Stainless Steel is more than just steel that doesn't stain! It is an umbrella term that covers various types of steel that are resistant to corrosion. There are at least two claims to the title of inventor, one from the UK and one from Sweden. The most likely inventor is Harry Brearley, the son of a steel melter. Harry, who was born in Sheffield in 1871, studied the properties of steel and the effects that various production processes had on it.
In 1908, two large steel firms set up a research company called Brown Firth Laboratories and asked Harry to head it up. It's job would be to improve production processes. One of the problems he was asked to solve was the erosion of rifle barrels through the effects of heat and discharge gasses.
Brearley's experiments centred on the addition of chromium and carbon. Steels with chromium as an ingredient tended to have a higher melting point and this suggested that chromium may also produce a more robust and corrosion-resistant steel. After some trial and error, in 1913 he produced a steel with a 12.8% chromium content along with 0.24% carbon.
He subjected the samples that were produced to various chemicals, including acid that would corrode standard steel along with vinegar and citrus juice. The results were spectacular. Not only was the steel resistant to corrosion, it did not even stain.
Brearley realised that this new mix would be ideal for a much wider range of products than just rifles, especially goods where staining and corrosion were big problems. One such product area was cutlery. At first Harry's bosses did not see the potential, in fact, not until he personally arranged for a cutler, R.F. Mosley, to produce some knives. The manager of Mosley, Ernest Stuart, referred to the knives as "stainless" and the term has stuck ever since. Up until the introduction of stainless steel, cutlery and other steel products had to be constantly cleaned and dried thoroughly in order prevent rust corrosion.
Ever since, stainless steel has stood for robustness, longevity and hygiene. A good example is the SE22 Insectocutor fly killer machine. The stainless steel construction represents high quality and is particularly appropriate to such a top range product as this. Insectocutor has led the way in fly killing technology since the 60's. Inferior plastic products have come and gone but the solid steel machines of Insectocutor have always proved to be supremely robust and reliable. The use of stainless steel for models such as the SE22 further distinguishes the Insectocutor offer compared to the plastic alternatives, such is the quality of stainless steel. Thank you Harry!
Insectocutor fly killers are sold by Arkay Hygiene. The SE22 Stainless Steel Fly Killer can be found here