- Stainless steel's basic makeup is very similar to standard steel -- in which iron is mixed with about 2 percent carbon -- made "stainless" by the addition of up to 11 percent chromium. If the product is to be used in a particularly harsh environment, up to 26 percent chromium can be used.
- The main difference between tool steel and stainless steel is in their respective chemical makeups. In tool steel, the carbon content is normally between 0.7 and 1.5 percent. Although the amount of carbon added may seem low, the difference in amounts of carbon has a direct effect on the material properties of the alloy.
- The reason for adding different amounts of carbon, and sometimes other elements, is to give the steel different qualities. Stainless steel is so called because it is corrosion and rust resistant, not because it does not stain. This is important because any rust will weaken the metal and eventually destroy it. Tool steel is harder, as it contains more iron; this means it is more resistant to abrasions and can keep a sharp edge longer.
- These different properties can result in these two types of steel being used in very different products. Stainless steel is used when the metal will be used outdoors or in an environment where it will be exposed to moisture that will cause corrosion. The frames for garden furniture, fixtures like nuts and bolts and building frames are just a few areas in which stainless steel is regularly used. Tool steel, as the name suggests, is used to make tools; low carbon-content tool steel is used to make objects that do not need to hold an edge such as spanners, wrenches and screwdrivers, whereas the higher carbon-content variety is used for edged tools such as axes, digging tools and knives.
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