Abstract: Disclosed are a cold working tool steel suitable for plastic cold working tools used under severe service conditions, such as forming dies, forming rolls, and form rolling dies, and a process for producing the same. The cold working tool steel has wear resistance and tensile compression fatigue strength and at the same time can provide improved die life. The cold working tool steel is characterized by comprising by weight 0.65 to 1.3% of carbon, not more than 2.0% of silicon, 0.1 to 2.0% of manganese, 5.0 to 11.0% of chromium, 0.7 to 5.0%, in terms of molybdenum equivalent (molybdenum+tungsten/2), of at least one member selected from molybdenum and tungsten, 0.1 to 2.5%, in terms of vanadium equivalent (vanadium+niobium/2), of at least one member selected from vanadium and niobium, and optionally 0.010 to 0.10% of sulfur with the balance consisting of iron and unavoidable impurities, an M.sub.7 C.sub.3 carbide having a grain diameter of 5 to 15 .mu.m being present in a percentage area of 1 to 9%.