Abstract: An apparatus for measuring hardness of materials has an indentor to be pressed into the surface of material, a rod in the form of a center plate having a shank rigidly secured to one end thereof and the indentor rigidly secured to the other end thereof. The apparatus also has a dynamometric gauge having a first branch thereof with a hole in which the shank of the rod is received. A second branch of the dynamometric gauge supports a spindle of a device for loading the indentor. One of the branches of the dynamometric gauge carries at least one pick-up for measuring the load at the indentor engageable with the other branch of the dynamometric gauge. The apparatus also has a device for measuring the depth of penetration of the indentor into the surface of material in the form of a frame having its opposed bars enclosing the first branch of the dynamometric gauge.