I have some 8mm steel stock at home which is dull and cruddy looking, and i also have some stock which is designated as bright mild steel which is lovely and shiny.

am i right in thinking that the dull and cruddy looking one is HRS and maybe the bright mild steel is cold rolled and therefore a bit tougher?

can anyone shed any light, have i got the wrong end of the stick altogether?

nail on head

cheers nat

what about key steel, is bright so i assume CRS but might it be tougher again?

Key steel is tempered to make it harder and stronger in shear but it will be most likely more brittle than your ordinary steel, snapping instead of bending.