Abstract Hardbanding of drill pipe tool joints and other drilling equipment has been around since the late 1930's. Originally, hardbanding was applied primarily to protect the drill pipe and other tools from premature abrasive wear. Since that time, there have numerous changes in hardbanding and its application, but only within the last few years has new technology been introduced that allows hardbanding to protect the casing, the marine riser and the drill pipe at the same time. Hardbanding is one of the most simple yet most misunderstood products being used on a drilling rig today. Along with the new technology being utilized to drill the highly deviated wells such as horizontal, ERD, or multi-directional, comes the problem of creating excessive downhole drag and torque. All of this drag and torque creates friction, which, in turn, creates wear on the drill string, the marine riser and the casing. Today, there are several types of wear resistant alloy hardbandings on the market. Most of them are designed to protect either the casing, riser or the drill string, but only one or two of them can sufficiently protect all of them at the same time. Though the wear resistant alloy hardbanding technology has only been on the market for 6-8 years, it has gained increased popularity over conventional tungsten carbide hardbanding for several reasons. This technical paper will attempt to address these points in order to educate concerned parties as to which hardbanding to use in a particular situation. The proper hardbanding with the right application can: Substantially increase the tool joint wear lifeGreatly reduce casing wear caused by the drill stringSubstantially reduce downhole drag and torqueReduce rig fuel consumptionAllow operators to run lighter weight and grade casing