Visual Identification
Inserts, end mills, drills, buttons, and wear parts are identified by type, brand markings, and condition before anything else happens.
TRANSPARENT GRADING • ITEMIZED SETTLEMENT • 24-HOUR PAYMENT
HOW WE GRADE& PAY FOR CARBIDE
Most carbide sellers have one fear: that their material disappears into a black box and comes back as a low number they cannot argue with. Here is the exact process Ironcrest uses to grade your carbide, what the settlement report shows, and how you get paid.
Photo Review FirstMaterial TestingItemized Settlement24-Hour PaymentUS Buyers Only
THE PROCESS, STEP BY STEP
No black box. Here is how your carbide gets valued.
Every lot follows the same documented path from first photo to final payment. You always know where your material is in the process and how the number was built.
Material Testing
Mixed or uncertain lots are tested to confirm tungsten carbide content and separate high-grade material from steel-heavy or low-grade pieces.
Weigh & Settle
Your material is weighed in the open, graded by category, and priced against current market levels. You get an itemized report, then payment.
WHAT THE SETTLEMENT SHOWS
An itemized report you can actually read
- Total weight received, verified on a calibrated digital scale
- Breakdown by material category: inserts, solid tooling, brazed tips, sludge, and mixed grades
- The market basis used for each category on the day of settlement
- Deductions stated plainly and separately, never buried: non-carbide content, contamination, packaging
- Net payable amount with payment method and timing confirmed in writing
- A copy kept on file so any future question about the lot has an answer
OPENWeighing in the open
You can watch the scale. Nothing is graded behind closed doors.
ITEMIZEDLine-by-line report
Every category, every weight, every deduction shown separately.
FASTPaid in 24 hours
Check, wire, or cash within 24 hours of settlement.
BEFORE YOU SHIP ANYTHING
What to send for an accurate quote
A quote is only as good as the information behind it. Send these and the number you get will hold.
- PHOTOS — Overall quantity plus close-ups of representative pieces, labels, and boxes.
- WEIGHT — Your best estimate. A bathroom-scale guess is fine; we verify on arrival.
- LOCATION — City and state, so freight or pickup can be priced into the quote.
- HISTORY — What the material is and where it came from, if you know it.
FROM PHOTOS TO PAYMENT
Four steps, same every time.
Send Photos & Details
Photos, estimated weight, your location, and what the material is. The more detail, the firmer the quote.
Get a Firm Quote
A real number based on your material, current market levels, and logistics. Valid for 15 days in writing.
Ship or Schedule Pickup
Small lots mail in with instructions. Heavy lots get freight arranged or on-site pickup with the scale.
Settle & Get Paid
Material is tested, weighed, and graded. You receive the itemized settlement report, then payment within 24 hours.
WHY IRONCREST
Built for sellers who have been burned before
- Same-day quotes from photos: send them in the morning, have a number the same day
- Payment within 24 hours of settlement: check, wire, or cash, your choice
- One direct contact: Sonny Johns at 312-880-8174, not a department or a portal
- No minimums: a bucket or a truckload, every lot gets the same honest grading
- Freight arranged on bigger lots anywhere in the United States, so you never haul it yourself
- Your material never leaves the United States: sold only to domestic processors
- Written quotes honored for 15 days, so you can compare bids with confidence
ONE DIRECT CONTACT
Talk to Sonny, not a department
Every quote, pickup, and payment runs through one person who answers the phone: Sonny Johns at 312-880-8174. No portals, no ticket queues, no waiting on a committee.
- SAME-DAY QUOTES — Send photos in the morning, have a number the same day.
- 24-HOUR PAYMENT — Paid within 24 hours of settlement by check, wire, or cash.
- US ONLY — Your material never leaves the United States.
WHY SELLERS SWITCH
Sold carbide before? Then you know the frustrations.
- Black-box grading. Some buyers eyeball the pile and name a number. You get an itemized settlement: every category weighed and priced on its own line.
- Slow payment. Big programs pay Net 30 or longer. You are paid within 24 hours of settlement: check, wire, or cash.
- You pay the freight. Some buyers make the seller cover shipping in advance. We arrange the freight on bigger lots, so you never haul it yourself.
- Their scale, their word. Some contracts make the buyer's weight legally binding. Our local and on-site deals are weighed in the open.
- Treated like steel. General scrap yards cannot test carbide, so it gets dumped in the steel bin at steel prices. We test and grade actual carbide content.
- Product credits instead of cash. Manufacturer programs often pay in credits toward more tooling. We pay money.
THE IRONCREST STANDARD
Every lot, every time
One direct contact, a written quote valid 15 days, an itemized settlement report, and payment within 24 hours. Your material never leaves the United States.
- SONNY JOHNS — 312-880-8174, the person who answers.
- DOCUMENTED — Quote, assay, settlement, payment. All in writing.
- DOMESTIC ONLY — Sold to US processors under the federal tungsten rule.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Asked by shops holding this material.
How do I know I am getting a fair price?
You get an itemized settlement report showing the weight of each material category and the market basis used that day. Every deduction is listed separately. If any line does not make sense, ask and it gets explained before you are paid, not after.
What if my carbide is mixed with steel or other metals?
That is normal and it is handled openly. Non-carbide content is separated and deducted as its own line on the settlement report. Brazed tooling, for example, is priced on the carbide tip content, not the steel shank, and the report shows that math.
Do you test the material or just eyeball it?
Both. Identifiable tooling is graded visually by type and condition. Mixed, unknown, or high-value lots are tested to confirm carbide content before final settlement, so neither side is guessing.
How fast do I get paid?
Within 24 hours of settlement. Corporate sellers who need business checks and standard payment terms can use the formal bid track instead.
Can I watch the weighing?
Yes. Local and on-site deals are weighed in the open on a calibrated digital scale. Mailed-in lots are weighed on video-callable terms on request: the settlement report documents every weight.
How is carbide scrap priced?
Carbide is priced by material category against current tungsten market levels on the day of settlement. Inserts, solid tooling, brazed tips, sludge, and mixed grades each price differently. Your itemized settlement report shows the weight and market basis for every category, plus any deductions as separate lines.
Who buys carbide scrap near me?
Ironcrest buys carbide scrap from sellers across the United States, with local pickup in the Chicago area and arranged freight or mail-in options nationwide. One call to 312-880-8174 covers quotes, logistics, and payment.
START WITH PHOTOS
See what your carbide is really worth.
Send photos, an estimated weight, and your location. You will get a firm, written quote and the full grading process explained before you commit to anything.