I made my pitching pliers. Bam makes anvils. Mike Hughes might also have some in stock. Check with both of them for pliers. I should have said get to bending props, not get bending props. Only way to learn is do it.
Work the outer 1/3 of the blade toward the trailing edge. You want any change to be smooth and progressive. The more you up the pitch the further up the blade you need to go. Measure a stock prop and run it. Make a change and pay attention what it does. The anvil can be used to work the leading edge to pull the cone tighter and reduce lift some. I normally just use the pliers, but have developed a feel for changes. I have a pretty accurate thumb just feeling the prop. There is a definite limit to how much you want to increase trailing edge pitch before you go to a higher root pitch prop. The ABC props have so many different pitch combinations it has eliminated this to some extent. There are still gains to be made, but just having a series of props is a great tuning tool. On my sport boat I have used the 1455x3 for ever. I change prop pitch as much as I do needle setting. I run a set pipe length and change the prop pitch for conditions. For years with the Picco the pipe was welded so not adjustable. I sold the prop off it so often that I never made a progressive set for it, just tuned the prop every heat.
Along with bending the prop, I like to do a soft heat treat. Heat the prop in a 500 degree oven for 3 hours and turn the oven off letting it cool slowly. This greatly stiffens a beryllium prop, but leaves it workable.
