivets in larger planks. We have used them with success on old square nails and stripped-out screws, when we will pry the fastening just a little, pull it straight out the rest of the way, and then repair the hole with a bung.

The scrapers’ sharp edges have stood up well to many hours of use and have not yet needed resharpening.

The scraper ends of the bars are perfect for removing paint and varnish from old boats, and for scraping off drips of cured epoxy and other adhesives during new builds. The 5 1⁄2″ bar is ideal for reaching into tight corners, around frames, and under seat risers. It is also useful when working on the interior concave face of planks, where the corners of a wider bar would tend to dig in. The larger bars are effective when scraping off old coatings on large flat surfaces and their straight ends are ideal for “creeping” under a layer of fiberglass to remove it without digging in and gouging the wood substrate, or to separate strakes, when the tool’s larger surface area spreads the force and reduces breakage.

The Titan 17007 tools are razor-sharp with a mirror finish right out of the package. We recently used all three bars when removing decades of old coatings from our Bahama Dinghy. After hours of work, the bars’ edges were as sharp as when we started.

The Titan 17007 set includes three bars of different lengths and widths. Fabricated in stainless steel, each had a razor-sharp edge and mirror finish right out of the package. They are rigid enough to provide considerable leverage when used as pry bars.

There are similar bars on the market, but often they are made of carbon steel which, in an environment where salt air and humidity are constant threats, can succumb to surface rust overnight. Being of stainless steel, the Titan bars remain corrosion-resistant, ensuring that you won’t accidentally transfer rust stains onto unfinished wood or light-colored coatings, and their long-lasting mirror-smooth finish makes them easy to clean.

Reasonably priced, the Titan 17007 set has become one of our workshop essentials, and having already used the bars extensively, we believe they will survive years of prying and scraping. Whether we are stripping out an old interior or carefully aligning planks during a new build, these bars provide the control required. This stainless-steel trio has earned its place in our tool chest.

Audrey and Kent Lewis mess about in the Tidewater region of Virginia. Their adventures are logged at smallboatrestoration.blogspot.com.

The 17007 3-Piece Stainless Steel Pry Bar and Scraper Set from Titan is available from many hardware stores and online, with prices ranging from $18 to $25. Titan scrapers are also available individually.

Is there a product that might be useful for boatbuilding, cruising, or shore-side camping that you’d like us to review? Please email your suggestions.

For more welcome additions to your boat or workshop, reviewed by Audrey and Kent Lewis, see:

Colonial’s Marlinspike Knife, a government issue pocket knife fit for the United States Navy.

Readywares’ Tool Roll Bag, a waxed canvas, 18-pocket tote for a variety of hand tools.

An Old-School Folding Ruler, a pocket yardstick in brass and basswood made in Holland by Sybren.