https://books.google.com/books?id=4NFnaqCC6NgC&pg=PA971&lpg=PA971&dq=what+kind+of+steel+is+a+pinch+point+bar+made+from&source=bl&ots=v4Bf00-VgT&sig=aGs7lz-zkZqubf9D9U7GypgX4b8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj0qY3i8ozMAhXC5CYKHSE7CSsQ6AEIODAE#v=onepage&q=what%20kind%20of%20steel%20is%20a%20pinch%20point%20bar%20made%20from&f=false
so i found this snippet of info stating that pinch bars, which is what i believe most of us are referring to here, are made from 1070-1090 carbon steel. if this is right, i'm super stoked because i'll never pay retarded shipping rates for a monster chunk of steel again!