Stainless Steel

Two grades cover almost every stainless job, and we stock both deep. 304 is the indoor and general-purpose pick: railings, brackets, food-grade fixtures, shop fittings. 316 earns its upcharge near salt water, chemicals, and road brine. Debating between them? Coastal or marine, go 316; everywhere else, 304 does the job.

Shapes on the shelf: round bar, flat bar, square bar, hex bar, angle, pipe, square tube, and sheet in 2B finish. Everything cuts to the inch like the rest of the store. Need a polished or specialty finish we don't list? Send a quote request and we'll source it.

One question decides it: will the part meet salt water, road salt, or pool chemistry? If it won't, buy 304: it's the standard for indoor railings, kitchen and brewery fittings, brackets, and food-contact work. If it will, buy 316: its 2-3% molybdenum is what stops chloride pitting on wharf hardware, boat parts, and anything living near the Atlantic.

Less than its reputation, and it depends on the shape. Two real pairs from our shelf, priced per 12″ piece in CAD as of June 2026:

So budget roughly 10-50% over 304 by shape, and check the live page for today's number. On one piece of boat hardware the difference is a coffee; replacing a pitted part twice is the expensive route. Want the full breakdown? Our 304 vs 316 guide walks through when the upcharge pays for itself, and the full stainless buying guide covers grades, finishes, and shapes in one read.

Round bar, flat bar, square bar, hex bar, angle, pipe in schedule 40 and 80, sheet, and tube. Most sizes run 304; the 316 rack covers flat bar, hex bar, angle, and a deep pipe range. Everything cuts to ±1/8″, free.

It can stain and pit, it just resists far longer than steel. Near salt, 304 shows brown tea staining before real damage; inland it stays clean for decades with a rinse. The avoidable mistake we see: carbon steel grinding dust settling on stainless, rusting, and looking like the stainless failed. Keep dedicated brushes and discs for stainless work and it'll keep its looks.

Inspected job? Mill test reports are available on request, any order size.