Inside Niagara Specialty Metals: Innovation, Legacy, and the Future of Knife & Aerospace Steels
Nov 20th 2025
For more than four decades, Niagara Specialty Metals has supplied premium specialty steels to aerospace, defense, industrial, and cutlery markets. Today, the 100% employee-owned company is investing in new alloys, expanded facilities, and advanced processing capabilities to meet growing demand for aerospace and knife steels.
From its headquarters in Western New York, Niagara serves customers worldwide with custom hot-rolled, precision-flattened, and cut-to-size specialty metals. Whether it’s an order for a single plate or a truckload of aerospace-grade titanium, their commitment to quality and responsiveness remains the same.
A Legacy of Agility and Ownership
Founded in 1982, Niagara began as a nimble hot-rolling mill serving the tool steel industry. The founders built the company on flexibility: rolling small orders, delivering custom sizes, and turning jobs around faster than large mills could manage.
In 2004, Niagara transitioned to an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan), giving every employee a direct stake in the company’s success. This ownership culture fosters accountability, long-term thinking, and a dedication to continuous improvement. Many team members have decades of service, passing their expertise to the next generation.
Adapting to Industry Change
When Crucible Industries, Niagara’s sole supplier of CPM® alloys, faced bankruptcy, Niagara moved quickly to secure the future of its knife steels business. Partnering with Erasteel and Carpenter Technology, they ensured continued supply of popular grades like CPM MagnaCut, CPM S30V, and CPM 154, while developing MagnaMax, a new high-performance alloy designed to push wear resistance even further.
To maintain brand recognition while enabling multi-source supply, Niagara now offers both CPM-branded steels from Erasteel and rebranded equivalents such as NSMWear (CruWear) and NSM90 (S90V).
Knife Steel Leadership
In the knife industry, Niagara is known for its ability to hot roll challenging powder metallurgy (PM) grades to thin sizes with precision and speed. Unlike large mills that require massive order quantities, Niagara can produce small runs and ship quickly, a major advantage for custom knife makers and production companies alike.
Their expertise in PM steels means customers can access alloys that deliver outstanding toughness, corrosion resistance, and edge retention, critical for high-performance cutlery and industrial cutting tools.
Meeting Aerospace Demand
While Niagara’s reputation in knife steels is well established, their impact in the aerospace metals market is equally significant. The company produces DFARS-compliant alloys such as 4340 VAR, 15-5PH, maraging steels, and titanium grades that meet strict aerospace specifications.
Their ability to hot roll, flatten, and cut difficult alloys makes them a trusted partner for aerospace OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. Whether producing rotor hubs, missile components, or structural frames, Niagara delivers the consistency, traceability, and lead time control aerospace customers requireWebsite Info.
Investing in the Future
To meet growing demand in both aerospace and knife steels, Niagara has invested more than $7 million in facility upgrades. These include:
- A continuous gas furnace for faster, more uniform heating
- Stronger rolling mill housings with machine learning controls for precision
- New Blanchard grinders for surface finishing
- A fiber-optic laser for high-speed, accurate cutting
These improvements increase throughput, improve product quality, and shorten delivery times, all without sacrificing the craftsmanship and attention to detail Niagara is known for.
Looking Ahead
With its strong heritage, employee ownership model, and forward-thinking investments, Niagara Specialty Metals is positioned for long-term growth. As CEO Bob Shabala says, “We’re financially strong, we have the right people, and we’re here for the long haul.”
Whether you’re sourcing DFARS-compliant aerospace alloys or high-performance knife steels, Niagara has the expertise, agility, and commitment to deliver exactly what you need, when you need it.
