According to conventional nitriding of tool steels, it was very difficult to produce a high surface hardness. This study has been conducted to investigate the influence of initial structures on the nitriding characteristics of tool steels in gas-nitrided for the improvement in surface hardness. The specimens (SACM645, STD61 steels) have been quenching and tempering at various temperature and then gas-nitrided for 30, 45 and 60hr at 500, 530 and $550^{circ}C$ respectively in gasatmosphere of 30%$NH_3-70%N_2$ As hardness of initial structure was higher, the nitriding layer was deeper and hardness of the nitriding layer was higher. Deeper nitriding layers was due to higher diffusion rate by fine initial microstructure. Also the reason of high surface hardness was associated with formation of dispersed fine carbonitrides of nitrides.