Hudson Tool Steel

What Hudson Tool Steel does

Hudson Tool Steel Corporation, founded in 2002 and headquartered in Dover, New Hampshire, is a US-based specialty steel distributor serving industrial manufacturers, cutting-tool producers, mold and die shops, and custom knife and blade makers. The company operates a multi-node footprint with six regional sales/warehouse locations across California, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, and Michigan, complemented by an e-commerce catalog at hudsontoolsteel.com that supports account-based online ordering alongside traditional phone-based direct sales.

The company's core product is a deep assortment of tool steels, high-speed steels, mold steels, knife steels, and alloy steels sourced from high-quality mills and stocked to ASTM specifications. Cataloged grades include cold-work tool steels (A2, D2, S7, O1, A6, A7, A10 GraphAir), hot-work and shock grades (H13, Premium H13, S5, L6), high-speed steels (M2, M42, CPM M4, CPM T15, CPM Rex 76), powder-metallurgy grades (CPM 1V through CPM 15V), mold steels (P20, 420 MQ), knife steels (CPM S30V, CPM S35VN, CPM 154, 154CM, 440C, W1), and alloy steels (LSS 4140, 4142HT). Products are sold as precision ground flats, standard bar stock in flat and round configurations, drill rod, and TRUSQUARE close-tolerance squares, with minimum material charges of $150–$350 per order and supplemental cutting, packaging, and shipping fees.

Hudson generates revenue on a per-order, transactional basis with no subscription or recurring contracts evident; terms are governed by its standard terms and conditions and a downloadable commercial credit application, with ISO 9001:2015 quality certification serving as its primary external credibility signal. The site also routes privacy, terms, and security links to ryerson.com domains, suggesting a possible corporate or shared-services affiliation with Ryerson that is not explicitly confirmed as a parent-subsidiary relationship in available materials. The company employs 11–50 people, does not disclose revenue or outside funding, and reports no acquisitions, leadership changes, or formal AI/technology initiatives in the available data.

Name

Hudson Tool Steel

Legal name

Hudson Tool Steel Corporation

Website

https://hudsontoolsteel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hudson Tool Steel is a US specialty steel distributor founded in 2002, supplying tool steels, high-speed steels, mold steels, knife steels, and alloy steels to industrial manufacturers, cutting-tool, mold-and-die, and custom knife makers via six regional US offices and an online catalog.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tool Steel Distribution

NAICS

Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel (3312)

SIC

Wholesale-Metals Service Centers & Offices (5051)

akta.pro primary industry

Steel Service Centers & Processing (Slitting, Cut-to-Length, Blanking, Leveling) (IMAKABAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Alloy Steel (Stainless, Tool Steel, Electrical Steel, High-Strength/HSLA) (IMAKABAJ)

Keywords

• Tool steel distribution
• High speed steel supply
• Mold steel inventory
• Knife steel sales
• Alloy steel distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Anaheim

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tool Steel and High Speed Steel Sales: Direct sales of tool steels, high speed steels, carbon steels, and alloy steels to customers. Products sold as annealed (except P20 and 4140HT which are pre-hardened). Minimum material charges apply: $350 for standard bar stock rounds/flats, $150 for drill rod rounds, $150 for precision ground flats.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Hudson Tool Steel is a U.S. tool steel distributor that supplies tool steels, high speed steels, carbon steels, and alloy steels to industrial manufacturers. The company stocks all standard grades and sizes plus specialty grades sourced from high-quality mills, offering products in forms including precision ground flat stock, standard bar stock (flat and round), drill rod, and TRUSQUARE close-tolerance squared stock. Sales are conducted via regional phone sales offices, an online catalog, and walk-in service at warehouse locations across the country.

Product overview

Hudson Tool Steel is a steel distributor and e-commerce platform specializing in tool steels, high speed steels, mold steels, knife steels, and alloy steels. The company operates primarily as an online catalog and ordering system, offering products in various forms including precision ground flat stock, standard bar stock (flat and round), drill rod, and custom TRUSQUARE close-tolerance squared tool steel. Their product portfolio encompasses cold work tool steels (A2, D2, O1, S7), hot work tool steels (H13, Premium H13), high speed steels (M2, M42, CPM grades), powder metallurgy tool steels (CPM 1V through CPM 15V), mold steels (P20, 420 MQ), knife steels (CPM S30V, CPM S35VN, 154 CM, 440C), and alloy steels (4140, 4142HT). Products are sourced from high-quality tool steel mills and stocked to ASTM specifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tool Steel
• High Speed Steel Premium high-speed steels for cutting tool applications, including M2, M42, CPM M4 (PM M4), CPM T15 (PM T15), and CPM Rex 76 (PM M48). These cobalt-bearing super high-speed steels provide superior hot hardness and wear resistance for demanding cutting applications. CPM Rex T15 can be heat treated to 67 Rockwell C, with more than double the impact toughness of traditional ingot-cast steels.
• Mold Steel Specialized mold steels for plastic injection mold cavities and die casting applications, including P20 (pre-hardened to HRC 28/32), 420 MQ (Plastic Mold Quality stainless steel), H13, and Premium H13. Provides good polishability and thermal fatigue resistance for mold and die manufacturers.
• Knife Steel Knife-making steels including CPM S30V, CPM S35VN, CPM 154, 154 CM, D2, A2, 440C, and W1. Includes stainless and corrosion-resistant knife steels with various hardness, toughness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance properties. For custom knives, industrial blades, and cutlery manufacturers.
• Precision Ground Flat Stock Precision ground flat bar stock in standard sizes with tight thickness tolerances (+/- .001) for finishing to nominal dimensions. Available in grades including O1, A2, S7, D2, M2, 4140 HT, W1, and Low Carbon 1018. Subject to a $150 minimum material charge.
• Standard Bar Stock (Flat and Round) Standard bar stock in both flat and round configurations with oversize tolerances for customer finishing. Available in multiple grades across tool steel, high speed steel, mold steel, and knife steel categories. Subject to a $350 minimum material charge.
• Drill Rod (Round) Round drill rod stock, primarily W1 water hardening cold work tool steel supplied in sizes from .062 to 2 inch diameter. Standard 36 inch lengths with option for 12 foot bars. Subject to a $150 minimum material charge.
• TRUSQUARE Close-Tolerance Squared Tool Steel Close tolerance squared tool steel made to customer requirements. TRUSQUARE helps reduce processing time by cutting time out of tool steel block processing.
• LSS 4140 and 4142HT Alloy Steel Versatile alloy steels for tooling and industrial applications. LSS 4140 is sold in annealed condition (≤217 HBW), while LSS 4142HT is pre-hardened to 28-32 HRC for immediate use in tooling applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Extended cutting tool life when using CPM Rex T15 compared to traditional ingot-cast T15 high-speed steel
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KMS Tools: North American industrial and tool steel distributor serving manufacturers and fabricators with tool steel, high-speed steel, and carbide products. Comparable customer base and product mix, particularly in mold and die steel.
• Eaton Steel Bar Company: Specialty steel bar service center focused on tool steel, high-speed steel, and alloy bars for manufacturers. Highly comparable product focus and customer base, particularly in cold work and high-speed steel grades.
• Speedy Metals: Online metals service center selling steel, aluminum, tool steel, and alloy products direct to manufacturers and hobbyists. Competes head-to-head with Hudson in tool steel drill rod, bar stock, and ground flat product forms.
• McMaster-Carr: Dominant direct-to-consumer industrial MRO distributor in the US with a vast online catalog including tool steel, high-speed steel, and alloy steel products. Directly overlaps with Hudson's e-commerce, catalog-based steel distribution model, though McMaster carries a much broader SKU range.
• OnlineMetals: Online-first small-quantity metals distributor selling tool steel, high speed steel, and alloy bar/plate products direct to SMB and individual buyers. Closely comparable to Hudson in digital distribution model and customer segments, though with broader non-ferrous and plastics range.

Broad incumbents

• Ryerson: Large North American metals service center with broad product portfolio and value-added processing. Likely corporate affiliate of Hudson based on shared privacy/terms links; broader incumbent competing in tool steel distribution at greater scale.
• Russel Metals: Major North American metal service center chain distributing steel, aluminum, and specialty products. Competes with Hudson in tool steel and high-speed steel distribution with significantly larger scale and processing capability.
• Alro Steel: US metals service center distributor with broad inventory including tool steel, alloy, and high-speed steel products. Larger incumbent operating in overlapping geographies with Hudson.

Emerging players

• Distributor Steel (DSP): Niche online tool steel and high-speed steel distributor serving smaller manufacturers and makers. Emerging player with overlapping product focus, particularly in knife steel and small-quantity tool steel.

Others

• Crucible Industries: US producer of powder-metallurgy and specialty tool steels including the CPM and Rex product lines that Hudson distributes. A key supplier relationship for Hudson and a structural enabler of its specialty positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hudsontoolsteel
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Hudson-Metals-Where-We-Make-Tool-Steel-Easy/168692069910552
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hudson-metals

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hudson Tool Steel