Cost per pin calculator
Brass costs about seven times more than galvanised wire per kilogram. But per stitch, and compared with the value of the carton, the difference is much smaller. Enter your own numbers below to see.

Wire cost per carton for each grade, using the size and stitch count above and approximate prices.
Length and weight
Find out how many metres of wire are on a reel. Useful for planning, and for checking a delivery against the invoice.
How it is calculated
The wire area is thickness multiplied by width. Multiply the area by the density of the metal (7.85 g/cm³ for mild steel, 8.50 for brass, 8.90 for copper) and by the length of one stitch to get the weight of one pin. Then multiply by the price per kilogram.
There is no allowance for scrap, wastage or margin. If you want to include these, add them to the price per kilogram.
Two tips. Measure the stitch length by straightening a stitch from your own machine rather than guessing. And replace the approximate prices with your actual quote, as metal prices change often, especially for copper and brass.
