The development of slow strain rate testing for environment sensitive cracking over the last 25 years is reviewed. In its original form, in which specimens are continuously strained to total failure, the method is still valuable, especially as a rapid sorting approach to the effects of metallurgical or environmental changes in systems, and examples are given of such. The importance of employing an appropriate strain rate for the particular system being studied is emphasized, after which consideration is given to applying variations on the method to determining threshold stresses for cracking.