(03-24-2015, 10:38 PM)PixMan Wrote: My fondness for the Walter tooling stems from having used Valenite (made in USA) tooling for years at work, and getting some at my home shop as it was born in the late 1990's.

As of January 1st of 2010, Valenite was merged into Walter, as both are/were owned by Sandvik AB of Sweden. Over the next couple years at work, much of the Valenite tooling had been obsoleted and replaced by Walter brand products, and I quickly found out why. The stuff is AWESOME! Mind you, at work there are tools from Walter, Sandvik Coromant, Iscar, and (mostly American made) Kennametal.

Not every American wraps themselves in the American flag, you know. While I choose to drive an American car (Ford), not everything I own is domestic production. My Denon receiver is made in China, along with the Toshiba TV, much of my computer and even my dining room set. Curiously, we have a number of "Patriots" in this country who insist upon riding only an American made Harley Davidson, which they throw in the back of their Toyota Tundra pickup truck. My bike is a British built Triumph, and it's never seen a truck bed.

Neither Walter nor any other tooling company has a lock on all the best tooling. They all have their "shining stars" and their dogs. In carbide insert milling and turning of steels, you will not find much (if anything) which can beat the Walter "Tiger Tec Silver" grades. In some stainless steels and many superalloys, competitors can beat them. Their Titex drills also kick butt. They have very little for the CNC Swiss lathes, where competitors do.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Ken