Cutlery stainless steel grades '18/8', '18/10' and '18/0'

Compositions of &#;18/8&#;, &#;18/10&#; and 18/0&#;

These figures relate to the chromium and nickel contents of the steel, respectively.

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&#;18/8&#; is probably the most commonly used stainless steel and contains 18% chromium and 8% nickel.
This steel is also known as &#;304&#; (in the American AISI grade designation system) or 1. in the European BS EN standard.
It is an &#;austenitic&#; type of stainless steel and so is not (or only very weakly) attracted by a magnet.

&#;18/10&#; is a designation used on some cutlery and holloware as an alternative to &#;18/8&#;. This designation is claimed to indicate a better quality steel than &#;18/8&#;, and is essentially the same as the &#;304 (1.) grade . In practice the &#;10&#; does not indicate an actual higher Ni content and is purely a marketing ploy.

&#;18/0&#; is a &#;ferritic&#; stainless steel type, which is attracted by a magnet (like pure iron). This steel is known as &#;430&#; in the AISI system or 1. in the European standard.
It is used where corrosion resistance is not too demanding as an alternative to the &#;18/8&#; 304 type. The chromium content is optimistically said to be 18% but is nearer 17%.

Applications for these grades

The austenitic and ferritic &#;18/8&#;, &#;18/10&#; and &#;18/0&#; stainless steels cannot be hardened by heat treatment and so can only be used for knife handles, forks and spoons.
Hardenable martensitic types of stainless steel, like the ferritics, contain only chromium, but with additional carbon. This enables them to respond to hardening heat treatments and so they can be used for knife blades.
The best quality table knives are made in two pieces using a martensitic blade and an austenitic (18/8 or 18/10) handle, bonded together.

Less expensive cutlery is often made as single piece martensitic knives, forks and spoons. This steel is not as costly, as it does not contain the nickel of the 18/8 &#; 18/10 types, but consequently has lower corrosion resistance. The corrosion resistance of cutlery made in this way should however be adequate for normal tableware use.
Cutlery manufacturers may choose to limit &#;life&#; statements or guarantees on these lower cost pieces.

More information can be found on cutlery at the Cutlery and Allied Trades Association website.

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The best SS flatware is made from 18/8 s/steel, sometimes called 316
grade, and should be stamped as such on the back of each piece.

The best test is to put a magnet on yours, if it picks it up or
sticks to it, its whats called chrome iron.

Thats a really cheap grade, and not worthy of a place in a
metalworkers home. If it was mine Id scrap it.

If, like me your fussy about all the tools you use in your life, get
yourself some really nice quality plated Tiffany tableware or even
earlier bone handled 2 pronged forks and knives to match, which are
proper carbon steel. Beautiful to cut through that tender fillet
steak BUT NO dishwasher use!! and need careful maintenance. IE hand
wash, no soaking, properly dry and then not just chucked into a
cutlery drawer along with everything else.

To give you another example, at our localcar boot on Sunday I picked
up a set of 6 ivory handled desert knives and forks (12 pieces in
all) for just under $10.00 the metal on these is EPNS. When I find
another set, ill cut up the ivory to make into a necklace with silver
mounts. Ivory is lovely to work.

But im digessing.

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