Harry Brearley was born on Feb 18, 1871 and by 1907 was in charge of the Brown-Firth Research Labratory in Sheffield, England. The lab was investigating ways to eliminate rust in gun barrels, when by accident, Mr Byerly noticed a discarded steel sample from an earlier test was not rusting, while other samples were. The result was a chrome alloy steel, much more rust resistant than seen before. The date was June 4, 1912. Two months later, on August 20, 1912, stainless steel was cast for the first time.

Brearley immediately set out to market his new invention. He called his new metal "rustless steel". Sheffield, known as a city of cutlery manufacturers, and the new material , a forerunner of today's 420, seemed to be a perfect replacement for silver or nickel plated steel. But manufacturers were hesitant, so Brearley had one make him some knives. One manufacturer, Ernest Stuart, upon testing the material in vinegar suggested a more marketable name of "stainless steel". By 1914, the George Ibberson & Co,  using stainless manufactured by Thomas Firth & Sons, began producing stainless steel knives. The product was not an immediate success, and Brealey soon earned the reputation of being the inventor of the "knife that would not cut".

Brearley left Firth, over an ownership dispute of the stainless steel invention, and W. H. Hatfield became his successor. In 1924, Hatfield patented the 18-8 stainless steel, 18% chromium and 8% nickel. This austentic stainless would soon rise to become the most popular and widely used type of stainless steel. Adding titanium to the 18-8, Hatfield is also credited with the invention of 321 stainless. In the earlier years, German scientists, such as the Krupp Research Institues, were the quickest to realize the potential of austentic stainless, inventing 316, among others.

Brearley left Firth, over an ownership dispute of the stainless steel invention, and W. H. Hatfield became his successor. In 1924, Hatfield patented the 18-8 stainless steel, 18% chromium and 8% nickel. This austentic stainless would soon rise to become the most popular and widely used type of stainless steel. Adding titanium to the 18-8, Hatfield is also credited with the invention of 321 stainless. In the earlier years, German scientists, such as the Krupp Research Institues, were the quickest to realize the potential of austentic stainless, inventing 316, among others.