Buyer Beware: bent W2 from Aldo

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JG Custom Metal Works

JG Custom Metal Works

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Nov 27, 2013
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Let me start this thread out by saying, I know Aldo/NJ Steel Baron is very highly regarded on this forum. Hell, up until today he was very highly regarded by me. I've ordered thousands of dollars worth of steel from him over the years and never had this problem.

My order was a $600+ order and included two bars of W2. One of the bars was .250" x 2" x 48" and the other was .125". When I opened the box, everything looked great except the .250" thick piece of W2. It had a very large bend in it across the entire length of the piece. I thought "ah crap, I'm horrible at straightening steel." Whenever I straighten steel it ends up bent more than when I started.

So I figure, it's not a big deal, Aldo's a great guy and he'll make it right. I call him today and he explained to me that it was pressure built up in the piece and that I could bend it back. I explained to him how horrible I am at straightening steel and that I wouldn't have ordered it had I known it could be bent.

I wasn't rude or disrespectful at all during the call. Towards the end of the call it seemed(by his tone) as though I was annoying him and I started to get attitude from him when discussing a refund/replacement. As someone who deals with customers regularly it's really frustrating when a customer isn't happy with an order. I realize everyone has bad days and in my experience this is out of character for Aldo.

I will say he offered to replace the piece of W2 with a piece of 1095. I'd just have to ship the W2 back and spend another $20-$30 on shipping to get made whole. I just said forget it. I'll throw the W2 on the back of the shelf.

Again, I know Aldo is loved here and I fully expect to be told I'm wrong for posting this thread. I'm just posting it to warn others about his bent W2. They said it only happens with the thicker W2 and the piece that was .125 wasn't bent at all. I've ordered thousands of dollars worth of steel from him and have never experienced an issue like this.

Very disappointing experience. Even more disappointing as he was one of my main suppliers of steel. Does anyone know another supplier that sells good annealed 1084 other than Aldo?

The bend is so pronounced that, when laid on a flat surface, the entire middle section is 1/4"-1/2" in the air. Here's a pic of the piece:

 
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I don't blame you for not wanting to send it back. Unfortunately, having a bend in the steel is often just part of the game, unless you're ordering precision ground stock. It's an unfortunate, and often unavoidable byproduct of the rolling process. Now there are certain ways to mechanically and/or thermally straighten the steel, or at the very least improve it, but if Aldo did that to the countless pieces he ships out, I imagine his prices would be climbing a bit.

I know it looks pretty severe over 48", but if you're going to cut it into smaller blanks, the bend won't be nearly as severe, and if forging, it's a completely moot point. I assume, however, that you're probably using stock removal?

Personally, I'd just cut it into the lengths needed for the knives you plan on making with it, and work on straightening those with either a vise and or a hammer.
 
Hell, il you want I'd buy it off you if you don't want it. Shipping to California isn't bad. Shoot me an email if you really don't want it.
 
Sometimes steel comes out of the mill with a bit of curvature. Sometimes when it gets sheared it curves a bit. It's actually quite common, and it's very easy to correct. If you have a forge, a heat treat oven, or a torch (most knifemakers have at least one of these) and a vise, you shouldn't have any problems straightening it. Should take you less time than repackaging it for a return.
 
I hate to tell you, and I'm not trying to be rude, but that's just part of the deal when you work with steel.

It be different if you specifically ordered precision ground and guaranteed flat steel, but that's not the case here.

What I see in the pics isn't a big deal at all. It happens with every order I get to a piece or two. You could straighten that in about a minute over your knee.

Making knives is going to be extremely challenging for you, if a task as simple as straightening a whole 4' long bar of soft steel is giving you trouble.

I'd use the piece and practice straightening techniques if I were you. I know that isn't probably what you want to hear but I do wish you the best and straightening steel is a great thing to know, and it really isn't very difficult.
 
When steel gets sheared the shear blade comes down on the left side and guillotines towards the right. In long sections and heavier plate it will curl really bad. Again, I'd take it as well, I'm sure the shipping wouldn't be $40 like my last order was.
 
Every 4' piece of 52100 I've ever ordered from Aldo has been like that. It's no biggie though and easy to correct. I'm shocked if you've ordered thousands of dollars worth of steel from him, that this is your first time seeing it. Again, it's no big deal. Just roll with it man.
 
J. Doyle said:
I hate to tell you, and I'm not trying to be rude, but that's just part of the deal when you work with steel.

Making knives is going to be extremely challenging for you, if a task as simple as straightening a whole 4' long bar of soft steel is giving you trouble.
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Oh I'm not taking it as rude, just condescending. I don't need you questioning my knifemaking ability. I paid for straight steel and got bent steel. I can and have straightened steel before, I just HATE doing it. That's why I pay more to get steel from Aldo.

I've bought a ton of steel from Aldo over the years and have NEVER had a piece of steel bent like this. That is one of the main reasons I've ordered through him.

I didn't make this thread to discuss straightening steel. I started the thread to warn people about ordering W2 from NJ Steel Baron, because it can come bent. There's no warning or note on the website about it potentially being bent. To top it off I got treated poorly when I called about it.

Again, I know Aldo is loved here and up until today I was happy with everything I got from him. It doesn't really make a difference how the steel got bent, why it's bent, or how it can be straightened.
 
NC Biker said:
Are you really going to stop buying from Aldo because you got a piece of steel with a bow in it?

Don't sweat the small stuff, just straighten it and move on.
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It's just the steel with the bend but also how I was talked to on the phone when I called with a problem. They sent bent steel to me and then acted annoyed at me when I called about it.
 
JG Custom Metal Works said:
...... I thought "ah crap, I'm horrible at straightening steel." Whenever I straighten steel it ends up bent more than when I started.....
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JG Custom Metal Works said:
Oh I'm not taking it as rude, just condescending. I don't need you questioning my knifemaking ability. I paid for straight steel and got bent steel. I can and have straightened steel before, I just HATE doing it. That's why I pay more to get steel from Aldo.
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Your two above quotes are kind of at odds with each other. I wasn't being condescending, it was YOU who called your straightening abilities into question. Then you said that you 'can and have straightened steel before'.

Did you pay extra for perfectly flat, straight steel? Did Aldo ever state or imply that the steel bars would be perfectly straight and flat? He's never said or even hinted at that that I'm aware of.

Like I said, if that bent piece of steel causes you that much grief, knifemaking is gonna be rough for you. What are you going to do when you quench a blade and it warps?

As far as how you were treated on the phone, I'd take that up with Aldo as neither I nor anyone else here can speak with any authority on the matter.

I encourage you again to practice your straightening with the bent piece and move on.

Or maybe you should just stick with actual precision ground steel. Either way.
 
I'm with the OP. He paid for straight steel and he got bent steel. End of discussion - Aldo should make it right. What if you go buy a Ford and one of the wheels is square. The dealer says to drive it slowly and after 5K or 10K miles it will beat itself round. All the cars this year have 1 square wheel. Are all you guys who are making excuses for Aldo going to accept that square wheel????
 
JG Custom Metal Works said:
Oh I'm not taking it as rude, just condescending. I don't need you questioning my knifemaking ability. I paid for straight steel and got bent steel. I can and have straightened steel before, I just HATE doing it. That's why I pay more to get steel from Aldo.

I've bought a ton of steel from Aldo over the years and have NEVER had a piece of steel bent like this. That is one of the main reasons I've ordered through him.

I didn't make this thread to discuss straightening steel. I started the thread to warn people about ordering W2 from NJ Steel Baron, because it can come bent. There's no warning or note on the website about it potentially being bent. To top it off I got treated poorly when I called about it.

Again, I know Aldo is loved here and up until today I was happy with everything I got from him. It doesn't really make a difference how the steel got bent, why it's bent, or how it can be straightened.
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With all due respect, you didn't pay for straight steel, or it would have specified precision ground. While there is no warning of a potential bend or warp, there isn't any guarantee written that it will be straight within any tolerance. I'm not saying that this allows for receiving a piece of steel that looks like a wagon wheel rim, but I'd say 1/4" of bend over 48" is almost to be expected.

Trust me, I love getting straight steel (and lumber too, for that matter) as much as you do, and I'd be lying if I said I enjoy having to straighten flat stock when it comes looking like a rocking chair leg (especially the thicker stuff), but it really doesn't matter who you order from, you're bound to get a piece like that from time to time, ESPECIALLY in longer pieces.

Now, as for how you were talked to over the phone, I can't really comment on that, as I was not part of the conversation, nor have I ever personally talked to Aldo or any of his employees. Personally, I don't occasionally buy from his company because I have any affection towards the man, one way or the other, but because I know I'm getting quality steel, and because he may have what I need in the dimensions I need, where others may not.

At any rate, you're certainly free to vote with your money and take business elsewhere. I buy steel from more than just one place too.
 
Spalted said:
Wouldnt you have to order precision ground steel in order to guarantee it to be straight ?
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Even then, I've ordered precision ground before that wasn't straight. It just means the flats are parallel. It doesn't guarantee that it is straight.
 
tim37a said:
I'm with the OP. He paid for straight steel and he got bent steel. End of discussion - Aldo should make it right. What if you go buy a Ford and one of the wheels is square. The dealer says to drive it slowly and after 5K or 10K miles it will beat itself round. All the cars this year have 1 square wheel. Are all you guys who are making excuses for Aldo going to accept that square wheel????
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Not even close to the same thing as we're talking here.

A more fitting picture using your examples of what's going on here is complaining to your Ford dealer that one of your new tires on your new Ford is slightly low on air and has a couple of those little rubber 'hairs' sticking off the sidewall.

You could go on a forum and try to 'warn' others about the dealership or put a little air into the tire and pick the little 'hairs' off yourself.

Further, it doesn't sound like he paid for STRAIGHT steel. It sounds like he paid for steel. I don't know how anyone could guarantee that steel would stay straight in shipping, even if it left the factory dead straight.

Oh, and when you buy steel from Aldo or anywhere else, there may be some straightening and tweaking necessary.
 
tim37a said:
I'm with the OP. He paid for straight steel and he got bent steel. End of discussion - Aldo should make it right. What if you go buy a Ford and one of the wheels is square. The dealer says to drive it slowly and after 5K or 10K miles it will beat itself round. All the cars this year have 1 square wheel. Are all you guys who are making excuses for Aldo going to accept that square wheel????
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I think that analogy is a bit misguided. While both automotive AND steel manufacturers both have several criteria and standards they have to meet regarding quality, reliability, safety, customer specifications, etc..., straightness of a sheared piece of steel via a distributor is not one that I'm aware of.
 
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