Bronze for chainplates?

[benz]

I forgot to mention above that stainless is far more easily and reliably welded than bronze. Anything bronze which has to be shaped in a way that can't be bent out of plate and bar stock has to be cast, where SS can be welded into anything the imagination can conceive, and the weld is pretty strong until Crevice Corrosion sets in. Welders are a lot easier to come by than foundries, and so the use of SS becomes also a matter of convenience.

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
I'll just add, as I often do, that stainless is popular because sailors are like magpies: they like shiny objects. If you go with bronze, just be sure of the quality (Manganese bronze and Naval bronze, for instance, are both brasses). If you get cast pieces, be very sure of the foundry.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss