The rate of wear in a drivetrain depends not only on hardness of parts but the distribution of force. Chainrings wear much slower than cassettes because the pedaling force is distributed across many more gear teeth. A worn chain wears out a chainring more quickly because it rides up the teeth, which are tapered, so then drive the chain with a smaller contact area.
Originally Posted by
conspiratemus1
But you would think if steel rings really did last longer, somebody would be making them at the high end and selling them at a premium -- harder to machine and all.
Such a thing exists!
Surly stainless steel chainrings. Steels being what they are, this is still a soft metal to hard metal interface--only now the chain is the soft metal.
I believe some 1x12 systems use a hardened steel chain. Not sure what the rationale is.