AbstractMultistage torsion tests in the temperature range 1200–900°C and strain rate range 0·1–2·0 s−1were carried out to study the static recrystallisation (SRX) kinetics of 301,304,316, and 317 steels under iso- and anisothermal conditions. The fractional softening decreased with decreasing temperature, pass strainεi, and strain rate. The fraction recrystallised was plotted according to the Avrami expression. The temperature compensated timefor 50% SRX was a function ofεto the power of−2 and of the Zener-Hollomon parameter Z to the power of−⅜. The activation energy for SRX QSRXwas determined and compared with extensive results from the literature. The effect of accumulated strain is reflected in the decrease of QSRXfor all alloys. The SRX grain size is fitted by the Barraclough expression, in which it is a function of original grain size, ;amp;epsilon;, and Z. Finer grain sizes were obtained from accumulated straining in multistage anisothermal tests than from continuous straining, in which only dynamic recovery and dynamic recrystallisation were operative.MST/1249