Our stainless steel is all Marine Grade 316 Stainless Stee (A4). Our 316SS fasteners are far more corrosion resistant than their 304SS (A2) or 18-8 counterparts due to the higher nickel content and addtion of molybdenum in the alloy. If you are planning to use fasteners that will be exposed to marine environments or other corrosive conditions, upgrading from 304SS to 316SS is worth the investment.
Sometimes, big-box stores will sell inferior alloys labelled “stainless”, with no mention of the alloy. Those fasteners do not meet the requirements for 316SS in marine fasteners. Here at Fair Wind Fasteners we only deal in fasteners and alloys that we’d use ourselves. Marine Grade Stainless Steel