why would anyone use bronze instead of steel for tools?

Question

please tell!

Answer 1

Hammers used in enviornments where explosive gasses may be lurking are often made of bronze because bronze will not spark when struck against a hard surface as a steel hammer would, so they are made of the softer metal to address this safety issue. All hammers aboard U.S. Navy vessels are required to be non-ferrous (not of iron or steel), and many of these are bronze.

Other bronze hammers are bronze instead of steel, because the softer bronze will not deform steel parts on impact as redily as a steel hammer on a steel part will.
For this reason these are used in the firearms industry for jobs such as driving assembly pins in and out of recievers, and in the automotive industry for numerous types of of assembly, such as bearing installation. They are used whenever these types of assembly methods are found.

Answer 2

I've never heard of bronze spark proof tools. Catalogs for them show that they are made of copper beryllium. They have the look of bronze, but are different.

There has always been controversy about the possibility of toxic poisoning from beryllium, but I haven't heard of a case of it.

Answer 3

If you need the tool to not deliver to much direct force. Like a rubber or bronze hammer

Answer 4

bronze does not spark when you strike it against something, pivital in an enviroment like a metal shop, where stray, explosive, welding gas can be ignighted fairly easily.

Answer 5

Steel wasn't around first.