1.2601 tool steel with high wear resistance against abrasive and adhesive, good toughness, edge-holding ability and compression strength, low distortion, non-deforming, full hardness with air hardening in any dimension, suitable for bath nitriding. 1.2601 tool steel applications mainly for making high performance blanking, punching, stamping and cutting tools and dies up to 6mm sheet thickness, thread rollings, chasers and dies, cold forming and bending tools, precision blanking dies, longitudinal and circular shear blades for plastic, paper and metal, milling cutters, reamers, broaches, hobbing tools, tools for drawing, deep drawing and cold extrusion, woodworking tools, pressing tools for the sinters, ceramics and pharmaceutical industries, cold piercers, measuring tools, rolling cutters and shaping wheels, cold pilger mandrels, flanging, straightening and beading rolls, trimming and splitting dies, tools for the cold manufacture of screws, nuts and rivets, plastic moulds.