A crowbar, also be known as a pry bar, wrecking bar, gorilla bar or pinch bar, is a metal bar tool that has flatted points at each end, often with a small fissure to help remove nails or prise two materials or objects apart. One end of the bar is curved into a hook shape, which is a first-class lever and is usually the end most commonly used, and the straighter flat end is a second-class lever. (It is commonly believed this hooked end is where the tool gets its name from, as it resembles the beak of a crow.)
Crowbars are usually made from medium carbon steel to offer sustained strength and durability, but can also be made from titanium, which creates a lighter tool. They are forged from long steel products, such as rods and rails, and commonly have either cylindrical or hexagonal shapes to their bodies.
Our range of crowbars features products from industry leading brands, such as Bahco, GearWrench and RS PRO, and has tools ranging from 200mm to 1000mm or 8in to 48in.
The simplicity of a crowbar allows it to be considered a very versatile tool, enabling a wide range of work to be performed across multiple industries and their varied environments. The most common applications for crowbars are prising open nailed wooden crates, separating materials, such as boards, and can sometimes be used to remove nails from wooden surfaces.
Crowbars can be used in a vast multitude of projects that require a tool that can help exact leverage to separate materials, such as opening crates and pallet breaking in warehousing. They are also used commonly in renovation projects, used to remove panelling or lift flooring boards.
You might expect to see crowbars being used by any of the following industries: