Recent studies and results on ultrahigh carbon (UHC) steels suggest that major development efforts on these steels are timely and that programs to evaluate prototype structural components should be initiated. These recent results include: the development of economical processing techniques incorporating a divorced eutectoid transformation, the improvement of room temperature strength and ductility by heat treatment, the enhancement of superplastic properties through dilute alloying with silicon, and the attainment of exceptional notch impact strength in laminated UHC steel composites manufactured through solid state bonding. The unique mechanical properties achieved in UHC steels are due to the presence of micron-size fer-rite grains and ultrafine spheroidized carbides.