Trying to find a sturdy set of thin picks

[escher7]

I haven't actually used the thin Max B picks yet. I recently ordered some other tools from Southord and they were kind enough to send me a couple of thin Max B Deforests as well as a new style of metal handled pick they just introduced, for evaluation. They will be in soon and I will put them through the torture test and report.
My suggestion at this point was based upon the characteristics and photo on the website (above). I like the look of the ABS handles and the steel is as tough as Petersen's "Government" steel. Hard to tell from the photos, but they may need a slight touch up with fine abrasive and the buffing wheel. Further info shortly.

I have to say that I have my doubts... The website says that it is stainless rather than carbon. Tensile strength tends to mean less than rockwell hardness for the purposes of feedback.

I suspect that the picks will be similar to Sparrows (who have similar dimensions and tensile strength), but we eagerly await your report

I made custom knives for many years and worked with several kinds of steel. Whether it is stainless (high chromium content) or carbon steel (of which there are many types), they can all be tempered to appropriate hardness. For knives, Rockwell 58 (colour in the straw range) might be ideal, but for picks you want a softer spring temper (blue range). The point being that hardness has nothing to do with the type of steel, but rather the heat treating process. (In fact stainless is carbon steel or it would not respond to heat treatment. A certain percentage of carbon is required for the martensite transformation to take place.)
As far as feedback, I really cannot see much difference between the two if they are both at the same hardness. Tensile strength is important because it goes to the durability of the pick and frankly how much abuse it can take without breaking. Stainless (which really means stain resistant) is nice because the steel will be much less likely to rust.