Small quantities from NJ steel Barron

D

dfarm

Joined
Feb 21, 2008
Messages
364
I was going to order one piece of 1084 (1"x48") from Aldo. It's $13.68 for the steel and $31.57 for shipping.

Does anyone know if they would cut the bar into 1' chunks and throw them in a flat rate box? I planned on making a few small friction folders for my family, so I don't need the big piece, and the shipping makes the price a bit steep.

Are there any other places that are more convenient for beginners or people who don't need to buy huge quantities?

I searched for this, but the newest discussion I found was from 3 years ago, so I was hoping that someone had some new info.
 
If I were a steel reseller, the LAST thing I would want to do on a $13.68 order is (a) spend additional un-billable time talking on the phone with the customer or (b) spend additional un-billable time cutting up the order into smaller pieces. Time is money.
 
P.Brewster said:
If I were a steel reseller, the LAST thing I would want to do on a $13.68 order is (a) spend additional un-billable time talking on the phone with the customer or (b) spend additional un-billable time cutting up the order into smaller pieces. Time is money.
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That is why I asked in here, instead of calling them. I get that time is money, and they'd much rather sell a pallet sized load than a single piece.

I was hoping someone on here had found a vendor that was more geared towards hobbyists.
 
I second Alpha Knife Supply...Chuck ships flat rate box sizes 11.5" and 23.5" bars very reasonable when you don't require volume.
 
Yep, Chuck at AKS shipps 12" range steel in a $10 box, from 1 piece to 10 pieces.... or whatever fits in. When ordering 2 ft pieces shipping tends to run $20 range. Chuck's great to deal with.

Ken H>
 
Just call them. If a company won't talk to you regardless of the order size then I wouldn't mess with them. With that said I have had them cut them into 2' lengths for free. I did order 3 pieces of Aebl and it saved a good bit on shipping.
 
Yes they do.

The biggest problem with AKS is every time I start to make a small order it escalates quickly into a large order.
 
rjedoaks said:
Does Alpha even sell 1084? They do have the best shipping rates
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Alpha sells 80CrV2, which they marketed for years as 1080+. 80CrV2 or 1.2235 has about the same carbon as the 1084, with a little more chrome and vanadium. HT is real straight forward. put in 1475F furnace, soak for 5minutes, quench in canola or commercial quench oil. Temper at 400F for Rc60-61. The steel is used for wood saw blades.
 
They just started carrying it. If you order a longer piece, IIRC > 15" Jessica will contact you and make sure you want that size before they ship. They cut it down to ship cheaper for free too. I've never had a problem with NJ Steel Baron, but I always defer to Alpha - especially if you are on the west coast! as it will be at your door in like a day and a half.
 
P.Brewster said:
If I were a steel reseller, the LAST thing I would want to do on a $13.68 order is (a) spend additional un-billable time talking on the phone with the customer or (b) spend additional un-billable time cutting up the order into smaller pieces. Time is money.
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Fielding phone calls about products and processing is just part of the game. From what I understand, Aldo is a pretty nice guy to talk to, and while every phone call isn't going to make money, not being available for the calls that do result in a sale (or repeat customers) will likely cost more in the long run.
As for making a couple of quick cuts on a saw, I doubt that would send his profit margins plummeting, but he certainly has the right to refuse the business.

I'm sure most would agree that his shipping cost is a bit on the high side of standard, but that's why I normally try to order a few pieces at a time. If I need less, I'll almost always go with AKS.
 
Straight from Aldo's FAQ page: Q: Do you have a cut charge?
A: Yes, We sell our steel in 48″ or 36″ for some steels. For shorter lengths (ie: 12″ or 24″) will have a $2.00 cut charge per cut.
 
For me, I like to use Alpha for small or specialty stock. Ie a fancy one off stainless for a specific knife or if I want a few bars of AEB-L but for large orders "forging sizes of 1084, W2 and so on I stick with Aldo.
 
I'm a little hobby maker but both times I called NJSB, I ended up talking with Aldo and it was a real pleasure! He was really into talking about making knives and answered all my questions giving detailed info and advice. The steel was great too.

On average I'm only making a knife a month, but last order I stocked up a little more on steel as it cost basically the same to ship three 48" long pieces as when I bought one 48" piece of steel. Even with shipping, the steel is often cheaper than the wood I use for the handle.
 
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