Disclosed is a method of producing a hard metal alloy with a surface region enriched with a first component being at least one of the carbides, nitrides and carbonitrides of tantalum, niobium, vanadium or combinations thereof wherein the atomic percent ratio of a second component present in the alloy and being selected from the carbides, nitrides and carbonitrides of titanium, hafnium and zirconium and combinations thereof to the first component is in the range of from 0 to about 1.5. Also disclosed are hard metal alloys having said surface enriched region which can be used to produce cutting tools which are resistant to galling and crater formation.