Cold Heading Wire for Fasteners

Cold heading is how most threaded fasteners are made: a wire blank is fed into a header, struck with a die to form the head geometry, then thread-rolled to finish. The wire that goes into the header is cold heading quality (CHQ) steel wire — material processed specifically for cold forming, with the chemistry, surface finish, and microstructure to deform without cracking.

Picking the right CHQ grade is the most important material decision in fastener production. Get it wrong and you see cracking, premature die wear, or fasteners that fail their strength spec. Get it right and the same production line runs faster, longer, and cheaper.

This page is a working guide to grade selection for fastener production. If you already know the grade you want, jump to the Stock List to see what we have available.

What makes a wire “cold heading quality”?

CHQ wire differs from general-purpose steel wire in three ways:

1. Chemistry control. CHQ grades are produced to tighter chemistry specifications than commodity wire — particularly for residual elements (sulfur, phosphorus) and tramp inclusions that cause cracking during heading.
2. Surface preparation. CHQ wire is produced in spheroidize-annealed condition (SAFS or SAIP) and receives phosphate-and-lubricant (P&L) coating as standard — the combination produces a surface that deforms cleanly through heading dies.
3. Microstructure. Spheroidize-annealed CHQ wire has its carbon in spherical form rather than lamellar, dramatically improving formability for higher-carbon and alloy grades.

Standard cold-drawn wire from a hardware store will not survive a header. You need real CHQ material.

The five grade-selection questions

Before picking a grade, answer these:

1. What’s the strength requirement? As-headed strength, or post-heat-treat?
2. What’s the part geometry? Deep extrusion, multi-blow heading, or simple upset?
3. Will the part be heat-treated? Through-hardened, case-hardened, or as-is?
4. What’s the diameter? Smaller parts handle through-hardening with simpler grades; larger parts need alloy steel.
5. Are there spec or sourcing constraints? OEM specs sometimes mandate specific chemistry; some applications require USA melt.

Those five answers point you to the right grade.

Grade selection by application type

Low-strength general fasteners (Grade 2, basic hardware)

Use C1010 or C1018. C1010 forms more easily and suits deeper extrusions; C1018 is stronger and weldable. C1018 is widely used across North American fastener manufacturing for general-purpose screws and bolts (available on special order).

Maximum formability (deep extrusions, thin walls)

Use C1006 when part geometry pushes the limits of cold forming. C1006 work-hardens slowly and supports multi-blow operations that would crack C1018 material. Common for self-clinching nuts, deeply recessed sockets, and tubular rivets.

Higher as-headed strength (no heat treatment needed)

Use C1022. Higher carbon and manganese than C1018 give meaningfully more strength straight out of the header. Common for hex bolts and case-hardened thread-forming screws where Grade 5 strength isn’t required but Grade 2 isn’t enough.

Through-hardened high-strength fasteners (Grade 5 territory)

Use 10B21 for sections up to ~1” diameter — the boron addition provides cost-effective hardenability for quenched-and-tempered fasteners. Use 4037 for larger sections or applications requiring deeper hardenability and better tempering resistance.

Maximum strength (Grade 8 and above)

Use 4037. The molybdenum addition provides the deep hardenability and tempering resistance needed for SAE J429 Grade 8 hex caps, Class 12.9 socket products, and aerospace-spec fasteners.

When grade selection isn’t enough

Three other factors matter beyond grade:

Material condition. All Nevers CHQ wire ships in one of two spheroidize-annealed conditions — SAFS (default) or SAIP (+$2/cwt). SAFS is softer and more formable; choose it for severe upsetting and deep extrusion. SAIP has tighter dimensional tolerances; choose it for high-speed automated heading where feed precision matters. See the SAFS vs SAIP guide for detail. P&L coating is applied to every coil as standard.

Spheroidize annealing is standard on Nevers CHQ wire — both SAFS and SAIP conditions are spheroidize-annealed. For higher-carbon grades (C1022 and above), cold heading is only practical in spheroidize-annealed condition; as-drawn or as-rolled material will work-harden quickly and crack.

USA melt requirements. Some specs (defense, automotive OEM) require USA-melted material with mill traceability. Nevers stocks USA-melt across the grade range — see our USA-melt CHQ wire page for details.

Why buyers work with Nevers for CHQ

• Specialized in CHQ since 1977. We don’t sell rebar, structural steel, or general-purpose wire. CHQ is the focus of the business.
• ISO 9001:2015 certified. Quality system audited annually by an ANAB-accredited registrar.
• Real inventory, not broker listings. Our stock list reflects what’s physically in our warehouse in Rockford, IL.
• Mill certs on every coil. Full chemistry and mechanical traceability ships with every order as standard practice.
• Same-day shipping. Most stocked items ship the same day.

Request a Quote or View Stock List

Frequently Asked Questions

What is cold heading quality wire? Cold heading quality (CHQ) wire is steel wire produced specifically for cold forming applications. It differs from commodity wire in chemistry control, surface preparation, and microstructure — all optimized to allow the wire to deform cleanly through heading dies without cracking.

What’s the most common grade for fasteners? C1018 is the most widely used CHQ grade in North American fastener manufacturing. It balances formability and strength for general-purpose screws, bolts, and rivets. Higher-strength applications use C1022, 10B21, or 4037 depending on heat-treat requirements.

Do I need a specific grade or will any CHQ wire work? Grade matters. Picking too soft a grade gives you fasteners that fail their strength spec. Picking too hard a grade gives you cracking, die wear, and lower production yields. The grade should match the fastener’s final strength requirement and the part’s forming geometry.

Can I cold-head any wire grade? No. Wire must be in cold-heading-quality condition — proper chemistry, surface preparation, and microstructure. Standard cold-drawn wire will typically crack in a header. Higher-carbon grades (C1022 and above) also require spheroidize-annealed condition for cold heading.

What’s the difference between cold heading and hot heading? Cold heading deforms wire at room temperature; hot heading uses heated blanks. Cold heading is faster, produces better surface finish, and work-hardens the part (which can increase strength). Hot heading is used for larger sections or grades that can’t be cold-formed.

How do you determine the right wire diameter for a fastener? The wire diameter is selected based on the volume of material needed to form the head plus the thread (which is rolled, not cut, so the wire diameter roughly equals the pitch diameter of the finished thread). Most fastener manufacturers have established part programs that specify wire diameter per part.