I was in the "everything's a dollar" store, and I saw something that looked just like Chore Boys. Big box for $1. Wait a minute. I wanted to see whether these things are really made of copper (or bronze). Uh oh. The magnet picks it up. Is it possible I've been cleaning my lead bullet residue out of my nice lead bullet shooting irons with very coarse steel wool in disguise? Are those silvery shavings really lead?

Yesterday, I was in Ace Hardware, and they had real Chore Boys, the actual brand-name product. It says copper on the box and that they can't scratch. No refrigerator magnets, but there's a big anilco magnet that's supposed to lift 30 lb. Try it on the Chore Boy. Nope, I can't pick it up. Can't drag it, and it doesn't even twitch when I bring it really, really close.

My conclusion is that Chore Boy is what it says it is (copper) and that you are taking your life in your own hands if you buy the cheap steel substitute at "get it for a dollar". What's more, the real Chore Boys are only about $2 at Ace.

H. C.

Henry,
Like you, I discovered - quite by accident - that all copper scrubbers are not created equal.
The actual Chore Boy brand seems to be just what it says,,, Copper. I suspect some of the "off brands" might be copper plated steel.
There is another brand, the name escapes me right now, that is much more yellow in color. They aren't attracted to a magnet, and I suspect they are made of brass, or something similar.