How we grade, weigh, and pay.

Four steps, no surprises

1. Send photos. Photograph the material, the quantity, and any nameplates or markings. Send them through the quote form, by email, or by text — whatever is easiest.
2. We grade it. We tell you what grade your material falls into and why, in plain language. If photos are not enough, we will tell you that too — we would rather ask for one more picture than guess.
3. Agree the price in writing. Every offer states the material, the grade, the weight basis, and the payment terms. Nothing moves until you have said yes to all of it.
4. We pay. Payment method and timing are part of the written agreement — confirmed with your quote, not discovered afterward.

How carbide scrap is graded

Carbide value comes down to tungsten content and cleanliness. Clean solid carbide — sorted inserts, end mills, and drills with no brazing and no steel shanks mixed in — grades highest. Brazed material (tips still on steel bodies) and dirty or mixed lots (coolant, sludge, mixed metals) grade lower because the tungsten has to be separated before it can be recycled. Sorting your lot before we see it almost always raises the grade: one bucket of clean inserts is worth more than the same weight mixed with everything else. Coatings like TiN or TiAlN do not change scrap value — they burn off in processing. Every lot is weighed before payment, and the weight goes into your written settlement record. If you want to be present for the weighing, tell us when you schedule the pickup or drop-off.

What moves carbide prices →

How copper wire is graded

Copper wire is graded by how much recoverable copper it holds. Bare bright and #1 copper — clean, unalloyed, uncoated — grade highest. #2 copper (tarnished, painted, or soldered) grades lower, and insulated wire is graded by its copper recovery percentage, which depends on gauge and insulation thickness: heavy-gauge wire yields far more copper per pound than thin communications cable. Attachments, steel armoring, and connectors all reduce recovery and are accounted for openly. Strip it or sell it as-is — we will tell you honestly which pays better for your specific lot, because sometimes the labor is not worth the spread.

Copper grades, explained →

Terms you see before you commit

We pay by business check, bank wire, or cash — whichever works for you. The payment method and timing are stated in your written quote and agreed before material changes hands. No surprises after the fact: the payment method and timing are stated in your written quote and agreed before material changes hands. If a lot needs to be refined or assayed before final settlement, that is stated up front with the timeline, not after. Disagreements: if you dispute a grade, we re-examine the material together — photos, the scale ticket, and the sorting are all on the table. We would rather lose a lot than win an argument.

Payment questions, answered.