Abstract: A wear resistant, diamond enhanced cutting tool for excavating is disclosed. The cutting tool includes a cutting insert having a diamond coated cutting tip brazed to the cutting insert. The cutting tool is formed by brazing the insert to a tool body with a braze alloy by heating the insert and tool body to a temperature at which the braze alloy melts. The insert and tool body are then cooled to solidify the braze alloy and quenched to cause a martensitic transformation. Finally, the diamond enhanced tip is brazed to the insert while the temperature of the tool body is maintained below a temperature at which the tool body would soften. According to this method, the cutting tool is formed without creating a tempered zone of reduced hardness.