I know this is an alloy, but can it be mixed to form a superior steel? Therefore less likely to stain?
In general, the austenitic stainless steels are considered to have the best overall corrosion resistance of all the stainless steels and to be the most resistant to industrial atmospheres and acid media. As the corrosion conditions become more severe (e.g. higher temperatures and stronger acids), more alloy content above that in type 304 is required. The addition of over 2% Mo to austenitic stainless steels increases resistance to pitting. Type 316 is a popular alloy in this class and contains 2.5% Mo.
Unfortunately the stainless property does not make a 100% superior blade, unless you are not too concerned with how it performs. Generally speaking the mineral that allows steel not to stain is chromium so the higher content of chromium the more shiny and less likely to stain. The best performing blades however are the ones resistant to fatigue that usually contain high silica levels like japanese blades. Chromium on the other hand does make a less flexible and lower quality blade that also needs to be thicker, so it comes down to what will you be using it for.
