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Sell carbide scrap: ship it to us, or we come to you
You can sell carbide scrap to us from any address in the United States: ship it and we pay the shipping, or, in any city in California, Arizona or Nevada, we come and pick it up. Tell us the form, a rough weight and a few photos on the quote form, or call (877) 838-9920.
Where to sell scrap carbide near you
For many sellers, the closest carbide buyer is their own loading dock. We pick up in every city in California, Arizona and Nevada, and from every other state you ship it to us and we pay the shipping.
Every city means every city. California counts 483 incorporated cities since Mountain House incorporated in July 2024. The League of Arizona Cities and Towns counts 91 incorporated cities and towns. Nevada's legislative research staff, in a 2016 report, list 12 charter cities and 7 general law cities.
Sources: Mountain House: city government; League of Arizona Cities and Towns; Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau: local government report (2016).
How a sale works, start to finish
- Tell us what you have on the quote form, at help@carbidebuyerusa.com or at (877) 838-9920.
- We quote the lot from your photos, the forms you ticked and the weight you gave.
- Pick the route. Ship it from anywhere in the US on our dime, or have us collect it in California, Arizona or Nevada.
- Hand it over. At a pickup, have the ID your state asks for, listed further down.
- Get paid. We pay cash where state law allows, and by the method the statute sets where it does not.
More detail on each step is on how it works.
What to put in the quote form
The form it is in
Tick every form in the lot, from inserts to sludge to exotic metals. A mixed bucket is fine; just say it is mixed.
About how much
A bathroom-scale reading is close enough. Without a scale, count containers, such as two five-gallon buckets, and say how full each is.
Photos
Up to six: one wide shot of everything in its containers, then close-ups of a few pieces so shapes, coatings and any steel or braze show.
Notes
Grades if you know them, coated or uncoated, anything brazed to steel, and whether sludge is wet with oil or coolant.
Those details decide where the scrap goes next. USGS describes the zinc reclaiming process as running on hard scrap such as used tool inserts, and as one that cannot clean up what it is fed, so oil, solder and coatings must come off first. The tungsten industry association (ITIA) says most soft scrap, meaning sludge, sweepings, powders and turnings, goes through chemical conversion instead. Carbide recycling follows both routes.
Watch for high-speed steel in the mix: ITIA notes that about 95% of HSS becomes machining tools such as drills, taps and milling cutters, the same shapes carbide takes. The sorting guide shows how to tell them apart.
Sources: USGS Open-File Report 01-349; ITIA: Recycling of tungsten, part 2; ITIA: Tungsten in steel.
Why there is no price list on this page
Scrap carbide is worth money for the tungsten and cobalt inside it, and the tungsten price moves. In its Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, USGS reports that China put new export controls on selected tungsten items in February 2025, and that the Rotterdam price of APT, the main tungsten intermediate, climbed from $331 to $675 per metric ton unit during 2025.
A number printed here would go stale after a swing like that, so we quote your lot as it stands. What pushes a lot up or down is covered on carbide scrap price.
Sources: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Tungsten; USGS Open-File Report 01-349.
What we buy
Carbide in any form, worn, broken, coated or bare:
- Carbide inserts, chipped or whole
- End mills and drills, plus reamers and burs
- Rods and blanks, offcuts included
- Brazed carbide and saw tips
- Dies and wear parts: draw dies, rings, nozzles, rolls
- Mining and road bits, buttons and milling teeth
- Grindings, sludge and powder
We also buy exotic metals and alloys: tungsten, titanium, Inconel and other nickel alloys, Stellite and other cobalt alloys, tantalum, niobium, molybdenum and high-speed steel. Bag each metal on its own and list it on the same form, or read exotic metals first.
Shipping it to us: we pay the shipping
Get your quote first, then pack. The full guide is on ship your scrap; the short version:
- Under 70 pounds a box. USPS takes no mailpiece over 70 pounds, and its Flat Rate boxes carry the same cap.
- Heavy board for heavy loads. USPS rules call for at least 200-pound test board for dense items like tools and machine parts weighing 20 to 45 pounds.
- Bag, then box. Double-bag inserts and small tools so a split corner cannot spill them.
- Seal any sludge. Drain off free liquid, use a sealed leak-proof container, and tell us which oil or coolant was used.
- Big lots go on a pallet. FedEx treats anything over 150 pounds as freight.
Sources: USPS Domestic Mail Manual 201; USPS Flat Rate quick reference; USPS Domestic Mail Manual 601; FedEx: freight shipping.
What a pickup looks like
Pickup is for sellers in California, Arizona and Nevada. Put your city and ZIP on the form, choose pick it up, and we set a time with you.
Leave the lot in the buckets or drums it sits in, put lids on any sludge, and have your ID at hand. The California, Arizona and Nevada pages cover each state.
Getting paid: cash where state law allows
We pay cash where state law allows. Our three pickup states each set their own rule on how scrap metal may be paid for:
- California. The check-or-wait rule (a check mailed to the seller, or cash or a check collected on or after the third business day after the sale) applies to nonferrous material, which the statute defines as copper, copper alloys, stainless steel or aluminum. Tungsten, carbide, titanium, nickel and cobalt are not on that list.
- Arizona. For scrap metal sales of $300 or more, the dealer may not pay on site at the time of the sale; payment is a check or money order mailed to the address on the seller's ID. Scrap from a reported sale over $100 stays in the dealer's custody for seven days after the report (industrial accounts are exempt from that hold), and a seller may take part in only one cash transaction a day. Industrial accounts that preregister their authorized sellers yearly are exempt from the mailed-payment rule.
- Nevada. Scrap metal purchases of $150 or more are paid only by check or electronic transfer, made out to the business when a business sells. The statute's definition of scrap metal does not name carbide or tungsten, and we do not read it either way: at $150 or more in Nevada, expect a check or an electronic transfer.
If you ship from another state, ask how your lot will be paid when we quote it.
Sources: California AB 1508 (Ch. 531, Stats. 2012): Bus. & Prof. Code 21608.5; Arizona Revised Statutes 44-1642; Arizona Revised Statutes 44-1644; Nevada Revised Statutes chapter 647.
What sellers are asked to show under state law
The buyer keeps the records, but they start with the seller:
- California: your name and a method of identification such as a valid driver's license or state ID card, a description of what you sell, and a statement that you own it or who you got it from. A 2025 law (AB 476) expanded the record: per the Senate Public Safety Committee, the statement is signed and gives a legal name, date of birth and residence.
- Arizona: a photocopy of a current driver license or other listed photo ID, your physical address, date of birth and signature, a photo or video of you, and your right index fingerprint. Sellers must be at least 16.
- Nevada: a copy of a driver's license or ID card from any state or US territory, a US military ID or another accepted ID, a photo or video of you, and your right index fingerprint.
Businesses are treated differently in places, Arizona's industrial accounts among them. Our guide to scrap metal rules in California, Arizona and Nevada sets out each rule with its statute.
Sources: California Attorney General: Information Bulletin 2025-DLE-12; California Assembly B&P Committee: 2025 bill summary; California Senate Public Safety: AB 476 analysis; Arizona Revised Statutes 44-1642; Nevada Revised Statutes chapter 647.
Questions sellers ask
Where can I sell scrap carbide near me?
In California, Arizona or Nevada, we come to you, in any city. Anywhere else in the US, ship it to us and we pay the shipping. Start on the quote form or call (877) 838-9920.
Who buys scrap carbide?
Scrap carbide buyers like us, because the tungsten and cobalt in it can be reclaimed and made into new carbide. We are a family owned and operated business that buys it in any form, from a coffee can of broken end mills to a drum of inserts.
Can I sell scrap carbide in a mixed bucket?
Yes. Tick every form that is in it and send one wide photo plus a few close-ups. A sorted lot tells us more; the sorting guide shows how.
Do I need to clean it before I sell it?
Please do not grind, crush or cut anything, since that makes dust. Pour off standing liquid from sludge, keep everything dry, and leave brazed tips on their steel; just tell us they are brazed.
Keep reading
How it works
Send photos and a weight, get a quote, ship it or we pick up
Learn more
Ship your scrap
Ship from anywhere in the US; we pay the shipping
Learn more
Carbide scrap price
What sets the price of scrap carbide, and how to get today's number for yours
Learn more
Carbide recycling
Why used carbide is worth recycling and what happens to it
Learn more
Scrap metal rules in CA, AZ and NV
What the state laws ask of sellers: ID, records and payment
Learn moreHow to sort carbide scrap
Keep it clean and separated to get the most for it
Learn moreGet a quote for your carbide
Tell us what form it is in, about how much it weighs, and send a few photos. Ship it to us from anywhere in the US and we pay the shipping, or we pick up in California, Arizona and Nevada.