Top 8 Global Stockists Of 1.2316 Tool Steel in the Unitedstates

Finding a reliable supplier for 1.2316 tool steel in the United States can be challenging. Your production timeline depends on material quality, inventory availability, and precise specifications. This corrosion-resistant grade is critical for plastic injection molds, extrusion dies, and precision tooling. Yet not every stockist maintains consistent supply. Many don’t meet the strict standards your application demands.

We’ve identified the top 8 global stockists of 1.2316 tool steel operating in the United States. Each brings distinct advantages. Some offer North America’s largest inventories. Others provide German-engineered ESR quality. You’ll also find custom forging capabilities and strategic distribution networks.

This supplier breakdown shows which provider aligns with your technical requirements. You’ll see who meets your lead time expectations and quality standards. The strategic selection matrix at the end helps you make a data-driven decision in minutes, not weeks.

1. SB Specialty Metals

SB Specialty Metals runs one of the largest tool steel inventories in North America. They have five service centers across the Midwest, East, and South regions. Their locations cover key industrial areas in Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. This gives you quick access to 1.2316 tool steel across major manufacturing hubs.Check their QUICK CHECK STOCK GUIDE for common grades and sizes. Need a specific 1.2316 size or format not listed? Call them directly for the fastest answer.

Stock Formats and Processing Capabilities

SB Specialty Metals offers 1.2316 in several ready-to-use formats:

• Round bars: Diameters from Φ16mm to Φ500mm

• Flat plates: Thickness range 12mm to 300mm (31-80mm stock sizes ship faster)

• Flat bars: Full length or cut to your exact specs

All material ships pre-hardened (Q+T condition) with 280-325 Brinell hardness. You skip heat treatment steps for most tooling jobs.

They handle custom cutting and precision milling in-house. Every shipment includes ASTM A681 and ASTM A600 certification. These meet strict American tool steel standards for chemical makeup and mechanical properties.

2. FCS Tool Steel

Unlike local US service centers that function as middle-tier stockists, FCS Tool Steel (Huangshi Fucheng Group) operates as a primary melting and forging facility. For North American distributors and large-scale mold shops, sourcing 1.2316 directly from our forge eliminates the “distributor premium” while providing granular control over steel chemistry.

Controlled Chemistry for PVC Processing

Standard 1.2316 specifications can vary between suppliers, but FCS maintains tighter tolerances on critical alloying elements. Their chemistry features Chromium levels between 15.5% and 17.5%, paired with Molybdenum content of at least 1.0%. This combination creates what metallurgists call the “sweet spot” for corrosion resistance—particularly important when you’re running aggressive recycled PVC or corrosive resins that can cause pitting in lower-grade materials.

Massive Pre-Hardened Inventory

FCS keep 5,000 tonnes of pre-hardened material in rolling stock at all times. For bulk buyers, this eliminates the typical 12-week wait that comes with ordering from other overseas mills. Whether you need a single container or a multi-container order, our pre-hardened blocks (280-325 HB) ship within days instead of months.

This inventory model works because we’ve invested in the infrastructure to handle volume. Their warehousing and logistics systems are built around rapid fulfillment, which matters when you’re facing tight production schedules or unexpected tool failures.

ESR Refinement on Demand

Most suppliers offer standard conventional steel and call it a day. We run our material through in-house Electroslag Remelting (ESR) furnaces to push sulfur content below 0.005%. The result is a cleaner microstructure that polishes to mirror-finish standards—the kind of surface quality you’d expect from medical-grade optical applications.

Here’s what that means in practical terms: fewer inclusions, better machinability, and a surface that holds up under high-precision polishing. You get German-level performance without paying German prices.

Bulk Order Specifications:

• Forged Blocks: Up to 800mm thickness, fully ultrasonic tested to SEP 1921 Class C/c or D/d.

• Logistics: We manage the entire export workflow from our Huangshi facility to major US ports (Houston, Savannah, LA), providing full MTC (Material Test Certificates) and heat-traceability documentation for every batch.

3. Tremblay Tool Steels

Tremblay Tool Steels works with Dörrenberg to bring Electroslag Remelted (ESR) versions of 1.2316 tool steel to the U.S. market. This German-made quality sets a new standard for rust-resistant mold steel. ESR processing cleans out tiny impurities that normal refining misses.

What do you get? Mirror-polish finishes with no surface defects. Medical device makers rely on Tremblay’s ESR 1.2316 for clear-lens molds. The ultra-clean structure stops pitting and orange peel texture. These flaws destroy optical parts. Post-machining can’t fix them.

Benefits for Precision Tooling

Tremblay’s ESR grades meet ASTM E45 Method D cleanliness standards:

• Thin inclusions: Type A < 0.5, Type B ≤ 1.0

• Heavy inclusions (max): Type A ≤ 1.5, Type B ≤ 2.0

Cleaner steel makes mold ejection easier. Friction drops. Tools last longer. You spend less time polishing and doing upkeep.

Processing Options at Cleveland Facility

Tremblay’s Cleveland plant handles several grades beyond 1.2316. They process H13 steel ESR, S7 steel ESR, VISCOUNT 44 (pre-hardened to 42-46 HRC), and standard P20 steel types. Stock comes in rounds, squares, hex bars, and flats.

Each format ships turned, ground, or polished to your specs. Blanchard grinding gives you mold-quality finishes right from stock. Rough machining steps? You skip them.

Their VISCOUNT 44® stands out—it’s a sulfur-added H13 type pre-hardened to 42-46 HRC. It machines easier than standard H13. Pick it for forging dies, plastic molds, and extrusion tools that need hardness without long heat treatment.

Tremblay handles demanding jobs where surface finish and material cleanliness matter most. Optical molds, medical parts, and high-cycle plastic injection tools all gain from ESR-grade 1.2316.

4. Precision Marshall

Precision Marshall started in a garage in Washington, Pennsylvania on July 1, 1948. Seventy-five years later, they’re North America’s leading producer of precision ground flat stock (GFS) and drill rod. This isn’t marketing hype. Decades of steady output and a distribution network across the continent prove it.

Premium Ground Flat Stock & Fast Turnaround

Precision Marshall operates a 99 Berry Road plant in Washington, PA. They also run a National Distribution Center in Bolingbrook, Illinois. About 200 employees work across locations—64 in Pennsylvania, 115 at their Kinetic division, 11 at distribution. They make premium de-carb free tool steels and specialty alloys.

Stock items ship right away. Need a special GFS size not in stock? You’ll get it in 3 days. Truckload orders? Often out the door in 1 day. Trucks head to Chicago each week to redistribute products across global markets.

Their Marshalloy MQ® grade replaces standard P20 mold steel. It polishes better. It’s cleaner. It’s more uniform. It hardens better. It machines easier. After 2020, they launched deluxe flat bars and stainless drill rod. Both fill gaps competitors missed.

Precision Marshall offers a 100% money-back guarantee on product consistency. This matters. Your mold finish can’t handle material changes. They sell only through independent distributors across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. You’re using North American-made tools or dies? Good chance Precision Marshall steel is already in your shop.

5. Niagara Specialty Metals

39 employee-owners run this full-service processing center in Western New York. They’ve been at it since 1982. This 100% ESOP company just invested $7 million in new equipment. They now run a continuous gas furnace and an upgraded rolling mill with machine learning controls. Precision rolling and heat treatment happen under one roof.

Need 1.2316 tool steel cut to exact specs? They handle thickness from 0.025 to 4 inches. Their laser and waterjet systems cut material up to 4 inches thick. Band saws process larger stock—up to 28 inches thick and 13 feet long. CNC laser and waterjet cutting give you precise parts. Every cut holds tolerances of +.063 to -.000 inches. These precision methods cut down on material waste.

Processing Services Beyond Standard Stock

Their in-house setup covers the full workflow. We offer shearing, rolling, cutting, precision flattening, and annealing. Send your own alloys for toll processing. They’ll handle annealing and leveling on-site. Precision grinding and flattening services prepare blanks ready for molds. No more delays from shipping material between vendors.

Order minimums? None. Send a single piece or a full truckload. We process both. Standard lead times run 3 to 6 weeks. Rapid turnaround jobs finish in days instead of quarters. Custom sizes don’t force you into standard dimensions.

Their furnace options include gas or electric units. They match them to metal type and the properties you need. Capacity scales from single pieces to orders over 10,000 pounds. For aerospace and defense clients, they maintain AS 9100 quality management certification and full DFARS compliance. Traceability and consistency meet OEM and Tier 1 supplier standards every time.

6. Patriot Forge Co.

Patriot Forge Co. operates in Brantford, Ontario. They handle massive open-die forgings that most U.S. shops can’t manage. Three hydraulic presses power their operation—5,000T, 1,650T, and 1,000T. These forge blocks up to 90,000 lbs (45 tons). They also run three pneumatic hammers (5,000 lb, 6,000 lb, 8,000 lb), one ring mill, and 16 heat treat furnaces. This gear makes large-format 1.2316 tool steel forgings. Think industrial-scale molds and heavy equipment.

Open-Die Forging Capacity for Oversized Tooling

Patriot Forge goes way beyond standard stock sizes:

• Bars & Shafts: Up to 60″ diameter, 480″ length, 90,000 lbs max weight

• Sleeves: 60″ OD, 40″ ID, 240″ length, 50,000 lbs max

• Open Die Rings & Disks: 100″ OD, 90,000 lbs max

• Squares & Rectangles: 1,800 sq in cross-section, 90,000 lbs max

• Die Tooled Forgings: 90″ OD max

• Rolled Rings: 48″ OD, 12″ face length, 1,500 lbs max

Nine mobile units plus one rail-bound machine move these multi-ton pieces. They handle both forging and heat treatment steps. HDPE cooling towers control the quenching after forging. Hydraulic cooling keeps temperature exact across huge cross-sections.

Near-Net-Shape Precision Dies

Patriot Forge builds custom dies for bonnet forgings (shaped disks). These dies cut raw material waste. They also trim down machining time after forging. You order a 1.2316 forging closer to your final mold size. Less stock to remove means you finish projects faster. Total costs drop too.

Their clients include industrial sectors, nuclear components, pumps, valves, and heavy equipment makers. Need large injection molds for automotive parts? Extrusion dies for industrial plastics? Patriot Forge delivers the forged blanks you need.

7. Diehl Tool Steel

Diehl Tool Steel runs from Cincinnati, Ohio. This spot puts most U.S. manufacturing areas within a two-day truck route. Their 3475 Spring Grove Ave facility stocks 1.2316 mold steel. They also carry tool steel, alloy steel, CPM powder metal, carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. You can get flats, bars, squares, sheets, plates, drill rod, hollowbar, and rounds. Order what your project needs.

24-48 Hour Shipping & Diehl Express™

In-stock 1.2316 plates and blocks ship in 24 to 48 hours. Saw-cut pieces ship just as fast. Need custom sizes? They have 12 horizontal saws and 4 vertical plate saws. These cut exact specs for small or large runs. Ground-to-size items ship fast too. No waiting weeks for stock processing.

Diehl Express™ makes things even faster. Place your order by 12:00 PM EST. They run Accu-Square™ processing the same day. Then they ship it out. This service handles up to 10 pieces per order. Your mold blanks arrive pre-squared to tight specs. You skip prep work and start machining right away.

Precision Grinding & Tolerances

Diehl holds +/- 0.001 inches on thickness, width, and length. Need tighter specs? Just ask. Their grinding covers 2, 4, or 6 sides—flat, square, and parallel. Centerless grinding works for hollow bar and special jobs. CNC machines, grinders, and laser systems check every size before shipment. This setup handles high-volume jobs and prototype work across the central U.S. market.

8. Hudson Tool Steel Corporation

Hudson Tool Steel Corporation simplifies your buying process with a massive inventory. They cover five major categories. Don’t waste time juggling multiple vendors. You can source over 30 different grades directly from this single location. So, bundle your 1.2316 structural components here. Ship them efficiently alongside your other necessary tooling materials.

Their stock hits on exactly what toolmakers use the most. You get a solid lineup of precision ground flat stock and drill rod. This includes standard grades like O1, A2, D2, and S7. Got a demanding application? They keep plenty of high-speed steels ready. The same goes for premium powder metallurgy alloys. You’ll see famous names like DuraTech™ and the Crucible CPM series. You might need standard maintenance steels or advanced alloys for high-wear inserts. Their diverse catalog handles it. It supports the whole scope of your mold-building work.

TRUSQUARE Squared Tool Steel Blocks

Hudson’s TRUSQUARE program gives you close-tolerance blocks cut to your custom specs. You save in-house processing time. The blocks arrive squared and ready for machining. No extra prep needed.

Precision Tolerances by Format

Hudson follows ASTM A681-08 tolerances for tool steel and ASTM A600-92A 2010 for high-speed steel. Precision flat ground stock (O1, A2, S7, D2, M2, 4140, 1018) ships with thickness and width at ±0.001 on-size. Or +0.010/0.015/-0.000 oversize. Drill rod diameter tolerances start at ±0.0003 (under 0.124″). They go up to ±0.0010 (0.500-3.000″). Straightness holds at 0.005 TIR.

Round bars ship turned to nominal diameter. Flats arrive ground or saw cut. Widths measure +0.125/0.150. Lengths run +0.125/0.250.

How to Pick Your 1.2316 Tool Steel Supplier

Price alone won’t tell you which 1.2316 tool steel stockist to choose. Your pick affects how smoothly production runs. It affects tooling quality. It affects your total project costs. This matrix compares eight suppliers on key factors that matter to your operation.

Match Your Purchase Type to the Right Supplier

Conclusion

Stop searching and start building. SB Specialty Metals offers rapid inventory. FCS provides factory-direct volume. Tremblay delivers ESR purity. You will find the right partner on this list. Don’t just buy steel. Buy reliability.

Verify your certifications. Check lead times. Match the supplier to your specific mold needs. Tooling is as good as the material base. Choose a partner that guarantees production success. Do not just chase the lowest price per pound.