How to Sell Carbide Tool Holders: What Buyers Actually Pay

Most machine shops have thousands of dollars in carbide tooling sitting in drawers, and they don’t know what it’s worth. Tool Holder Exchange buys used carbide tool holders, inserts, boring bars, and solid carbide from shops across the country. We pay resale prices, not scrap rates. If you’re trying to figure out how to sell carbide tool holders and what buyers actually pay, this guide gives you real numbers and a clear process.

Call (517) 420-5401 or submit your tooling details here.

What Are Carbide Tool Holders Worth?

Carbide tool holders and tooling are worth significantly more than most shops realize. The resale market for used carbide pays 3x to 10x more than scrap recyclers, depending on brand, condition, and type.

Here are the real price ranges we see at Tool Holder Exchange:

These numbers shift with tungsten prices and market demand, but the gap between resale and scrap is always wide. In our experience, shops that sell to a tooling buyer instead of a recycler get 3x to 10x more for the same material.

Sell vs Scrap: Why Selling Is Almost Always Better

Most shops default to carbide recyclers because it’s familiar. A recycler shows up, weighs your carbide by the pound, and cuts a check. Simple. But that simplicity costs you real money.

Carbide scrap prices run roughly $8 to $12 per pound as of 2026. That means a box of 10 premium Kennametal CNMG inserts, which weighs a few ounces, gets you $5 to $10 at scrap rates. Those same inserts sell for $40 to $80 to a resale buyer if they have remaining cutting edges.

The math works the same across every tooling type:

• Solid carbide end mill: $3 to $8 scrap vs. $15 to $60 resale
• Carbide boring bar: $5 to $15 scrap vs. $30 to $120 resale
• Insert boxes (name brand, serviceable): Pennies per pound vs. 30% to 60% of new list price

The only time scrap makes sense is when the tooling is truly spent: all cutting edges gone, shanks damaged, or the carbide is chipped beyond use.

Tool Holder Exchange eliminates the guesswork. We sort everything you send. Resalable tooling gets valued at resale rates. Spent tooling gets recycled. Either way, you get the highest total payout because we’re pricing each piece at its best use, not weighing it all on a scale.

Ready to find out what your carbide tooling is worth? Call (517) 420-5401 or submit details on our sell carbide tooling page.

What Determines the Price of Used Carbide Tooling?

Four factors drive what buyers pay for used carbide tool holders and tooling. Understanding them helps you get the best price when you sell.

1. Condition

New-in-box commands the highest price, typically 40% to 60% of current list. Lightly used (one or two edges worn on an insert, minor flute wear on an end mill) still brings strong resale value. Heavily worn tooling drops toward the low end of resale range, but it still beats scrap as long as usable edges remain.

2. Brand

Premium manufacturers hold value better than imports. In our experience buying from hundreds of shops:

• Top tier (highest resale): Kennametal, Sandvik Coromant, Iscar
• Strong resale: Seco Tools, Walter, Mitsubishi, Kyocera
• Moderate resale: Parlec, Lyndex-Nikken, Sumitomo, Tungaloy
• Scrap-only (unless new-in-box): Unmarked imports, generic Chinese carbide

3. Taper Type (for holders)

CAT40 tool holders are the most liquid because they fit the largest installed base of machines in North America. HSK tool holders command a premium due to higher new cost and growing demand. BT40 sells well. NMTB has a smaller buyer pool but still moves. For a deeper dive on taper differences, see our CAT40 vs BT40 vs HSK comparison.

4. Volume

Larger lots get better per-piece pricing. A full drawer of mixed Kennametal inserts is worth more per unit than a single box, because the buyer saves on shipping and sorting time. If you’re doing a tool room cleanout or shop closing, batch everything and sell it as one lot.

Brands That Get the Best Price

Not all carbide tooling is created equal. Brand matters when it comes to resale value, and the difference between a Kennametal insert and an unmarked import can be 5x or more.

Premium (highest resale, fastest sale):

• Kennametal: CNMG, WNMG, CCMT inserts. KM boring bars. Solid carbide end mills.
• Sandvik Coromant: CoroMill, CoroTurn, CoroDrill inserts. Capto boring bars.
• Iscar: HeliMill, TangMill inserts. Solid carbide and indexable holders.

Strong resale:

• Seco Tools, Walter (Tiger-tec inserts), Mitsubishi, Kyocera

Moderate resale:

• Parlec, Lyndex-Nikken, Sumitomo, Tungaloy, Ingersoll

Low/scrap-only:

• Unmarked carbide, generic imports, heavily damaged name-brand tooling

If you have Kennametal or Sandvik tooling in decent condition, it’s worth significantly more than scrap. Even mid-tier brands like Seco and Walter bring solid resale numbers when the tooling still has life.

How to Sell Your Carbide Tool Holders (3 Steps)

Selling carbide tooling to Tool Holder Exchange takes three steps, whether you have 10 inserts or 10 drawers of mixed tooling.

Step 1: Send Your List or Photos

Part numbers are ideal. If you don’t have part numbers, photos of the insert boxes, tool markings, or the tooling itself work fine. You can call (517) 420-5401 or use the form on our sell carbide tooling page.

Step 2: Get a Quote Based on Resale Value

We check brand, grade, coating, condition, and current market demand. You get a firm number, not an estimate that changes when the tooling arrives. No haggling.

Step 3: Ship or We Pick Up

Small lots ship easily (we can provide a prepaid label for larger orders). For tool room cleanouts, shop closings, or large lots, we come to you. Tool Holder Exchange is based in Michigan and picks up locally, and we buy from shops nationwide.

Payment is fast. No net-60 terms, no purchase order delays.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much are used carbide inserts worth?

Used carbide inserts are worth 10% to 60% of their new list price, depending on brand, condition, and how many cutting edges remain. A box of 10 Kennametal CNMG inserts in good condition sells for $40 to $80. A box of generic inserts with heavy wear may only bring scrap value ($5 to $10). Send us photos or part numbers and we’ll give you a firm quote.

Should I scrap carbide tool holders or sell them?

Sell them. Carbide recyclers pay $8 to $12 per pound for raw material. A tooling resale buyer like Tool Holder Exchange pays based on what the tooling is actually worth as a functional cutting tool, which is 3x to 10x higher for anything with remaining life. Only scrap tooling that has no usable edges left and can’t be resharpened.

Do you buy used carbide inserts that have been used?

Yes. Multi-edge inserts (triangular, square, round) often have two or three unused edges even after the first edge wears out. We evaluate each insert for remaining usable edges. If at least one edge is serviceable, the insert has resale value above scrap.

What is carbide scrap worth per pound?

Scrap tungsten carbide fluctuates with commodity markets. As of 2026, expect roughly $8 to $12 per pound from recyclers. Tool Holder Exchange pays above standard scrap rates because we sort incoming material and resell anything with remaining life, passing that premium back to sellers.

How much are Kennametal tool holders worth?

Kennametal tooling holds the strongest resale value in the secondary market. Kennametal carbide inserts (new or lightly used) sell for 40% to 60% of list price. Kennametal KM boring bars bring $30 to $120 depending on size and condition. Kennametal solid carbide end mills sell for $15 to $60. Contact us with your specific part numbers for an exact quote.

Have carbide tooling sitting in drawers? Find out what it’s worth.

Phone: (517) 420-5401
Sell carbide tooling: /sell-carbide-tooling/
General sell page: /sell-tool-holders/