Bar Stock listed on Amazon?

SpruceMoose

SpruceMoose

Joined
Jul 8, 2021
Messages
6
Amazon has been showing me listings for bar stock that are strangely varied. The prices are sometimes market competitive but then other times the prices seem impossibly low. Example, I ordered a 1/4" x 1" x 36' bar of D2 for 22 USD ( 6.35mm x 25.4mm x 914.4mm.) They say the lower priced bars were miscuts, leftovers or not precise enough in thickness to be sold at market value but still, we are talking paying 1/4th the market value for a quality tool steel. Something just doesn't seem right.

Sometimes you see an offer that is too good to be true, most the time I've misread it, some of the time it's a scam but every once in awhile it's a pretty decent deal.
 
Amazon is mostly a platform, not a brand, or seller.

I would trust the Starrett store on Amazon.

Otherwise, I'd rather burn my money at a casino and at least get the buffet.
 
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My wife has an Amazon Fire Tablet, a Firestick for tv and echo for voice control, the back up remote has Amazon batteries in it, whether they are just slapping a sticker on it or not they have a brand.

I see the 3rd party sellers that also have their own websites and are easy to look up but now Amazon is selling some bar stock with the name listed as "Amazon LLC" under a category labeled "Small Parts." The same size piece of D2 is now selling for 80 USD. A buyer on another forum said the steel is not cut precise enough for scientific equipment, he states that it is the right steel it's just over or under by a a few thousands of an inch. I guess that's enough for them to sell their mistakes at a discount, they are expecting their buyers to be building stuff with the steel, not making knives out of it. Anyways, I've blown 20 bucks on crazier things and gotten less in return. Worse comes to worst and I'll still have a piece of some sort of flat stock, I could make a wall hanger out of it.

I will check out Alpha and Starrett, so far the only steel I've ordered was from Admiral and that was a piece of 1075/1080, right now it is doing a good job of pretending it will be something one day. I've collected knives for years, a few swords too. Most the ones I plan on making are for artistic purposes, if any of them come out nice I will send them out for heat treating.
 
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I bought some some odd sized precision ground O1 and A2 from Amazon (Small Parts), and they were wrapped in brown paper and labeled Starrett. I haven't used them yet, but they are exceptionally flat and nicely ground. Not that it really matters for knife making.

Amazon used to have randomly enticing deals on these odd pieces. Especially when shipped Prime. I guess not too many people want 9/16th precision ground O1.
 
After reading some more it looks like that's what it will be. It's bar stock meant for very specific purposes and if it's out of tolerances they dump it quick and cheap. So far the only negative reviews have been about it not being the exact thickness ordered, which must be pretty frustrating to a technician or someone needing a precisely ground part but the variations have been miniscule, not enough to affect my plans for it anyway. Thanks SirSpice.
 
You got me curious so I actually measured it with my el cheapo calipers, and it does "seem" to be what's written on the package. I was thinking trying to make a hardened radius platen from this somehow.

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I bought a bunch of 5/8" W1 round bar a few years ago. It has been fantastic for me, as has some 1/2" round I've bought since, but that's strictly anecdotal.
 
Guess we won't know til Saturday. I got the free shipping but it's not the 2day. It was strange, when I ordered it the ticker said that they only had 2 left in stock. A day later the ticker said "in stock" and the price went from 20 dollars to 80 for the same 1/2" x 1" x 36".


After using the interface they have set up to select a size I noticed that the prices were some what static but a few random sizes were heavily discounted, those sizes always said a number in stock like 2-3 instead of just saying "in stock." My only thoughts until it gets here Saturday are that the cheaper ones are discounted because they have already been cut and they just want it gone and the market price is for someone asking for a piece of metal that hasn't been cut and ground yet.

Just looking at Starrett's prices now, they aren't that bad, I haven't ordered from them yet but they are a 25 min drive from me, I will send them an email and talk shop, if I can keep some of my money local that would be nice.
 
i have heard stories about people buying steel off ebay and amazon that was not the advertised steel. wouldent harden etc. i think the hours i spend to try to make a knife look really nice is not worth risking possible substandard materials for a discount on the prices most knifemakers normally pay for their steel.
 
john april said:
i have heard stories about people buying steel off ebay and amazon that was not the advertised steel. wouldent harden etc. i think the hours i spend to try to make a knife look really nice is not worth risking possible substandard materials for a discount on the prices most knifemakers normally pay for their steel.
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Broadly speaking I'd agree, but Starrett is a well regarded high quality company. I'd trust their steel without reservation.
 
CallumRD1 said:
Broadly speaking I'd agree, but Starrett is a well regarded high quality company. I'd trust their steel without reservation.
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If it's theirs

Last time I bought Starrett preciaon ground, it was in a clear/ red plastic sleeve and that was 25 years ago.
At the same time, the other cheaper brands had that brown paper.
Stickers look right.

Maybe it's really old stock. Maybe they changed their wrapping in the mean time. Maybe it's counterfeit branding slapping a couple of stickers on.
 
Bar stock arrived today,

It came in an oversized cardboard box, the bar itself was wrapped in brown paper inside the shipping box. No sticker, stamp, or packing slip. Reviewing the tracking number online shows it came from Brookshire Texas and there is a Brookshire Steel company listed in Texas, that's about the extent of my investigation. The bar is straight with a polished finish but whether or not it's D2 or anything else I have no clue. It's heavy and magnetic but that doesn't narrow it down too much. In hindsight I don't feel like I lost out completely however it's just a 3ft paper weight for now, a beautiful 3ft paper weight.

Going forward I will order from more reputable sources, Starrett is 20 mins away from me for tool steel, Admiral was easy to purchase from for the 1075 and there are a few others like New Jersey Steel Baron and Pops that I had on my list of places to try.
 
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