FIELD: manufacture of parts and tooling with surface hardening. SUBSTANCE: thickness and hardness of surface hardened layer are found with indicator which hardness is higher than that of layer. Tool is indented in tested surface. Load and number of indentation cycles are varied to produce series of indentations of various depths approaching to thickness of hardened layer. Characters of fatigue destruction of surface of tested sample and of indentation surface are evaluated. EFFECT: provision for direct contact test of all layers and structural components of hardened surface layer with structure varying over its thickness. 1 tbl
