Cantilever fatigue specimens with a reduced section and rounded tensionside corners were machined from SAE 8719 steel (containing 0.19% C, 1.06% Mn, 0.52% Cr, 0.50% Ni and 0.17% Mo) bars. The specimens were plasma and gas carburized to surface carbon of 0.82% to 0.84%, surface hardness of 65 HRC, and case depths of 1.2 mm at 50 HRC. Some specimens were direct quenched from 850° C after carburizing and some were reheated to 850° C and quenched. All specimens were tempered at 150° C. Excellent high cycle bending fatigue resistance correlated with fine austenitic grain size and low retained austenite. The highest fatigue limit, 1650 MPa (240 ksi), was measured in reheated gas carburized specimens with an austenitic grain size of ASTM No. 11 and surface retained austenite content of about 22%. Reheating reduced the austenite grain size of the carburized specimens and resulted in improved fatigue resistance for both the plasma and gas carburized specimens.