The History Of Stainless Steel

The invention and use of stainless steel can be traced back to World War I. At that time, British battlefield guns were often shipped back to the rear due to barrel wear. The military production department commissioned Brearley to develop a high-strength, wear-resistant alloy steel specifically to address this problem.

Brearley and his assistants collected various types of steel and alloys with different properties from both domestic and international sources, tested their performance on various machines, and selected the most suitable steel for use in guns. One day, they experimented with an alloy containing a high amount of chromium. Wear tests revealed that the alloy was not wear-resistant, indicating that it was unsuitable for use in guns. They recorded the results and discarded them. A few months later, an assistant excitedly ran up to Brearley with a shiny piece of steel. "Sir," he said, "I found this alloy sent by Mr. Mullah while cleaning out the warehouse. Would you like to experiment with it and see if it has any special properties?" "Yes!" Brearley said happily, looking at the dazzling steel.

Experimental results proved that it was stainless steel resistant to acids, alkalis, and salts. This stainless steel was invented by a German mullah in 1912, but the mullah had no idea what it would be used for.

Braille wondered, "If this wear-resistant but corrosion-resistant steel can't be used to make guns, could it be used to make tableware?" He immediately set to work, crafting stainless steel fruit knives, forks, spoons, fruit bowls, and folding knives.

Braille's stainless steel was patented in the UK in 1916 and mass production began. From then on, stainless steel, accidentally discovered in a garbage dump, became a global phenomenon, and Henry Brearleigh was hailed as the "Father of Stainless Steel."