He accepted Brass, But still refused Steel - No Specificity or Type Bonus - So I have to assume based on that, He was asking for Bronze dagger - and the game simply couldn't actually allow him to say "Bronze" and that that determines what level of metal tier is "acceptable" - likely based on what Customers can ask for/you can mine for with said Alloys.... pretty sure brass was able to mine up to Iron... Dunno about Bronze, Steel can clearly sell up to at least Mithril.
For the random reader - "Type" bonus seems to be generated any time you accomplish an order with the "requested type" of Metal.
Example - Iron greatsword - "Customer type" - - - - 5 silver (Subtotal was about 30silver, grand total was 40silver~)
Copper Greathammer - customer type -- - - 5 copper (Subtotal was about 44copper grand total was 59 copper)
However on a one hand hammer request (no type that i could see) I sold a mithril mace - for 2g and some change (subtotal and total, but more) - And gained no Type bonus, Which I assumed/chalked up to the fact they didn't request a type.
BBBuuuuttt...
Now that I had a Request for "Dagger" no type
And couldn't pawn a Steel Dagger on them, but could pawn Brass, with no customer type bonus still
It wouldn't make much sense for "No type" to reject "any" type, let alone specifically steel.
Thus I must assume I was getting no "type bonus" because the NPC was actually Requesting an Alloy name which is registered "above" the metal I was presenting at any given time - and since I didn't provide that alloy - I got no bonus.
Now I guess I'll need to make sure I have Steel, Bronze, and Brass on hand in at least 3 ingots - so I can go Steel -> Bronze -> Brass and see if I get a type bonus and what that bonus is the next time someone asks with "no type" listed...
Also just had an Adamantine Request with Steel hammer/Mithril Pick. - So. Uh. Yeah. It goes up to at least that.... Might have to go and find some more coal veins and just equip a steel pick... since I'm clearly using an inferior pick...