Steel supplier

Mecha said:
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.
Click to expand...

I'm a welder also and I can DEFINITELY tell the difference between low/high grade steels and filler metals. Sure, the finished product is the same and will do it's 'purpose.' It just helps us (the fabricator, fitter, and welder) when it comes the quality of product we are using. Use a Lowe's or Walmart 7018 and then use a Lincoln 5P+. HUGE difference in the quality of operation! When I was in welding school we used to use some generic 6010 rods that had this red flux covering them and we 'thought' we were doing good. Then we used the 5P+. I can't describe how much easier it was to use and how much better the finished weld looked! Same goes with using some cheap Hobart wire and then using Lincoln's 'black' wire. Again, there was a MAJOR difference in the ease of operation and finished product.

I'm NOT a knife maker and will admit to knowing almost nothing about knives but when it comes to metal...Well, that's another matter altogether. With this said, I can definitely understand where James is coming from and I'm not throwing out some lame brain or uneducated statements.
 
Hey Bodog!

I have no idea why guys call my steel by my name other then I was the one who started with it. I do know that one of the main topics of conversation years ago on most of the forums was always about consistency in the steel that they were getting. (There was none!) When I started this little company of mine I was dead set on supplying the knife making community "only" with the best and most consistent materials I could find. I think we've done a good job of it. I've gone so far as to refuse orders that I've waited months to get because the certs. were not to the specs. I set. When we order steel we don't just buy steel to fill the shelves, we buy steel with knife makers specific needs in mind.

I now have 5 employee's besides myself. Four out of the six are makers and we are teaching the other 2. We understand the market, we understand the frustrations and we understand what it is like to get SHIT STEEL. If guy's want to pin my name to our steel I'm okay with it. It's not a gimmick and it certainly wasn't my idea to do so! I feel that it's done because most of our customers know the quality I demand, understand the effort we put into it and realize the bullshit we need to put up with to get it to you.

Regards,
Aldo Bruno
 
Mr Aldo says it best - I've purchased 52100 and 1084 from him and it's good stuff. Now, if Aldo would just carry 14C28N - I LIKE that stainless steel!!! Sometimes it's hard to find.

Just my 2 cents.

Ken H>
 
Ken, I like it to. I think it makes excellent cutlery steel. What sizes would you want to see it in?
 
WOW Aldo!!! that was a FAST response. Talk about keeping an eye on customer's needs (wants?).

I normally order in .098" range, 2" wide for kitchen knifes (some 1.5" wide). The .098" range works good for folder blades and backsprings also. Sometimes a .158" range for for heavier knifes.

I do think Sandvik's steels are way under rated - I've heard folks say they are the same as AEB-L because the chemistry looks the same, but % of components isn't the whole story, but how they had handled is VERY important. CPM-154 is a VERY good steel, but it's over twice the cost of 14C28N, so I think best "bang for buck" is the 14C28N.

Ken H>
 
Mr. Bruno,
Thanks for chiming in. Its good to hear directly from you about some makers insistence to add your name in the steels's tag line. I always wondered about that?

I haven't ordered from you yet but like your approach as a knife maker supplier to knife makers only and will take a look next time I need a billet or two.
 
I am not going to re-cap all the previous post, but will tell folks a bit about Aldo.

Most people get into supplying a niche market by being a used who decides to become a supplier. I would say that 99% of knifemakers started making knives to sell by starting to make knives for themselves. Handle wood suppliers often get started as suppliers by selling off their excess to support their own buying. Most full business suppliers realized that the only way to make money was to offer all sorts of things. Most knife suppliers sell everything from steel to epoxy. Some have been doing that quite well for a long time.

Steel suppliers mainly consider a single bar of steel order a waste of time. They sell in tons to industry. Some tolerate knifemakers, and others just aren't interested in us. The make-up, alloying, condition, etc. of the steel they sell to industry is for their needs...certainly not what knifemakers want. If people who want 100,000 pounds of a certain steel don't really care what the actual make-up is...then knifemakers don't have ant say in the discussion at all. Additionally, steel is generally made by melting scrap steel and adding some new iron and then adjusting the alloy to the requirements of the melt. All the extra stuff in the scrap gets in the mix. Industry doesn't care, as they are mainly concerned with yield strength and such. The amount of the lesser alloy ingredients are of no consequence.

Aldo wasn't a knifemaker, and got started because he met some great knifemakers at a hammer-in with Bill Moran. He listened to all the talk about steel and how hard it was to get this and that steel anymore. A light went on! Being the opportunity seeking Italian he is, he thought..."Hey, I could make a fortune at this.". Years later he was thinking, "Hey, I could loos a fortune doing this!" But, he stuck with it.
He had epic problems, health and family issues, financial problems.... including having his entire steel stock stolen at one point. He lost his good looks ( OK, he never looked all that good). Not getting out to the Lincoln Center and the Met, he lost all his class......OK, he probably was never any classier than he is now :) . He ate peanut butter and drank tap water... But most important, he kept listening to the makers about what was needed and what was hype. What he heard most was that no one really knew what they were getting. L-6 form two suppliers wasn't the same...some wasn't even L-6. W2 could vary a lot, same for many other steels. Basic low alloy forging steel was really hard to find. The answer was obvious...get each batch tested and know what you are selling...and don't buy what isn't right.

The real New Jersey Steel Baron title was earned when he had his first melt of 1084 make. Back then it was a mere 15,000 pounds for a run ( today it is ten times that). It was the joy that new makers and forgers were looking for. Subsequent batches used the feedback from users and he added a bit of V and some alloy tweaks to get 1084FG. This was great. later on he added the popular stainless steels, and introduced many to CPM-S35VN...a really great cutlery steel.

He got tired of hearing complaints about sheared steel, and spend serious money to buy his own saw. He heard that some folks hated mill scale..so he got a surface grinder.He has the steel spheroidized...because knifemakers really like that. His son venture into water jet cutting.

He would have a glass/bottle of adult beverage and enjoy a cigar with makers at Ashokan, Atlanta, and other places...and listen to how US knifemaker who made high end professional cutlery hated that Hitachi wouldn't sell us steel. He talked to many of us about alloys and reasoning and finally made a deal through Germany to send a boatload of Hitachi steel our way. Other steels are coming.

Why does he do this???? - Because he loves us dirty hands folks.
Could he make more money selling plumbing supplies ??? - Probably much more!
Does he deal with only knifemakers and sell us what we need and want... - Absolutely!!!!
What does he do best???....- LISTEN to his customers.


That is why he is one of the first name off our lips when suggesting a supplier.

This is not to say that the folks at USA Knifemakers, Jantz, etc. are not good suppliers...just that Aldo only sells steel..and that is why he os the New Jersey Steel Baron.
 
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Aldo, since you have stopped in, any possibility of getting 15N20 in 1/4" ? I think it would make some great bowies/camp knives, or even a dagger/sword. :thumbup:
 
Aldo - I added a bit more. I meant every word. I love ya' man!
 
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Willie71,

I would love to! Problem is it would have to be a mill order and I would need to get a 6,000 pound billet rolled and I'm just not sure what the demand would be(Unless you want the whole thing!). We brought the 80CRV in to cover a lot of "Eutectic"/"Easy Heat Treat"/ "Tough as a MF" needs for that type of work. I do want to bring in heavier 15N20 as funds will allow. Right now the next shipment will be 1/4" and .350 W-2 and more 1084.

Aldo
 
Very respectable answer, Aldo. Thank you for your hard work and commitment to quality.


Aldo Bruno said:
Hey Bodog!

I have no idea why guys call my steel by my name other then I was the one who started with it. I do know that one of the main topics of conversation years ago on most of the forums was always about consistency in the steel that they were getting. (There was none!) When I started this little company of mine I was dead set on supplying the knife making community "only" with the best and most consistent materials I could find. I think we've done a good job of it. I've gone so far as to refuse orders that I've waited months to get because the certs. were not to the specs. I set. When we order steel we don't just buy steel to fill the shelves, we buy steel with knife makers specific needs in mind.

I now have 5 employee's besides myself. Four out of the six are makers and we are teaching the other 2. We understand the market, we understand the frustrations and we understand what it is like to get SHIT STEEL. If guy's want to pin my name to our steel I'm okay with it. It's not a gimmick and it certainly wasn't my idea to do so! I feel that it's done because most of our customers know the quality I demand, understand the effort we put into it and realize the bullshit we need to put up with to get it to you.

Regards,
Aldo Bruno
Click to expand...
 
And that answer right there should tell anyone why his steel is worth mentioning specifically by name. Thanks for the explanation, I can now see why people make sure to mention that they got their steel from him.

bladsmth said:
I am not going to re-cap all the previous post, but will tell folks a bit about Aldo.

Most people get into supplying a niche market by being a used who decides to become a supplier. I would say that 99% of knifemakers started making knives to sell by starting to make knives for themselves. Handle wood suppliers often get started as suppliers by selling off their excess to support their own buying. Most full business suppliers realized that the only way to make money was to offer all sorts of things. Most knife suppliers sell everything from steel to epoxy. Some have been doing that quite well for a long time.

Steel suppliers mainly consider a single bar of steel order a waste of time. They sell in tons to industry. Some tolerate knifemakers, and others just aren't interested in us. The make-up, alloying, condition, etc. of the steel they sell to industry is for their needs...certainly not what knifemakers want. If people who want 100,000 pounds of a certain steel don't really care what the actual make-up is...then knifemakers don't have ant say in the discussion at all. Additionally, steel is generally made by melting scrap steel and adding some new iron and then adjusting the alloy to the requirements of the melt. All the extra stuff in the scrap gets in the mix. Industry doesn't care, as they are mainly concerned with yield strength and such. The amount of the lesser alloy ingredients are of no consequence.

Aldo wasn't a knifemaker, and got started because he met some great knifemakers at a hammer-in with Bill Moran. He listened to all the talk about steel and how hard it was to get this and that steel anymore. A light went on! Being the opportunity seeking Italian he is, he thought..."Hey, I could make a fortune at this.". Years later he was thinking, "Hey, I could loos a fortune doing this!" But, he stuck with it.
He had epic problems, health and family issues, financial problems.... including having his entire steel stock stolen at one point. He lost his good looks ( OK, he never looked all that good). Not getting out to the Lincoln Center and the Met, he lost all his class......OK, he probably was never any classier than he is now :) . He ate peanut butter and drank tap water... But most important, he kept listening to the makers about what was needed and what was hype. What he heard most was that no one really knew what they were getting. L-6 form two suppliers wasn't the same...some wasn't even L-6. W2 could vary a lot, same for many other steels. Basic low alloy forging steel was really hard to find. The answer was obvious...get each batch tested and know what you are selling...and don't buy what isn't right.

The real New Jersey Steel Baron title was earned when he had his first melt of 1084 make. Back then it was a mere 15,000 pounds for a run ( today it is ten times that). It was the joy that new makers and forgers were looking for. Subsequent batches used the feedback from users and he added a bit of V and some alloy tweaks to get 1084FG. This was great. later on he added the popular stainless steels, and introduced many to CPM-S35VN...a really great cutlery steel.

He got tired of hearing complaints about sheared steel, and spend serious money to buy his own saw. He heard that some folks hated mill scale..so he got a surface grinder.He has the steel spheroidized...because knifemakers really like that. His son venture into water jet cutting.

He would have a glass/bottle of adult beverage and enjoy a cigar with makers at Ashokan, Atlanta, and other places...and listen to how US knifemaker who made high end professional cutlery hated that Hitachi wouldn't sell us steel. He talked to many of us about alloys and reasoning and finally made a deal through Germany to send a boatload of Hitachi steel our way. Other steels are coming.

Why does he do this???? - Because he loves us dirty hands folks.
Could he make more money selling plumbing supplies ??? - Probably much more!
Does he deal with only knifemakers and sell us what we need and want... - Absolutely!!!!
What does he do best???....- LISTEN to his customers.


That is why he is one of the first name off our lips when suggesting a supplier.

This is not to say that the folks at USA Knifemakers, Jantz, etc. are not good suppliers...just that Aldo only sells steel..and that is why he os the New Jersey Steel Baron.
Click to expand...
 
Hopefully when other people wonder why his name is mentioned and do a search like I did, they'll find some answers within this thread.
 
Another notch in Aldo's belt is his commitment to our Troops.
I was a part of a couple of forum builds to supply our Service members with free custom knives..
Yes I said free.
Aldo supplied the steel for 2 of these builds no charge. Approximately 6 sheets of 52100.

I then did one more build on my own and Aldo not only supplied the steel for 45 knives, but also paid for the waterjet cutting.

I will Never use anyone else's steel. Ever.
 
Aldo Bruno said:
Willie71,

I would love to! Problem is it would have to be a mill order and I would need to get a 6,000 pound billet rolled and I'm just not sure what the demand would be(Unless you want the whole thing!). We brought the 80CRV in to cover a lot of "Eutectic"/"Easy Heat Treat"/ "Tough as a MF" needs for that type of work. I do want to bring in heavier 15N20 as funds will allow. Right now the next shipment will be 1/4" and .350 W-2 and more 1084.

Aldo
Click to expand...


6000lbs is a bit more than I need! :eek:

I've used a bit of the 80CRV2, but I have a really good heat treat for the 15N20, as I use it for a lot of kitchen knives. I guess you can't meet everyone's needs. I'll keep practicing my stack welds for now. :thumbup:

Quite a few of my customers have 15n20 knives now, and there is a "brand recognition" principle going on. Its simple enough to steer people towards W2 and 52100 in most cases anyway, rather than adding another steel to learn better to the mix.
 
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bodog said:
Hopefully when other people wonder why his name is mentioned and do a search like I did, they'll find some answers within this thread.
Click to expand...

seems like you got some good information. I just say, you have a rough way about asking for information. peace.
 
Aldo has gotten a bad batch of W2 from his mill, but acknowledged and was concerned about the problem. After service and standing behind your warranty counts for a lot.
 
Just for your information gentlemen, ALDO'S 1/4" 80CRV2 is back in stock and readily available

I couldn't resist. :)
 
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