How to Order Kennametal Cutting Tools: A Buyer's Checklist

According to Kennametal's website (kennametal.com), Kennametal was founded in 1938 by Philip M. McKenna, and it's been making cutting tools ever since. That history shows up in the carbide grades and coating technology. But knowing a brand has been around for a long time doesn't help you order the right insert or get it before the lathe goes down.

I'm not a machinist or a metallurgist. I'm the person who writes the purchase orders for a mid-size manufacturing shop—about $150,000 a year in tooling across six to eight vendors. This checklist is the one I wish I'd had when I took over purchasing. It's built for normal manufacturing work: turning, milling, drilling. If you're doing exotic aerospace alloys, bring in a specialist. I can't speak to that.

The Six-Step Kennametal Buying Checklist

These are in the order I use them. I skipped step 4 for two years, and that was a mistake.

1. Get the exact grade and geometry in writing

Don't call a supplier and say “I need a Kennametal insert.” There are too many variations: grade, shape, size, chipbreaker, coating. For example, a Kennametal KCS10B grade insert might be right for a steel turning job—or it might not. It depends on the workpiece material and cutting speed. I've had sales reps describe a new grade like they're writing a Bentley GT brochure—all performance language, no actual part number. That doesn't help me.

Ask the person who runs the machine. In our shop, that's Christopher. He's been a machinist for 18 years, and he writes the full part number on a sticky note before I pick up the phone. That sticky note has saved me from ordering the wrong tool more times than I can count.

2. Verify the seller is authorized

Counterfeit cutting tools are real. I didn't believe it until our maintenance lead showed me an insert that looked right but chipped after a few minutes. The difference? It wasn't bought through an authorized Kennametal distributor. You don't need a direct factory account for a small shop. You need a distributor who can document where the tool came from. If a price looks 30% below everyone else, that isn't a bargain; it's a clue.

Check the Kennametal website or call their customer service to confirm a distributor. It takes five minutes.

3. Get the delivery date in writing, not in “should be” language

A verbal “2-3 weeks” is not a delivery date. I learned this when an order of boring bars arrived three weeks late because no one actually put a date on the PO. The machine isn't waiting for a vibe.

Ask for a promised ship date and a freight estimate. Put both on the purchase order. In my experience, most delays don't happen at the factory—they happen between the distributor and your receiving dock. A distributor who won't commit in writing is a distributor who doesn't know.

4. Ask about reconditioning and regrinds before you buy new

I skipped this step for two years. Indexable inserts are consumables, but solid carbide drills and end mills can often be reconditioned. Kennametal tooling is designed to hold up, and some authorized distributors offer regrind or reconditioning services. We've saved roughly 20% on annual tooling spend by sending worn tools back instead of automatically buying new ones. Take that number as a ballpark—I'm not a process engineer, and your mix will be different.

Even if reconditioning doesn't fit your operation, asking tells you something about the distributor. The ones who suggest reconditioning instead of just selling you new tools are the ones worth keeping.

5. Don't hide your order size—and don't let anyone shame you for it

I've had suppliers treat a $300 order like it was beneath them. I've also placed $20,000 orders with the same vendors who treated the small ones well. Small orders are how you test a vendor. If a supplier makes you feel bad for ordering only 10 inserts, that's not a good supplier.

Small doesn't mean unimportant—it means potential. A $200 sample order can lead to a $20,000 annual account. In our shop, a small Kennametal test order turned into a pretty big deal. The distributors who respect that are the ones I keep.

6. Check the paperwork before you file it

When I took over purchasing in 2020, I approved a batch of tooling from a new vendor because the price was great. The invoice didn't match the PO, there was no proper tax breakdown, and finance rejected the whole thing. It took weeks to untangle. Now I verify three things before I sign off: PO number matches the invoice, the delivery receipt is dated, and payment terms match what we agreed. Boring, but it keeps the CFO off my back.

Three Things I've Stopped Worrying About

Brand loyalty. Kennametal, founded in 1938, is still around and still innovating. But I don't buy a brand; I buy the application. The history matters, but the right tool matters more. Spend the time on the spec, not the logo.

The hawk vs. eagle vs. owl sales personality thing. Some sales training says you need to identify whether a buyer is a hawk, eagle, or owl. I've never found that useful. I need a rep who answers an email and gives me a straight quote. Give me a boring, reliable distributor over a clever one every time.

Being the technical expert. I'm not a machining specialist, and I don't pretend to be. My job is to get the order placed correctly and keep the paperwork clean. If the tool doesn't perform, that's a conversation for an application engineer. Know what you're good at and call in the experts for the rest.

This checklist is based on my own experience with maybe 200 tooling orders for a mid-size shop. If your operation is much bigger or much smaller, your mileage will differ. But the basics—spec, source, date, paperwork—probably won't change.

Final note: get the spec, verify the seller, commit the delivery date, ask about reconditioning, treat small orders like real orders, and check the invoice. As of January 2025, that's the checklist that still works for me.