<PAGE>   1

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY



     KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that the person whose signature appears
below  constitutes  and appoints  Gary L. Weller and Paul W. Jones,  and each of
them,  as his true and lawful  attorney-in-fact  and  agent,  with full power of
substitution,  for  him  and in his  name,  place  and  stead,  in any  and  all
capacities,  to  sign  the  1996  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  of  Greenfield
Industries,  Inc., and to file the same,  with all exhibits  thereto,  and other
documents in connection therewith,  with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and
perform  each and every  act and thing  requisite  as fully to all  intents  and
purposes as he might or could do in person,  and  ratifying and  confirming  all
that  said  attorney-in-fact  and agent or his  substitute  or  substitutes  may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.




Dated:  March 15, 1997                    /s/ Donald E. Nickelson
                                         ------------------------
                                         Donald E. Nickelson

<PAGE>   2

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY



     KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that the person whose signature appears
below   constitutes  and  appoints  Gary  L.  Weller  as  his  true  and  lawful
attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution,  for him and in his
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign the 1996 Annual Report
on Form 10-K of  Greenfield  Industries,  Inc.,  and to file the same,  with all
exhibits  thereto,  and  other  documents  in  connection  therewith,  with  the
Securities  and Exchange  Commission,  granting unto said  attorney-in-fact  and
agent full power and  authority  to do and perform  each and every act and thing
requisite  as  fully  to all  intents  and  purposes  as he might or could do in
person, and ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent or
his  substitute  or  substitutes  may  lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.




Dated:  March 15, 1997                     /s/ Paul W. Jones
                                          -------------------
                                          Paul W. Jones

<PAGE>   3

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY



     KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that the person whose signature appears
below  constitutes  and appoints  Gary L. Weller and Paul W. Jones,  and each of
them,  as his true and lawful  attorney-in-fact  and  agent,  with full power of
substitution,  for  him  and in his  name,  place  and  stead,  in any  and  all
capacities,  to  sign  the  1996  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  of  Greenfield
Industries,  Inc., and to file the same,  with all exhibits  thereto,  and other
documents in connection therewith,  with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and
perform  each and every  act and thing  requisite  as fully to all  intents  and
purposes as he might or could do in person,  and  ratifying and  confirming  all
that  said  attorney-in-fact  and agent or his  substitute  or  substitutes  may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.




Dated:  March 15, 1997                     /s/ John W. Burge, Jr.
                                          ------------------------
                                           John W. Burge, Jr.


<PAGE>   4

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY



     KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that the person whose signature appears
below  constitutes  and appoints  Gary L. Weller and Paul W. Jones,  and each of
them,  as his true and lawful  attorney-in-fact  and  agent,  with full power of
substitution,  for  him  and in his  name,  place  and  stead,  in any  and  all
capacities,  to  sign  the  1996  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  of  Greenfield
Industries,  Inc., and to file the same,  with all exhibits  thereto,  and other
documents in connection therewith,  with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and
perform  each and every  act and thing  requisite  as fully to all  intents  and
purposes as he might or could do in person,  and  ratifying and  confirming  all
that  said  attorney-in-fact  and agent or his  substitute  or  substitutes  may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.




Dated:  March 15, 1997                    /s/ Peter S. Finley
                                         --------------------
                                          Peter S. Finley



<PAGE>   5

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY



     KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that the person whose signature appears
below  constitutes  and appoints  Gary L. Weller and Paul W. Jones,  and each of
them,  as his true and lawful  attorney-in-fact  and  agent,  with full power of
substitution,  for  him  and in his  name,  place  and  stead,  in any  and  all
capacities,  to  sign  the  1996  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  of  Greenfield
Industries,  Inc., and to file the same,  with all exhibits  thereto,  and other
documents in connection therewith,  with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and
perform  each and every  act and thing  requisite  as fully to all  intents  and
purposes as he might or could do in person,  and  ratifying and  confirming  all
that  said  attorney-in-fact  and agent or his  substitute  or  substitutes  may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.




Dated:  March 15, 1997                     /s/ James C. Janning
                                          ----------------------
                                           James C. Janning



<PAGE>   6

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY



     KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that the person whose signature appears
below  constitutes  and appoints  Gary L. Weller and Paul W. Jones,  and each of
them,  as his true and lawful  attorney-in-fact  and  agent,  with full power of
substitution,  for  him  and in his  name,  place  and  stead,  in any  and  all
capacities,  to  sign  the  1996  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  of  Greenfield
Industries,  Inc., and to file the same,  with all exhibits  thereto,  and other
documents in connection therewith,  with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and
perform  each and every  act and thing  requisite  as fully to all  intents  and
purposes as he might or could do in person,  and  ratifying and  confirming  all
that  said  attorney-in-fact  and agent or his  substitute  or  substitutes  may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.




Dated:  March 15, 1997                     /s/ Robert E. Lefton
                                          ----------------------
                                          Robert E. Lefton

<PAGE>   7

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY



     KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that the person whose signature appears
below  constitutes  and appoints  Gary L. Weller and Paul W. Jones,  and each of
them,  as his true and lawful  attorney-in-fact  and  agent,  with full power of
substitution,  for  him  and in his  name,  place  and  stead,  in any  and  all
capacities,  to  sign  the  1996  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  of  Greenfield
Industries,  Inc., and to file the same,  with all exhibits  thereto,  and other
documents in connection therewith,  with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and
perform  each and every  act and thing  requisite  as fully to all  intents  and
purposes as he might or could do in person,  and  ratifying and  confirming  all
that  said  attorney-in-fact  and agent or his  substitute  or  substitutes  may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.




Dated:  March 15, 1997                     /s/ Robert W. Pratt, Jr.
                                          --------------------------
                                           Robert W. Pratt, Jr.



<PAGE>   8

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY



     KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that the person whose signature appears
below  constitutes  and appoints  Gary L. Weller and Paul W. Jones,  and each of
them,  as his true and lawful  attorney-in-fact  and  agent,  with full power of
substitution,  for  him  and in his  name,  place  and  stead,  in any  and  all
capacities,  to  sign  the  1996  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  of  Greenfield
Industries,  Inc., and to file the same,  with all exhibits  thereto,  and other
documents in connection therewith,  with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and
perform  each and every  act and thing  requisite  as fully to all  intents  and
purposes as he might or could do in person,  and  ratifying and  confirming  all
that  said  attorney-in-fact  and agent or his  substitute  or  substitutes  may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.




Dated:  March 15, 1997                     /s/ Julian M. Seeherman
                                          -------------------------
                                           Julian M. Seeherman



<PAGE>   9

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY



     KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that the person whose signature appears
below  constitutes  and appoints  Gary L. Weller and Paul W. Jones,  and each of
them,  as his true and lawful  attorney-in-fact  and  agent,  with full power of
substitution,  for  him  and in his  name,  place  and  stead,  in any  and  all
capacities,  to  sign  the  1996  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  of  Greenfield
Industries,  Inc., and to file the same,  with all exhibits  thereto,  and other
documents in connection therewith,  with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and
perform  each and every  act and thing  requisite  as fully to all  intents  and
purposes as he might or could do in person,  and  ratifying and  confirming  all
that  said  attorney-in-fact  and agent or his  substitute  or  substitutes  may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.




Dated:  March 15, 1997                     /s/ Dennis W. Sheehan
                                          -----------------------
                                          Dennis W. Sheehan