The present paper clarified mechanism of quench crack formation in high carbon steel dur-ing quenching, and, in order to prevent the quench crack, proposed two basic guides in alloy design of high carbon tool steel. They are to raise Ms temperature of high carbon tool steel by addition of alloying elemen-ts such as Al and Co, and to decrease grain size of the carbon tool steel by addition of alloying elements of Al, B, Ti, Zr, and V, and by grain-refining heat treatment.