"s--p--o--n--i--x" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 14:47:55 +0100, "Jonathan Pearson"
wrote:

not 100% accurate, as it depends on the composition, but ss is generally
non-magnetic!!

Why do spoons stick to magnets?

Unfortunately some ss sticks to magnets and some doesn't. I haven't
got a clue which type of ss screws are made of.

Austinitic stainless steel is non-magnetic. Martensitic and, to a lesser
degree, ferritic stainless steels are magnetic. Fastenings are usually made
from austentic stainless steel. Spons are more often from a martensitic
stainless steel.

A plated brass screw won't attract a magnet but could look like a ss
one.

Breathe on it. If the haze looks bluish, it is chrome plate. Otherwise, it
is not.

Colin Bignell