A method of producing a hot-forming tool for the mold-hardening or press-hardening of hardenable steel sheets or sheet steel components, wherein a steel is smelted and then subjected to a secondary metallurgical treatment in a ladle furnace, said steel having the following composition in % by weight: C = 0.25 to 0.30 Si = 0.04 to 0.20 Mn = 1.2 to 2.0 Cr = 1.0 to 2.0 Ni = 0.9 to 1.5 Mo = 0.3 to 0.8 V ≤ 0.2 Al = 0.01 to 0.03 S up to 0.15, the balance consisting of iron and unavoidable impurities, wherein a vacuum degassing process follows and ingots are cast therefrom, wherein the ingots are subsequently hot-formed, and the formed formats are subsequently austenitized at >AC 3 and then quenched so that a substantially bainitic structure is obtained, and wherein the ingots are subsequently tempered, the material thus obtained being subsequently either heat-treated a second time, wherein, for grain refinement and to achieve an impact strength according to DIN EN ISO 148-3:2011 of ≥ 20 Joule, the material is austenitized again, followed by quenching and tempering at 570°C to 605°C, or the material is brought to a desired final dimension and then at least one shaped contour to form the metal sheet or workpiece is machined and is surface-treated accordingly, and a protective layer which is harder than the base material is welded onto the workpiece-side surface thus obtained, the protective layer being applied by a powder deposition welding process and in particular by a laser powder deposition welding process, and a powder being used as the powder to be applied by welding which is composed of at least two iron-containing components or alloys which are applied to the workpiece and welded and melted there by means of a laser welding beam or powder deposition welding, the first one of the at least two iron-containing components having the following composition in % by weight: C = 0.2 to 0.8 Cr = 2.0 to 9.0 Mo = 1.0 to 5.0 W = 0.5 to 5.0 V = 0.2 to 2.0, the balance being iron and unavoidable impurities due to smelting, the second one of the at least two iron-containing components or alloys having the following composition in % by weight: C = 0.005 to 0.2 Cr = 10.0 to 20.0 Mo = 0.5 to 3.5 Ni = 5.0 to 15.0 Si = 0.5 to 3.5, the balance being iron and unavoidable impurities. C = 0.25 to 0.30 Si = 0.04 to 0.20 Mn = 1.2 to 2.0 Cr = 1.0 to 2.0 Ni = 0.9 to 1.5 Mo = 0.3 to 0.8 V ≤ 0.2 Al = 0.01 to 0.03 S up to 0.15, the balance consisting of iron and unavoidable impurities, wherein a vacuum degassing process follows and ingots are cast therefrom, wherein the ingots are subsequently hot-formed, and the formed formats are subsequently austenitized at >AC 3 and then quenched so that a substantially bainitic structure is obtained, and wherein the ingots are subsequently tempered, the material thus obtained being subsequently either heat-treated a second time, wherein, for grain refinement and to achieve an impact strength according to DIN EN ISO 148-3:2011 of ≥ 20 Joule, the material is austenitized again, followed by quenching and tempering at 570°C to 605°C, or the material is brought to a desired final dimension and then at least one shaped contour to form the metal sheet or workpiece is machined and is surface-treated accordingly, and a protective layer which is harder than the base material is welded onto the workpiece-side surface thus obtained, the protective layer being applied by a powder deposition welding process and in particular by a laser powder deposition welding process, and a powder being used as the powder to be applied by welding which is composed of at least two iron-containing components or alloys which are applied to the workpiece and welded and melted there by means of a laser welding beam or powder deposition welding, the first one of the at least two iron-containing components having the following composition in % by weight: C = 0.2 to 0.8 Cr = 2.0 to 9.0 Mo = 1.0 to 5.0 W = 0.5 to 5.0 V = 0.2 to 2.0, the balance being iron and unavoidable impurities due to smelting, the second one of the at least two iron-containing components or alloys having the following composition in % by weight: C = 0.005 to 0.2 Cr = 10.0 to 20.0 Mo = 0.5 to 3.5 Ni = 5.0 to 15.0 Si = 0.5 to 3.5, the balance being iron and unavoidable impurities. C = 0.2 to 0.8 Cr = 2.0 to 9.0 Mo = 1.0 to 5.0 W = 0.5 to 5.0 V = 0.2 to 2.0, the balance being iron and unavoidable impurities due to smelting, the second one of the at least two iron-containing components or alloys having the following composition in % by weight: C = 0.005 to 0.2 Cr = 10.0 to 20.0 Mo = 0.5 to 3.5 Ni = 5.0 to 15.0 Si = 0.5 to 3.5, the balance being iron and unavoidable impurities. C = 0.005 to 0.2 Cr = 10.0 to 20.0 Mo = 0.5 to 3.5 Ni = 5.0 to 15.0 Si = 0.5 to 3.5, the balance being iron and unavoidable impurities.