Cutting Tools: History
Before the industrial revolution steel was expensive and available only in small quantities so its use was limited
Developments in steelmaking (such as the Bessemer converter in 1856) increased its use and the need for machining tools
Alloy steels containing tungsten were developed soon after for cutting tools. These have developed into the modern molybdenum containing high speed steels over many years
Tungsten carbide/cobalt tools formed by powder metallurgy were first introduced in the 1950s
Ceramic tools (mostly alumina, sialon, diamond and cubic boron nitride) have been in use for the last 30 years