GATEWAY METALS. INC. provides:

1) Ordered size .875" x 2.25" x 4.00"

2) Actual weight per piece:   2#

3) Price per pound: $4.00/#

4)2#   x   $4.00/# = $8.00 per piece

SOME OTHER VENDORS provide:

Next nom. size 1.00" x 2.50" x 4.00"

Actual weight per piece:   3#

Price per pound: $2.50/#

3# x $2.50/# = $7.50 per piece

(click to enlarge)

5) Factor the cost, in machine wear and tooling , to remove .125" off of the thickness and .250" off of the width of the competitor's piece.......

6) Factor the cost, in actual man-hours, to remove .125" off of the thickness and .250" off of the width of the competitor's piece…..