DeWalt 15 in. (380 mm) Spring Steel Flat Bar

Why I reached for this flat bar

Some pry bars live in my pouch for months and only earn a glance. The DeWalt flat bar quickly earned a spot I reach for daily. It’s a 15‑inch, forged spring‑steel bar with an extra‑wide claw on one end and a pointed, beveled tip on the other. On paper, that sounds like most jobsite flat bars. In practice, its geometry and width make it particularly useful for trim-safe prying and fast nail work, with a few quirks worth noting.

Build and geometry

At 15 inches long and about 1.3 pounds, it strikes a balance between pocketable and powerful. The spring steel is properly rigid with a touch of flex under heavy load, the kind that signals feedback without permanent deformation. The prying claw is notably wide—about 2.6 inches—compared with many 15‑inch bars. That width matters: it spreads load across more surface area, reducing the chance of dimples or crushed fibers when you’re easing off baseboards, crown, or delicate casing.

DeWalt grinds the leading prying edge thin enough to start under reveals and seams, but it’s not a razor. On painted, caulked trim, I still scored the joint and slipped in a putty knife first, then walked the bar in. The curved claw profile rolls nicely as you pry, giving progressive leverage instead of the sudden “pop” that can snap fasteners or split trim.

On the opposite end is a pointed, beveled tip with a nail slot. Think of it as a compact cat’s paw built into your flat bar. It’s not as aggressive as a dedicated nail puller, but it’s very handy for picking, wedging, and coaxing out stubborn fasteners without changing tools.

Ergonomics on the job

The bar’s shaft is about 1.4 inches wide, which gives your hand a comfortable purchase without feeling slabby. There’s no rubber overmold, and I don’t want one here—bare steel slides where it should and doesn’t get chewed up in a pouch. The flat profile rides well against a thigh or inside a tool bag, and the overall silhouette avoids the hooky shapes that snag everything.

Leverage is where a 15‑inch length shines. It’s long enough to move framing and sheathing but short enough to maneuver behind backsplashes, toe kicks, and inside stud bays. The rolling action of the curved claw feels predictable. On deck board demo, I could advance an entire row with a series of controlled lifts instead of violent yanks.

Trim and finish work

Using the wide claw end behind baseboard and window stool extensions, I appreciated the extra surface area. With a thin backer board, I could keep paint touch-up to a minimum. The edge grind is clean but not mirror-sharp; if you do delicate restoration, you might want to kiss the underside with a file to make it even keener. Out of the box, it’s very serviceable and kinder to millwork than narrower bars.

On lath-and-plaster, the width helps distribute force so you’re less likely to create localized blowouts. A trick I liked: turn the bar sideways to use the broad face as a gentle pusher when separating shims or furring.

Nail pulling and the pointed tip

Multiple nail-pulling slots give you options. The primary slot in the wide claw handles common finish nails and most 8d and 10d nails easily. For larger, ring-shank deck screws or stubborn spikes, the mid-shaft slot sometimes feels tight; the pointed end steps in here. Tap the pointed tip beside a buried head, roll your wrist, and you can lift enough to get the main claw engaged. It’s not as quick as a dedicated cat’s paw, but the integration saves trips back to the toolbox.

One thing to know: the pointed end is a true wedge. It’s great for starting a gap in subfloor seams, popping drywall anchors, or persuading a jamb shim to move. But if you reef on it sideways as if it were a pry fork, you’ll mark wood. A small scrap or taping the tips before finish work goes a long way.

Durability and finish

The forged spring steel has held up well under abuse—no mushrooms, no bends. The powder-coated finish looks sharp out of the box and sheds rust in damp conditions. After a week of jobsite use, particularly after hammer strikes on the pointed end, the coating started to chip. That’s typical of many powder-coated pry bars. On this bar, some chips left a slightly sharp ridge. Two minutes with a file smoothed everything out, and it hasn’t been an issue since. If you’re planning heavy striking, expect cosmetic wear and be ready to dress the edges once.

The working faces themselves are ground appropriately. Neither tip rolled or dented when prying off glued-down underlayment or coaxing out stubborn casing nails. Spring steel’s “memory” shows here—the bar returns true after flexing.

Head-to-head with familiar standbys

• Versus a Vaughan-style SuperBar: The DeWalt’s 2.6-inch claw distributes load better and is nicer to finished surfaces, but the Vaughan often has a thinner leading edge out of the box, which can slip under tight reveals more easily. If you mainly do finish carpentry, the thinner edge is attractive; for mixed demo and finish, I preferred the DeWalt’s stability.
• Versus an Estwing gooseneck or framing bar: Estwing bars crush demo but are bulkier and typically lack the multiple nail slots. The DeWalt is more nimble and easier to carry daily, though it won’t replace a 24‑inch wrecking bar for heavy framing tear-out.
• Versus a Wonder Bar-type: The wide claw and integrated pointed tip give the DeWalt a bit more versatility. If you wrestle deck boards, trim, and subfloor in the same day, that combo is genuinely useful.

What I’d improve

• The powder coat on the striking zones chips quickly and can create sharp flecks; a machined, uncoated striking pad or simply less coating near those edges would be better.
• The leading edge at the wide claw could be a hair thinner from the factory for finish work. It’s an easy DIY tune-up with a file, but it’s a nice differentiator when done by the maker.
• The mid-shaft nail slot could be opened a touch to better bite larger nail heads without rounding them.

None of these are deal breakers, but they’re worth knowing before you buy.

Who it’s for

• Remodelers and carpenters who bounce between demo and finish: The wide claw plus pointed tip covers a lot of ground without swapping tools.
• DIYers upgrading from a generic pry bar: You’ll notice the leverage and surface protection immediately.
• Pros who want a second bar on their belt: This is a great “always on you” size to complement a longer wrecking bar in the truck.

If your work is primarily delicate restoration, consider a bar with a thinner ground edge or plan to dress this one. If you live in your cat’s paw, you’ll still carry it—but you’ll use the pointed end more than you might expect.

Pros

• Forged spring steel with confidence-inspiring stiffness and rebound
• Extra‑wide 2.6-inch prying claw protects surfaces and feels stable under load
• Useful pointed, beveled tip for starting gaps and digging out fasteners
• Multiple nail-pulling slots offer pulling options at different angles
• Balanced 15-inch length provides solid leverage without bulk

Cons

• Powder-coated finish chips under hammering and may leave sharp edges until dressed
• Leading edge could be thinner for ultra-delicate trim work
• Mid-shaft slot is tight on larger nail heads
• Bare steel can feel slick with wet gloves (a wrap of tape helps)

Recommendation

I recommend the DeWalt flat bar as a daily-carry pry tool for remodelers, carpenters, and serious DIYers who need one bar to do a bit of everything. The wide prying face, solid leverage, and genuinely useful pointed tip make it versatile, and the forged spring steel takes real-world abuse. You’ll want to accept that the powder coat is sacrificial—expect chips where you strike—and you may choose to dress the edges for finer work. With those small caveats, it’s a reliable, thoughtfully shaped flat bar that earns its space in the pouch.