--- product_id: 14090330 title: "A2 Tool Steel Rectangular Bar, Air Hardened/Annealed/Precision Ground, Precision Tolerance, ASTM A681, 3/8\" Thickness, 3/8\" Width, 36\" Length" brand: "small parts" price: "£118.79" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/14090330-a2-tool-steel-rectangular-bar-air-hardened-annealed-precision-ground store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # Strict ASTM A681 compliance Air hardened for superior wear resistance Precision ground to exact dimensions A2 Tool Steel Rectangular Bar, Air Hardened/Annealed/Precision Ground, Precision Tolerance, ASTM A681, 3/8" Thickness, 3/8" Width, 36" Length **Brand:** small parts **Price:** £118.79 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > ⚙️ Elevate your craft with precision steel that never quits ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** A2 Tool Steel Rectangular Bar, Air Hardened/Annealed/Precision Ground, Precision Tolerance, ASTM A681, 3/8" Thickness, 3/8" Width, 36" Length by small parts - **How much does it cost?** £118.79 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/14090330-a2-tool-steel-rectangular-bar-air-hardened-annealed-precision-ground) ## Best For - small parts enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted small parts brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Certified Quality:** Meets rigorous ASTM A681 standards for reliable performance - • **Precision Perfected:** Ground to exacting tolerances ensuring flawless fit and finish - • **Unmatched Durability:** Outperforms O1 and W1 steels in wear resistance for long-lasting tools - • **Versatile Dimensions:** 3/8" thickness and width with 36" length ideal for custom machining projects - • **Heat-Treated Excellence:** Air hardened and annealed for optimal dimensional stability and toughness ## Overview This A2 tool steel rectangular bar is precision ground and air hardened to deliver superior wear resistance and dimensional stability. Compliant with ASTM A681 standards, it features a 3/8" thickness and width with a 36" length, making it perfect for high-performance tooling and machining applications. ## Description The A2 tool steel rectangular bar has been precision ground and annealed, meets American Society for Testing and Materials International ASTM A681 specifications, and has a precision tolerance. The A2 tool steel grade has better wear resistance than O1 and W1 tool steels, and maintains good dimensional stability when hardened in air following heat treatment. The bar has been ground to achieve the precise shape and size, and has been annealed, a method of heating and cooling metal to modify its properties, such as increasing its formability and toughness or decreasing its strength, after it has been shaped.Steel is an iron alloy with carbon and other elements that modify the steel to achieve specific properties. In general, steels with higher carbon content have greater strength, hardness, and wear resistance, while those with lower carbon content have more formability, weldability, and toughness. Carbon steels, which include most AISI-SAE grades in the 1000 range, are classified by their level of carbon content as low (below 0.3%), medium (0.3% to 0.6%) and high (0.6% and above). Alloy steels, which include AISI-SAE grades in the 1300 and 4000 ranges and above, incorporate elements such as chromium, molybdenum, and nickel to modify properties like machinability and corrosion resistance. Tool steels, which include most grades with a letter and number grade designation, have high carbide content for wear resistance, high hardness, and the ability to hold a cutting edge. Some tool steels are designed to resist deformation when used in elevated temperatures.Tensile strength, used to indicate a material’s overall strength, is the peak stress it can withstand before it breaks. Wear resistance indicates the ability to prevent surface damage caused by contact with other surfaces. Toughness describes the material's ability to absorb energy before breaking, while hardness (commonly measured as indentation hardness) describes its resistance to permanent surface deformation. Formability indicates how easily the material can be permanently shaped. Machinability describes how easily it can be cut, shaped, finished, or otherwise machined, while weldability characterizes the ability to be welded. ## Features - A2 tool steel has better wear resistance than O1 and W1 tool steels, and maintains good dimensional stability when air-hardened following heat treatment - Meets ASTM A681 specifications - Ground with high precision to the specified shape and size - Annealed after shaping to modify the metal's properties - Precision tolerance ## Product Details - **Material:** Tool Steel - **Brand:** Small Parts - **Shape:** Rectangular Bar - **Item Thickness:** 0.38 Inches - **Item Form:** Sheet ## Images ![A2 Tool Steel Rectangular Bar, Air Hardened/Annealed/Precision Ground, Precision Tolerance, ASTM A681, 3/8" Thickness, 3/8" Width, 36" Length - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51RQz9IqHYL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Item Thickness String, Item Length String, Number Of Items, Item Width String** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Definitely Starrett. *by I***2 on July 27, 2021* What received was definitely Starrett precision ground a2 tool steel. The package was beaten up, and there are a couple of nicks, but I'm not trying to use a a straight edge. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good steel *by A***N on June 9, 2016* I know that there are a lot of bad comments about the scale but those are from three years ago and I will tell you that it is now it is legit a2 steal that hardens in air ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is a steal for a steel *by T***Y on May 22, 2016* This is exactly what I had been looking for, and the size and quality are just perfect. And the price can't be beat, at least not anywhere else I looked. Definitely a steal for a steel. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/14090330-a2-tool-steel-rectangular-bar-air-hardened-annealed-precision-ground](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/14090330-a2-tool-steel-rectangular-bar-air-hardened-annealed-precision-ground) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-05-18*