Lowell, then you haven't lived lacking a tube by Friedrich Krupp and Heinrich Ehrhardt.
I think the patent date in Berlin for Nirosta was October 17, 1912(I couldn't find it in the U.S. of A. but here's something similar:
http://www.google.com/patents?id=F6ZiAAA...y_r&cad=0_0 ) and the trademark NIROSTA(NIchtROstendenSTAhl) was acquired in 1922. I believe it was Ernest Stuart of the Sheffield cutlery of R. F. Mosley that 1st discovered stainless steel with 0.24% Carbon and 12.8% Chromium or the metal had a range of 0.2-0.3% carbon and 5-15% Chromium. It is interesting to note that these percentage are relative to weight. But Krupp beat Harry Brearley of Sheffield to the punch by filing for the patent just before Brearley discovered. Both could have had 2 independent processes running parallel, but I doubt it as industrial esponiage ran at an all time high about this time. Krupp may have "acquired" blossoming technology and was able to fast-track it.
Kind Regards,
Raimey
rse
