Abstract NC11 steel, in view of the specificity of its manufacturing process, is characterised with band-like orientation of carbides. Depending on the direction of cutting the material for the inserts out of commercially available steel products, carbide bands can be oriented in parallel or perpendicularly to the direction in which aggregate grains move in the process of pressing stampings. It has been found that in case of scratches made in direction perpendicular to carbide bands, depth of the scratches is less than this observed when scratches are made in direction coinciding with prevailing orientation of carbide precipitates.