Abstract: Cutting tools according to the invention are provided with a wear-resistant coating of heat-resistant compounds of high-melting metals. A layer of a pure metal is provided between the base material and the coating. The base material is a ceramic or an aluminum oxide-based metal-ceramic material. The intermediate layer is discontinuous. Such tools are manufactured by using condensation of plasma material and ion bombardment in order to successively deposit an intermediate layer of a pure metal and a coating of heat-resistant compounds of high-melting metals on the surface of the base material. The intermediate layer is deposited at a temperature of 1/2T.sub.S >T>1/3T.sub.S, where T.sub.S is the melting temperature of the metal being deposited and T is the temperature of the tool in .degree. K. The condensation rate and the duration of deposition are selected bearing in mind that metal is to be deposited only on defects found on the surface of the base material.