Mr Stainless
Suffolk Yacht Harbour
Levington IP10 0LN

I have been unable to find a picture of Mr Stainless’s premises, but this sign gives an indication of his brand.

Mr Stainless manufactures a wide range of stainless steel products. Much of his work focuses on the kind of handrails and steps that you see on yachts and speed boats, hence his location in Suffolk harbour.

Given that stainless steel is Mr Stainless’s stock in trade, he was presumably faced with a choice of calling himself ‘Mr Steel’, ‘Mr Stainless’, or ‘Mr Stainless Steel’. I think many of us would have gone for ‘Mr Steel’ in this situation, perhaps followed closely by the double-barrelled option.

‘Stainless’ is one of those words that evokes the very image it seeks to dispel. On a rational level, the word should suggest purity and cleanliness. That’s all we should think of when we see the word ‘stainless’.

But the very fact that the word ‘stain’ is contained within ‘stainless’ means that we inevitably think of stains too.

It’s like if I say to you, “Picture in your mind a pristine white bedsheet, without so much as a big brown soggy stain all over it.” Now you’re probably picturing the big brown soggy stain, aren’t you?

That’s what the word ‘stainless’ does, on a smaller scale.

Reading this back, I regret the direction this post has taken.

Apologies. This is my worst blog post ever!

Comments

[Mike Reed]

Mr Blog, you have me in fits once again. Your worst post is also one of your very best!

[Mr Blog]

Thanks Mr Reed, I'm glad you found something to enjoy. However, I suspect the Mr Creemy of Tonypandy post will test your good humour to the limit.