Admiral Steel

A

aarolar

Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
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I am looking at ordering a piece of 1080 from Admiral Steel (1/8x2x60) but I noticed it says at the top that it is a hot rolled product and not annealed. Am I going to have to anneal this before I band saw my blanks? If so what is that process...
 
I'm using that same steel, the 1 1/2" wide stuff, it doesn't need annealed. It's plenty soft to work with. I haven't tried Aldo's 1084 but it's on my list for next steel purchase due to the added elements but still easy HT.

I can't complain about the value of what I got from Admiral though. They are not worth buying just one piece from though, almost $20 in shipping hurts when doing that. Other places are more cost effective for that amount of steel.
 
I never understood just why you have to worry about what you are getting from Admiral. They are famous for not sending what is ordered. Yet the mark it as what is ordered. ( They sure as hell don't mind charging full price!) It really chaps my butt that the maker of CPM now deals through admrial for Knife Makers.

We shouldn't have to get a call from a top heat treater telling us the 154-CPM is actually 440-C! They have been ripping off the Knife Makers for years.

How's that for telling you how I really feel. :mad:

Damed Crooks!
 
Aldo is selling C P M 154. His website doesn't list most of what he's got, you have to call him-Page
 
Just recieved my first order from Admiral,
2-36" X1 1/2" ATS 34 PG .187"

Received 1- ground to .173" and short 1 1/2"
1- " .192" "

They said I can ship it back ,they'll pay postage and credit my card, but were out of ATS34 for 3 more weeks.

That's my last order.
Mark Behnke


I've ordered from Aldo, 1084FG, before and can't say enough good things about him.
He went WAY out of his way to help me.
 
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Aldo has a much bigger selection on hand than his forum or website may indicate. He is carrying air hardening and CPM steels as well as forging steels. I think he is still trying to get a complete list of everything together in one spot, but he seems to have a bit of everything and can grind to thickness for a reasonable fee.
 
Kelly Cupples' 1080 is HR not annealed, and he says its about 34RC. I've worked with it, and its workable enough for a new knife maker (me).
 
Every time I read about Admiral I just have to shake my head. They'd be a great resource for all of us if they'd just try a little harder.

For example. If they're filling an order for a knife maker, and they're cutting it out of sheet, and they know their shear is going to bend the strip, and there is a freakin plate saw right freakin there, why screw up the steel and ship somebody a banana? Do they think we have coil straighteners in our shops? I wonder how many knives have been finished (or chunked) with little kinks where somebody had to fiddle with a shipment of stock all afternoon trying to fix it, but making it worse.

If they know the steel isn't L6, but something similar, why not tell us? The HT is not the same. WTH?

I order a huge assortment of stuff from places like MSC, who literally have half a million part numbers, and they almost always get it right, and get it to me next day, shipping UPS ground, so long as I get my order in by 8:00 PM the night before. But Admiral can't even ship the right steel a significant amount of the time? It just can't be that hard.

To ship 440C to fill an order of 154 is bordering on criminal.

As makers, we need places like Admiral. But a lot of the makers I know steer clear because they don't want the headaches.
 
I have dealt with Aldo for a few years, and the fact that he REALLY caters to knife makers means alot. If you call him you will get NO attitude that you may get from larger companys when they find out your "only" a knife maker and not buying thousands of pounds etc.

Im really glad to see Aldo has a web site listing his stock, pricing etc., good move. I have over a ton of W2/1095 but if I do need any steel Aldo will be my first choice.... matter of fact im eying some of that 1075 he has, I kind of like working with 1075 as it can be a bit tricky... nice to have a challenge to make you think during h/t.
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
As makers, we need places like Admiral. But a lot of the makers I know steer clear because they don't want the headaches.
Click to expand...

I am going to suggest that what we need most as makers is someone like Aldo, who buys in enough quantity to have serious buying power but has the concerns of knifemakers in mind from the start. Most of us are a gnat on an elephant's ass to a company like Admiral. If we all buy from Aldo and let him deal with companies like Admiral, he is in a much better position to demand and recieve decent service and quality product. Having a single bar of steel returned by a knifemaker because it is bent into a pretzel is easy for a big company to ignore. A whole truckload of rejected steel rolling back into their yard will get their attention. If we are smart consumers we can use this to our advantage.
 
I have to put a plug in for Kelly Cupples. Hes great to deal with and will cut custom lengths. Something most folks wont do. His prices are excellent and the quaility of the steel is great. We buy a lot of 1065 from him and its very good stuff.
 
They sent one of the bogus batches of steel to the Loveless Shop of all places. The very man that brought us ATS-34, and put 154-CM on the map for Knife Makers and Customers in the first place. ( Not to worry,, it went stright back!!!

Admiral has been doing this far too long to be simply incompetent.

That doesn't leave much else other than just plain ole cheats!

Mike
Maker
The Loveless Connection Knives
 
Michael Lovett said:
They sent one of the bogus batches of steel to the Loveless Shop of all places. The very man that brought us ATS-34, and put 154-CM on the map for Knife Makers and Customers in the first place. ( Not to worry,, it went stright back!!!

Admiral has been doing this far too long to be simply incompetent.

That doesn't leave much else other than just plain ole cheats!

Mike
Maker
The Loveless Connection Knives
Click to expand...

Boy am I glad I read this thread! I was just getting ready to order some ATS-34 from Admiral Steel based on their prices. Instead, I ordered some 154CM from Aldo. You fellas saved me some agony!!

TK Steingass
 
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