Abstract: A sintered hard material according to the invention comprises 0.02 to 0.10 wt % of one or more metals selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co and Ni, 0.3 to 3.0 wt % of one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of carbides, nitrides and carbonitrides of transition metals of the IVa, Va and VIa groups of the periodic table and a residue of tungsten carbide component having an average particle size of 0.5 .mu.m or less, the tungsten carbide component containing WC and W.sub.2 C in a proportion W.sub.2 C/(WC+W.sub.2 C) of between 0.01 and 0.15, the W.sub.2 C in the tungsten carbide component having a lattice constant reduced by 0.3 to 1.5 %.