Quote Originally Posted by desbromilow View Post
NOT sure about this.... I was always led to believe that drill shanks are softer (annealed HSS) compared to the harder flutes. Gripping a hardened flute seems like a recipe for cracking/chipping the flute, or damaging the chuck jaws.

thoughts?
I think you're definitely correct that the shanks are softer, but how hard are you bearing down on the chuck? In my own experience, I have never damaged a flute or the chuck jaws. But I would assume the chuck jaws are hardened themselves, so the biggest concern would be the drill bits. Gripping them lower prevents them from wandering which can bend or break the bits in the long run.