CPP
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When I first saw the title of this article I assumed it would be about Ozzy or someone. It's a nice history of a British scientist, Harry Brearley, who originated stainless steel among other distinctions.
Some interesting quotes:
Brearley knew that, as far as physical properties of steel go, theres no difference between an axle with 0.035 percent sulfur and one with 0.05 percent sulfur. But he missed the point: the difference, a manager told him, was £2 a ton. It was a lesson in politics as much as commerce; it didnt matter if the steel was no better. It only mattered that people thought it was better, and were willing to pay more for it.
But the lesson didnt stick; if anything, the business of modern steelmaking only hardened his resolve that it was all hogwash. Time was, he lamented later, when a man made steel, decided what it was good for and told the customer how to make the best of it. Then, with times quickening step, he just made the steel; he engaged another man, who knew nothing about steelmaking, to analyse it, and say what it was good for. Then he engaged a second man, who knew all about hardening and tempering steel; then a third man who could neither make steel, nor analyse it, nor harden and temper itbut this last tested it, put his OK mark on it and passed it into service. It was a disgrace.
[ ]
In June 1914 Brearley met a cutlery manager named Ernest Stuart, of the cutlers Robert F. Mosley, whose persistence rivaled his own. Brearley and Stuart had gone to school under the same headmaster. Stuart doubted that a rustless steel existed but recognized that such a thing would be worth bothering about. He bothered by testing a piece in vinegar, after which he reportedly said, This steel stains less. Stuart was the one who first called it stainless. He took a small sample. A week later, he returned with some cheese knives. He declared them rustless and stainless. But the steel was too hard, and had dulled all of his sharpening tools. He swore. He tried again, and the knives came back very hard, but very brittle. On the third try, Brearley was invited along to watch, even though he knew nothing about knife making. But he knew the temperature at which the steel hardened, and he helped make a dozen knives.
[ ]
He made knives and gave them to his friends. He gave them to Stuarts friends. He instructed them to return the knives if, upon contact with any food, they stained or rusted. No knife was returned. Stuart knew he was looking at the future, and ordered, over a few weeks, seven more tons of the metal.
Some interesting quotes:
Brearley knew that, as far as physical properties of steel go, theres no difference between an axle with 0.035 percent sulfur and one with 0.05 percent sulfur. But he missed the point: the difference, a manager told him, was £2 a ton. It was a lesson in politics as much as commerce; it didnt matter if the steel was no better. It only mattered that people thought it was better, and were willing to pay more for it.
But the lesson didnt stick; if anything, the business of modern steelmaking only hardened his resolve that it was all hogwash. Time was, he lamented later, when a man made steel, decided what it was good for and told the customer how to make the best of it. Then, with times quickening step, he just made the steel; he engaged another man, who knew nothing about steelmaking, to analyse it, and say what it was good for. Then he engaged a second man, who knew all about hardening and tempering steel; then a third man who could neither make steel, nor analyse it, nor harden and temper itbut this last tested it, put his OK mark on it and passed it into service. It was a disgrace.
[ ]
In June 1914 Brearley met a cutlery manager named Ernest Stuart, of the cutlers Robert F. Mosley, whose persistence rivaled his own. Brearley and Stuart had gone to school under the same headmaster. Stuart doubted that a rustless steel existed but recognized that such a thing would be worth bothering about. He bothered by testing a piece in vinegar, after which he reportedly said, This steel stains less. Stuart was the one who first called it stainless. He took a small sample. A week later, he returned with some cheese knives. He declared them rustless and stainless. But the steel was too hard, and had dulled all of his sharpening tools. He swore. He tried again, and the knives came back very hard, but very brittle. On the third try, Brearley was invited along to watch, even though he knew nothing about knife making. But he knew the temperature at which the steel hardened, and he helped make a dozen knives.
[ ]
He made knives and gave them to his friends. He gave them to Stuarts friends. He instructed them to return the knives if, upon contact with any food, they stained or rusted. No knife was returned. Stuart knew he was looking at the future, and ordered, over a few weeks, seven more tons of the metal.
