A shearbar comprises an elongated mild steel body 10 having a top surface 14 covered with a layer of hardfacing material 16 along at least one longitudinal edge 18 to act as a counter knife to a rotary cutter. To resist the development of a wear gully on the vertical side of the body 10 below the cutting edge of the hardfacing material 16 the body has a region 22, having a hardness intermediate that of the steel body and the hardfacing layer, extending along and immediately below the longitudinal edge 18 of the hardfacing layer. In one embodiment the region is an inlay of tool steel. In another embodiment the region is formed by heat-hardening the corners of the body 10 itself.