The possibilities of improvement of physical-mechanical characteristics of the thin layer of P18 and B14M7K25 instruments made from carbon and carbon-free quick-cutting steels and alloys through thermo-mechanical processing in the process of cutting of steel 45 are investigated. As a result of the study a new direction of natural self-organized thermo-mechanical processing is suggested for the improvement of physical-mechanical complex characteristics of instruments made from quick-cutting materials.