Austenic stainless steel AISI 321 is one of the most difficult materials to cut. In order to investigate the wear behaviour of Ti(C, N) ceramic when cutting the stainless steel, wear tests were carried out on a pin-on-disc tribometer, which could simulate a real cutting process. The selected load range is 58.8-235.2 N; the selected speed range is 0.8-3.2 m s(-1). The test results show that the wear of Ti(C, N) ceramic is mainly caused by adhesion between the rubbing surfaces; the wear increases with increasing load and increasing speed. When oil is used for lubrication, the friction coefficient of the sliding pairs and the wear rate of the ceramic are reduced. Scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis and X-ray diffraction analysis are used to examine the worn surfaces. The wear mechanisms of Ti(C, N) ceramic sliding against the stainless steel are discussed in detail.