A carbon steel screw has one or more portions which have been selectively hardened by selective heat treatment and quenching. In one embodiment, an upper portion of the screw head is selectively hardened to prevent or reduce damage when torque is applied using a driving tool. In another embodiment, the screw tip is selectively hardened for more effective penetration into a substrate. Preferably, the selectively heated portions are selectively quenched to reduce or avoid distortion.