M2 Tool Steel: Premium High‑Speed Steel for Cutting & Wear‑Resistant Applications M2 tool steel is one of the most versatile high‑speed steels (HSS), well‑trusted across industries for its outstanding combination of hardness, wear resistance, and red hardness (hot hardness). Its alloying elements—tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium, and chromium—deliver excellent cutting performance, toughness, and durability under high temperature and high stress. Considerations & Heat Treatment Being a high alloy steel, M2 requires proper heat treatment—annealing, hardening, tempering—to achieve desired properties. It is not stainless, so corrosion protection (coatings, storage, finishing) may be needed if used in humid or corrosive environments. Also, machining M2 in its hardened state is difficult; operations are usually done when annealed.