On Sun, 26 Aug 2012 08:21:45 -0700, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

Are you sure they're stainless and not electroplated steel? Use a
magnet. I've been fooled a few times. If it sticks, it's electroplated
steel. If it doesn't, it's probably stainless. (Note:
There are magnetic stainless compositions, but they're not commonly used
for hardware).

Interesting.

I put a neodymium button magnet on the shiny bolts and it was slightly
sticky. Strangely enough, the magnet would stick slightly to some bolts,
enough to stay on, but in others it would just slide off.

It stuck like glue to the painted steel but didn't have any attraction at
all for the stainless steel hose clamp that came with the assembly ... so
there's something very different about the bolts and nuts.