METALCUTTING TOOL MATERIALS HAVE EXPERIENCED VIGOROUS DEVELOPMENT IN THE LAST FIVE DECADES. A WIDE ARRAY OF TOOL MATERIALS NOW EXISTS TO SATISFY VARIED METALCUTTING NEEDS. DURING THE PAST DECADE, TIC-TIN BASED CERMETS HAVE GAINED PROMINENCE IN THE CUTTING TOOL MARKET OWING TO THEIR ABILITY TO COMBINE PERFORMANCE, FLEXIBILITY, AND ATTRACTIVE PRICING. RECENT IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPERTIES, ESPECIALLY TOUGHNESS, HAVE ENABLED THE MODERN CERMETS TO CAPTURE MARKET SEGMENTS TRADITIONALLY DOMINATED BY UNCOATED, AND IN MANY INSTANCES EVEN COATED TUNGSTEN-CARBIDE-BASED MATERIALS. THIS PAPER TRACES THE EVOLUTION OF MODERN CERMETS AND DISCUSSES THEIR STRATEGIC AND ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES, AS WELL AS THEIR UNIQUE PROPERTIES. THE EXPANDING ROLE OF TIC-TIN CERMETS IN HIGH-PERFORMANCE MACHINING IS HIGHLIGHTED THROUGH FIELD APPLICATIONS.