The History of Stainless Steel

Stainless steel feels like a modern, almost neutral material — but it's little more than a century old, and its spread through kitchens, buildings and industry happened faster than most materials manage in twice the time.

An accidental discovery, 1913

Stainless steel's invention is usually credited to Harry Brearley, a metallurgist at Brown Firth Laboratories in Sheffield, England. He wasn't looking for a new kitchen material — he was trying to solve a military problem, developing steel alloys that could resist the erosion caused by heat and friction in gun barrels.

While testing steels with varying chromium content, Brearley noticed that one of his samples resisted the acid etching he used to examine its structure under a microscope. Curious, he tested it against everyday acids like vinegar and lemon juice and found it resisted corrosion far better than ordinary steel. He produced what's considered the first true stainless steel alloy on 13 August 1913.

Recognising Sheffield's cutlery heritage, Brearley saw the commercial opportunity immediately: carbon-steel cutlery of the time rusted and needed constant polishing, and the only rust-resistant alternatives were expensive silver or electroplated nickel silver. His new alloy, initially called "rustless steel," was renamed "stainless steel" at the suggestion of a local cutlery manufacturer — and the name stuck.

From cutlery to industry

Adoption moved quickly once the material's practicality was clear:

• 1921: Stainless steel cutlery entered household use, addressing exactly the problem Brearley had identified.
• 1926: The first surgical implants made from stainless steel were developed, taking advantage of its corrosion resistance and compatibility with the body.
• 1929: The Chrysler Building in New York used roughly 4,500 stainless steel shingles on its crown, an early and still-famous demonstration of the material's use in architecture.
• 1934: The Pioneer Zephyr, an early stainless steel passenger train, showed the material could handle structural and transport applications, not just surfaces.
• 1936: Ford built prototype vehicles with stainless steel bodywork, exploring automotive applications.

Mid-century expansion into the home

Through the 1950s, stainless steel moved further into everyday domestic life. Designers like Wilhelm Wagenfeld produced influential stainless steel kitchenware and tableware, helping shift the material's image from purely industrial to something suited to considered home design. By 1956, Wilkinson Sword had introduced stainless steel razor blades, extending the material into personal care.

From there, stainless steel became a standard choice for kitchen appliances, sinks, cookware and countless household fittings — not because it was fashionable, but because it kept solving the same problem Brearley identified in 1913: resisting corrosion and staying functional with minimal upkeep.

A material that kept earning its place

Stainless steel's spread across architecture (the Petronas Towers, the Atomium, the Burj Khalifa), industry, medicine and the home wasn't driven by novelty. Each new application succeeded because the material's core properties — corrosion resistance, strength, hygiene and low maintenance — solved a genuine practical problem in that field. That's still true of why it's chosen today: see our guide on why choose stainless steel for how those same properties apply to products in your home now.