Straight Pin vs Curveclaw in Silksong — Best Red Tool Compared

Why Straight Pin and Curveclaw are the flagship red Tool comparison

Straight Pin and Curveclaw are Silksong's two flagship red Tools — the first two combat-focused Tools players acquire after Threaded Sword. Both occupy a red slot, both cost 2 silk per cast, and both have a 0.5s cooldown. The difference is entirely in the damage profile: Straight Pin deals 28 damage in a 1-unit straight thrust; Curveclaw deals 18 damage in a 4-unit AoE arc. The comparison comes down to single-target vs AoE, with no other meaningful axis.

Both Tools are acquired from Mister Mosaic's shop at 350-400 rosaries each. Straight Pin is unlocked first (post Bonebottom apprentice Wish); Curveclaw is unlocked after the Sinner's Road main quest. Most players have access to both by mid-game and have to choose which to equip in the second red slot (the first red slot is almost always Threaded Sword).

The benchmark fight for damage comparison is Sister Splinter — a stationary mid-game boss with 480 HP and predictable two-stage animation cycles. Straight Pin clears Sister Splinter in 18 casts at 36 silk total; Curveclaw clears in 27 casts at 54 silk total. Straight Pin wins boss DPS by 50% in single-target scenarios. The comparison flips on Far Fields tax collectors (7 enemies in close clusters) — Curveclaw's AoE arc hits 2-3 collectors per cast, so it doubles efficiency on crowd clear.

Straight Pin vs Curveclaw stats

Damage benchmarks on Sister Splinter

Sister Splinter has 480 HP across two phases (240 HP per phase). Straight Pin at Mk I deals 28 damage per cast — 18 casts to kill, 36 silk total. With Hunter Crest's silk efficiency and a refresh Bind every 4 casts, the fight clears in roughly 2 minutes 15 seconds. Curveclaw at Mk I deals 18 damage per cast — 27 casts to kill, 54 silk total. Same Crest, same Bind timing, the fight extends to roughly 3 minutes 5 seconds.

Mk II values shift the math but not the verdict. Straight Pin Mk II (34 damage) clears in 15 casts at 30 silk total. Curveclaw Mk II (22 damage) clears in 22 casts at 44 silk total. Straight Pin still wins by 28% on single-target boss DPS. The takeaway: against any boss with a tight hitbox (Sister Splinter, Last Judge, Pinstress, Crowned), Straight Pin is the correct pick.

The comparison flips on Far Fields tax collectors. The standard farming loop has 7 collectors, often in clusters of 2-3 near specific platforms. Curveclaw's 4-unit arc hits 2-3 collectors per cast, ending the cluster in 1-2 casts. Straight Pin requires individual hits per collector, costing more silk and more time. On the standard 4-minute farming loop, Curveclaw shaves ~30 seconds vs Straight Pin.

Damage benchmarks (Sister Splinter boss, 480 HP)

1. Straight Pin Mk I — 28 damage per cast, 18 casts, 36 silk total. Fight time ~2:15.
2. Straight Pin Mk II — 34 damage per cast, 15 casts, 30 silk total. Fight time ~1:55.
3. Curveclaw Mk I — 18 damage per cast, 27 casts, 54 silk total. Fight time ~3:05.
4. Curveclaw Mk II — 22 damage per cast, 22 casts, 44 silk total. Fight time ~2:30.
5. Hunter Crest + Threaded Sword + Pebble Drop chip — clears in 12 casts of mixed Tools, ~1:40.

Use case 1 — Single-target boss fights (Straight Pin wins)

All major bosses in Silksong have tight hitboxes that reward single-target damage. Straight Pin's 1.5-unit thrust is small enough to consistently hit boss hurtboxes from close range without missing. Curveclaw's 4-unit arc, while wider, often catches air or arena geometry on tight boss arenas — the arc visual is misleading because only the center 2 units actually deal full damage.

Boss fights where Straight Pin is clearly correct: Sister Splinter (stationary, parry-heavy); Trobbio (predictable recital phases); Widow (small projectile gaps); Last Judge (single-target verdicts); Pinstress (parry-focused, every riposte is a Straight Pin opportunity); Carmelita (phase 3 flame-line punish windows); Crowned (all 4 phases — single-target focus).

Boss fights where Straight Pin is okay (not optimal): Cogwork Dancers (duo target — Curveclaw arc can hit both, but only if positioned between them); Crust King (huge hitbox, but slow attacks — Straight Pin still wins on damage per silk).

Use case 2 — Crowd clear and farming (Curveclaw wins)

Curveclaw's value lives in crowd encounters. Far Fields tax collectors cluster in groups of 2-3 around specific platforms; Sinner's Road silk thieves spawn in waves of 3-4; Bilewater spider clusters spawn 5-6 at a time. In every case, the 4-unit arc hits 2-3 enemies per cast, doubling or tripling effective DPS.

Far Fields farming routes specifically benefit. The standard 4-minute loop clears 7 tax collectors. With Straight Pin, you need 7 individual hits + Threaded Sword chip = roughly 90 seconds of combat time per loop. With Curveclaw, you need 3-4 arc swings to clear all 7 = roughly 50 seconds of combat time. The 40-second savings compound to ~600 rosaries per hour additional yield.

Curveclaw also pairs well with Reaper Crest. Reaper's wide sweep attack already does AoE; adding Curveclaw stacks two AoE damage sources on the same cast cycle. Reaper + Curveclaw clears Far Fields in 3:30 per loop (vs 4:00 with Hunter + Straight Pin) — meaningful gains over a 90-minute farming session.

Boss-focused Hunter loadout with Straight Pin

Crowd-clear Reaper loadout with Curveclaw

Crest pairings for each Tool

Verdict: Hunter + Straight Pin is the consensus boss loadout. Reaper + Curveclaw is the consensus crowd-clear loadout. Wanderer and Witch only have 1 red slot — both pick Straight Pin for backup damage. Shaman pairs well with Curveclaw because the arc spread applies poison to multiple enemies at once.

Common Straight Pin vs Curveclaw mistakes

• Equipping Curveclaw on Hunter Crest for bosses. Hunter's needle is single-target focused — Straight Pin compounds the build, Curveclaw wastes the arc on small hitboxes.
• Equipping Straight Pin on Reaper Crest for farming. Reaper sweep already does AoE; pairing with Straight Pin loses the crowd-clear advantage. Use Curveclaw.
• Skipping Threaded Sword for one of these. Threaded Sword is the universal red 1 slot — Straight Pin or Curveclaw fills red 2, not red 1.
• Forgetting both cost the same silk. The damage difference is the only meaningful variable; don't second-guess based on silk cost.
• Trying to use Curveclaw on parry-heavy bosses. Pinstress and Sister Splinter reward single-target damage during precise punish windows — Curveclaw's arc misses most of the time.
• Buying both Mk II upgrades before Threaded Sword Mk II. Threaded Sword Mk II is the higher priority — Straight Pin Mk II is second, Curveclaw Mk II third (and only if Reaper Crest).