Steel supplier

bodog

bodog

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Who is Aldo and why should anyone care if a steel was supplied by him?
 
Aldo Bruno. He owns New Jersey Steel Baron. Great customer service and prices. I buy all my steel from him.
 
Yeah, but when someone says they make a knife with steel supplied by him, why should I care? If I'm buying a finished product what does his customer service or price matter enough to announce it every time like it's going to somehow make the knife better? I don't hear people saying FS: 5 inch drop point with Niagara's 1095 or Admiral's 52100.
 
Steel can vary in quality. Might be important for some people to show they bought theirs from a trusted distributor.
 
Ok. I ask because he's the only name I see advertised like that. I thought he had some inside scoop with some better than average steel. I guess not, seems like a marketing gimmick. I'm sure there are other places that sell consistent quality steel whose names aren't thrown around like that. I now see that it means nothing out of the ordinary. Thanks for answering my question.

Aldo's w2= the same w2 you can get from any other reputable supplier
Aldo's 52100 = the same 52100 you can get from any other reputable supplier

He just treats knife makers better than some others so the knife makers pay him some dues by advertising his name for him. That's not a bad thing, just a little silly to make uninformed buyers think they're getting something special.
 
Aldo has become a fixture in the knife community, as far back as I can remember reading about him he has always has good dealings with people. Why should you care? No idea, that is on you. People that make stuff have a small source of pride at times. You might learn more about that and other things if you hang around a bit, and try to post so it sounds a little less abrasive.
 
bodog said:
Aldo's w2= the same w2 you can get from any other reputable supplier
Aldo's 52100 = the same 52100 you can get from any other reputable supplier
Click to expand...

Sorry mate, that's just flat wrong. You might do well to do a bit of research into how wide the variances for different steel alloys can actually be. You may be surprised... I certainly was.

Aldo goes above and beyond to find and distribute the cleanest, most chemically-accurate and consistent steel available, and has invested I-don't-know-how-much into actually having entire batches of steel made exactly to his specs. (We're talking tons here, not a couple hundred pounds.) That means finer grain, better structure, better HT response... and ultimately, better blades.

For instance, Aldo's 1084 really is special, with higher quality control and improved chemistry over everything else that others "call" 1084 because it's "pretty close to spec".

A 10 or 20 or 50% increase in quality and performance doesn't mean much to most people, especially if it costs more... that's why the most popular knives on earth are made of "CHINA STAINLESS" (whatever that may be). But some people do care, and they care a whole lot.

That's why serious knifemakers, users and collectors take note when steel comes from certain companies and distributors. Because it really is better.

All "O1" or "440C" or "D2" or "W2" and so on is not necessarily the same, I assure you. Making a blanket statement that one steel with a certain name or number stamped on it is "the same" as any others is much like calling organic grass-fed free-range beef "the same" as the pink slime at McDonald's. (Yeah, technically it's all "beef", but... c'mon now.) It's ignorant, uninformed, and frankly it's a little insulting to those of us who study this sort of thing quite seriously and insist on finding the very best materials with which to make our living.
 
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I know a few that will never buy from him again. So it's not all good reports. I myself have had good experiences with him, and good prices as well. Others have different stories tho. I don't praise him or his steel, he's just a man with good business ethics.
 
Pretty good response James. I myself only buy from him now. I've tried a few others but I like his prices and options better. And I can't say much about quality since most of my knives are from his steel except for my first ones. So if there's a difference I'm not experienced enough to determine that.
 
Perhaps you should have asked Aldo himself? You'd probably get a more complete answer.
 
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Now that's what I was looking for. Thanks for the info. It's not the he is simply a good supplier, it's that he goes out of his way to make sure the steel he sells is the best that can be had. The earlier posts were just saying he was good to his customers, which is hard enough to find in this day and age as it is. Nice to have an experienced voice step in and give a nuts and bolts answer. Seriously, thanks.

james terrio said:
Sorry mate, that's just flat wrong. You might do well to do a bit of research into how wide the variances for different steel alloys can actually be. You may be surprised... I certainly was.

Aldo goes above and beyond to find and distribute the cleanest, most chemically-accurate and consistent steel available, and has invested I-don't-know-how-much into actually having entire batches of steel made exactly to his specs. (We're talking tons here, not a couple hundred pounds.) That means finer grain, better structure, better HT response... and ultimately, better blades.

For instance, Aldo's 1084 really is special, with higher quality control and improved chemistry over everything else that others "call" 1084 because it's "pretty close to spec".

A 10 or 20 or 50% increase in quality and performance doesn't mean much to most people, especially if it costs more... that's why the most popular knives on earth are made of "CHINA STAINLESS" (whatever that may be). But some people do care, and they care a whole lot.

That's why serious knifemakers, users and collectors take note when steel comes from certain companies and distributors. Because it really is better.

All "O1" or "440C" or "D2" or "W2" and so on is not necessarily the same, I assure you. Making a blanket statement that one steel with a certain name or number stamped on it is "the same" as any others is much like calling organic grass-fed free-range beef "the same" as the pink slime at McDonald's. (Yeah, technically it's all "beef", but... c'mon now.) It's ignorant, uninformed, and frankly it's a little insulting to those of us who study this sort of thing quite seriously and insist on finding the very best materials with which to make our living.
Click to expand...
 
Welding has shown me how the quality and consistency of even plain mild steel can vary a lot, and poor-quality mild steel will definitely weaken a finished weldment. I'd imagine close metallurgical tolerances are even more important in a high-alloy, fine-edged blade. Nowadays there has even been an influx of horrible-quality cheap titanium alloys, and I can certainly tell the difference.

A knifemaker could spend countless hours trying to secure batches of steel in the right quantity and sizes, and test them to assure quality. Having a trusted agent who can do this is a great service, and I bet Aldo (and other trusted distributors) has his hands full with the job.

Edit: The world is absolutely saturated with low-quality finished goods that don't perform as expected, and this includes raw materials.
 
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He used to spend time on here when he had time, and is well liked. If you see somebody at a hammer-in with a truck full of steel, it's Aldo. He's one of us and cares a LOT about what he sells us. If ya see him, walk up and say hi, you'll buy from him too. :D:thumbup::thumbup:
 
I only grind stainless like 440C, 145 CM, CPM 154, and ATS 34. I want to try AEB-L. Am I the only guy who prices all the suppliers before making a order? I buy from Admiral, Jantz for precision ground, Pops for specials on pm 154, Tru Grit, and New Jersey steel Baron. The prices vary alittle and so does the shipping. I also check Alpha Knife Supply. Admiral send me steel in heavy tubes with e steel taped to a stave. The only problem is getting it open. I like to shop and stock up on good deals.
 
LARRYZ10 said:
I only grind stainless like 440C, 145 CM, CPM 154, and ATS 34. I want to try AEB-L. Am I the only guy who prices all the suppliers before making a order? I buy from Admiral, Jantz for precision ground, Pops for specials on pm 154, Tru Grit, and New Jersey steel Baron. The prices vary alittle and so does the shipping. I also check Alpha Knife Supply. Admiral send me steel in heavy tubes with e steel taped to a stave. The only problem is getting it open. I like to shop and stock up on good deals.
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If you buy CPM 154 from Aldo, it will be CPM 154, you can stake your reputation on it. And he'll take care not to bend the mess out of it when he cuts it for you.

I suggest folks do a search on here about Admiral.

Aldo is a good resource. He has a high quality mindset.
 
Firstly, the angle at which you approached the question was a bit arrogant. Steel sales aside, Aldo is very well liked in the knife community for reasons beyond his steel. James broke it down for you very well explaining the reasons his steel IS better than steel offered by others. That seemed to be what you were looking for and I'm glad you got your answer. It is perfectly fine to ask the question but Aldo is like family to some of us so your phrasing of the question was somewhat insulting. Aldo has been busting his ass for years trying to do right by knife makers and to make sure they have the best composition of various steels while also offering the best prices he can. When you call Admiral or Carpenter will you get the boss man on the phone and be able to ask him everything you want about their steel? When you call Aldo you get Aldo and he'll answer your questions. And by the way, a lot of the steel you get from places like USA knifemaker or Jantz comes from Aldo. And who else went out of their way to get Hitachi Blue for you knifemakers? Like others have suggested, call him and talk to him.
 
james terrio said:
Sorry mate, that's just flat wrong. You might do well to do a bit of research into how wide the variances for different steel alloys can actually be. You may be surprised... I certainly was.

Aldo goes above and beyond to find and distribute the cleanest, most chemically-accurate and consistent steel available, and has invested I-don't-know-how-much into actually having entire batches of steel made exactly to his specs. (We're talking tons here, not a couple hundred pounds.) That means finer grain, better structure, better HT response... and ultimately, better blades.

For instance, Aldo's 1084 really is special, with higher quality control and improved chemistry over everything else that others "call" 1084 because it's "pretty close to spec".

A 10 or 20 or 50% increase in quality and performance doesn't mean much to most people, especially if it costs more... that's why the most popular knives on earth are made of "CHINA STAINLESS" (whatever that may be). But some people do care, and they care a whole lot.

That's why serious knifemakers, users and collectors take note when steel comes from certain companies and distributors. Because it really is better.

All "O1" or "440C" or "D2" or "W2" and so on is not necessarily the same, I assure you. Making a blanket statement that one steel with a certain name or number stamped on it is "the same" as any others is much like calling organic grass-fed free-range beef "the same" as the pink slime at McDonald's. (Yeah, technically it's all "beef", but... c'mon now.) It's ignorant, uninformed, and frankly it's a little insulting to those of us who study this sort of thing quite seriously and insist on finding the very best materials with which to make our living.
Click to expand...

Great statement James. :) It's people like you that keep this industry going where it's going. :)
 
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