This can be likened to a skyscraper being protected from rain by a roof that is as thick as a standard sheet of copy paper. This layer is described as passive, resilient, and self-renewing. "Passive" means it does not react with or affect other materials; "resilient" means it adheres tightly to the steel layer and does not transfer elsewhere; "self-renewing" means that if it is damaged or forcibly removed, more chromium from the steel will be exposed to the air and will form more chromium oxide. This implies that after years of use, a stainless steel knife may wear down due to regular use and sharpening on a whetstone, but it still retains its stainless quality. In contrast, silver-plated cutlery will eventually wear down to the base alloy, while stainless steel cutlery will not.

Inspection holes and manholes in water treatment and chemical industries are widely made from galvanized steel and stainless steel. Under normal use, galvanized steel can last many years without corrosion, making the switch to stainless steel almost unnecessary except for aesthetic reasons. The advantages of stainless steel become evident when the galvanized coating is continually worn away, such as being dragged by chains, trampled on, or exposed to corrosive chemicals.

This brings up an important question: the initial investment cost of producing parts or manufacturing items from stainless steel is always higher than that of using regular steel. This is not only due to the higher cost of stainless steel but also because it is more challenging to process. However, stainless steel becomes more attractive due to its better lifecycle costs, whether in terms of longer service life, lower maintenance costs, or the scrap value when decommissioned.