What is wrong with Brass Snap-bolts?

[sasscuba]

I've been using brass for over 20 years, I've never had a problem with one having sharp edges.

What about jamming over time or are you replacing them every so often?

I don't see or feel any sharp edges on the snaps I bought and even if a SS is $10, I can replace the brass 5 times for that price? They seem to work great if you rinse them.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Go with whatever works for you.

I agree with Hoyden. I'd been using brass without much difficulty until I started taking cavern and cave classes that required frequently removing and then replacing a wide variety of sling tanks. My thumbs developed a whole bunch of tiny double-cuts from the brass clips. I wouldn't have believed it until it happened to me. I suspect that water-softened skin had something to do with it, as brass boltsnaps ARE common in the boating world. But aside from my own experience I don't have any wider body of data to draw from. Still, my own experience was sufficient to convince me that brass boltsnaps get sharp.

YMMV.

 

[Ann Marie]

I use the brass bolt snaps. I had never had a problem with them until I was told by someone that he uses the SS ones because the brass have sharp edges and have cut his thumbs. Well wouldn't you know it, I now have cut my thumbs several times.

This thread is a good reminder to get out my dremel tool and soften the edges...thanks! I think I'll do that today!

 

[300bar]

Could this this be so because the great master JJ says it's only DIR
when it SS

 

[lamont]

Could this this be so because the great master JJ says it's only DIR
when it SS

clearly JJ made MikeFerrara, Doc Intrepid, Hoyden and MonkSeal's fingers bleed through his telekinetic powers...

brass boltsnaps work fine provided that you keep your head wrapped in tinfoil to keep out the DIR mind rays...

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Could this this be so because the great master JJ says it's only DIR
when it SS

No

... and please observe the rules for posting in this forum ...

http://scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=43458

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Walter]

What about jamming over time or are you replacing them every so often?

I don't see or feel any sharp edges on the snaps I bought and even if a SS is $10, I can replace the brass 5 times for that price? They seem to work great if you rinse them.

I've not had a problem with them wearing out.

 

[RTodd]

Could this this be so because the great master JJ says it's only DIR
when it SS

I believe JJ was actually one of the holdouts initially due to the expense, and more importantly, PIA factor of changing out tons of stage bottles, etc. to SS from brass. Brass works but it does cut your hands more. For those where the cost of swithcing to stainless is minimal, this is less obvious. When spending lots of time in the water and using clips constantly, the need for SS is far more obvious. Again, it is a foundation thing. Start will all of the right stuff from the beginning and you won't have to change anything later.

 

[Jason B]

I was a non-believer about brass snaps cutting. Bought some brass snaps, went on a cave trip, came home with hundreds of small cuts on my thumb from the snaps. These cuts aren't deep enough to cause blood.
I swapped them all out to stainless and no more cuts. I'm now a believer.

 

[jeckyll]

I have a 5mm left glove that is just about cut all the way through. From a SS bolt snap. Took me a while to work that out. I ended up taking a file to it. Why I didn't think of using the dremmel is beyond me ....



I have a brass double ender on my reel / safety sausage currently and I don't think that's any sharper than my SS snap on the SPG was ... but I'll probably swap it out down the road give that in general the SS ones should be "less sharp"