Alright Ironman, I spoke with the seller today and got a few answers concerning the odd counts you received. It turns out the guy can count … he sent you extras intentionally. Just to be nice!

The seller (Mark) was offering free shipping in the USA, but you were in Canada. And Canada has a 4lb limit per box (for the size he was using) so he had to split your order into two boxes. And since each box cost a fair amount to ship (I can't remember how much he said it cost per box, but it was a lot more than free) the seller felt bad – so he threw in extra taps intentionally. So it's not that he can't count, he was just trying to make the shipping cost on your purchase sting a little less. Which I think was mighty nice of him! I encouraged him to sign up for the forum and reply to this post, but he seemed reluctant, so I'm doing it for him.

I talked with Mark for quite a while today and he seems like a really good guy. He explained that all of the taps are used, but some have been used very little. He works at a shop where they replace taps before they get dull. He purchases the used taps, inspects, and resells them. Some CNC machines have a load indicator that will tell you when you need to replace your tooling. If you're running a manual machine or a machine that doesn't have a load indicator the other option is to use a tap for a certain number of holes, and then replace. It sounds like this is one of those shops that would rather replace their taps before they get dull than risk a burr or a broken tap. So most of the taps seem to have a lot of life left in them. The ones I received seemed brand new to me. Plenty sharp enough for manual tapping.

Mark also explained that he can put together a custom set for people if they need sizes that differ from what he was selling on his ebay site. So you could customize your set and avoid some of the NF sizes that are uncommon and usually not needed by the home enthusiast. However, he also mentioned that he doesn't have every size known to man. But he does have most of the common sizes, including a few metric sizes as well. And if you need a bunch of taps of all the same size, like 1/4-20, he can put a bundle of same-size taps together as well. He's willing to mix and match – which is really cool considering the price point.

I hope that clears things up. I think he will be advertising on the site starting next month. So if anyone needs a an inexpensive supply of taps, keep an eye out for his ad starting in September!