Both my wrenches were deflecting beam. Unless there was some defect in the W&B wrench from new, the only thing I can think of is that I introduced a permanent set in the bar by using it to loosen one of those large gearbox nuts in the dim past - which of course should never be done since cracking the taper on the thread requires much more torque than just tighting it up. The bar did look straight to me, but perhaps only a small amount makes a difference. What I do now is to attached the digital gauge (also W&B brand although made in China) between the wrench and the socket so that I have two indications of what's happening. A bit inconvenient but what's the price of peace of mind?