Put a magnet on a stainless steel appliance panel and it may stick, while the same magnet slides right off a 304 stainless sink. Both are genuine stainless steel, and the difference comes down to the grade family. Austenitic grades like 304 and 316 are generally non-magnetic, while ferritic grades like 430 and martensitic grades like 410 and 420 are magnetic.
A magnet test is a quick way to tell those families apart, but it isn't a quality test. Austenitic stainless can pick up some magnetism after it's bent or cold worked, and a magnetic grade isn't automatically a lesser one; it's built for different jobs, from trim and panels to blades and wear parts. The Metal Supermarkets stainless steel guide walks through the main grades, their properties, and where each one is typically used.
If you're matching existing stainless or choosing a grade for a new build, our Marietta counter team can help you sort it out and cut it to size with no minimum. The full guide is linked in the comments. Have you ever been surprised by a magnet sticking to something you were sure was stainless?
#StainlessSteel #Metalworking
Authentic close-up of a magnet held against two pieces of stainless at the Marietta location, one where it sticks and one where it doesn't. A shot of polished stainless sheet or bar on the racks also works. Real photos strongly preferred over stock. No Google Drive image folder is set up for this client yet, so request a real photo from the Marietta location.
Canva text suggestion: "It's Still Stainless, Even If the Magnet Sticks" or "Magnetic Stainless vs. Non-Magnetic Stainless"