Beryllium-Copper non-magnetic screwdrivers tips safety

So, based on @Archer's recommendation, I decided to get a cheaper screwdriver set to use on my junk movements until I get my hands on a VOH to use on vintage Seiko.

I looked around and found some okay sets ~ 60(90€ for non-magnetic), and what got me interested was the non-magnetic vs magnetic tips. Apparently the non-magnetic ones are Beryllium-Copper.

Of course reading about the toxicity, I figured it shouldn't be a big deal, as long as you don't chip the screwdriver tips or grind them...

But wouldn't I need to grind them eventually to sharpen them? So in this case, is it better to just get standard tips, which are magnetic and to not bother with Beryllium at all?

I don't feel like trying to grind Beryllium stuff with a respirator 😁

I suggest you go with steel tips.

CuBe is very soft compared to steel, and I tend to only use these blades on screws with wider slots that are highly finished. The positive side of these blades is that it is impossible to damage or mar the screw slot.

Thanks, I will skip the BeCu tips then.

Is there any point in expensive demagnetizers? I saw lots of variation from 10-30€ to say 450€.

Comes down to ease/speed of use. I use an Elma Demag which is as simple as putting the tool/watch on and pressing a button to "zap" it. Takes a second. I've used the cheap little blue ones in the past for the occasional watch demag and there's a specific technique to using them which, for my bench use at least, is too cumbersome so i splurged.

How much do I need to spend to get a decent demag for screwdrivers? If something decent around 100 € can be found, I'd say it's worth it over the blue ones. Otherwise I'd say, I'd rather spend more on other tools until I get all the basics.

If you're building out a tool kit, I'd go for a cheap blue one... a "nice" one isn't a priority. Maybe a Bergeon (white circle) knock off? The concept behind a degmag isn't anything technical... you're paying more for the "packaging" and how easy it is to use. More inexpensive will do the job fine... it just takes a bit longer. Magnetism of tweezers, screwdrivers, etc... isn't that common on my bench at least. I use mine 90% of the time for movement demag during intake, regulation, and final casing,