A current review of the most widely used production methods for fine cobalt powders, which find application as a binder in the manufacture of cemented carbides and diamond impregnated cutting tools, is provided. Emphasis has been placed on the powder's chemical, physical and technological characteristics specific to each production route. Nowadays, the majority of cobalt powder grades are made by chemical methods, such as thermal decomposition of cobalt oxalate, reduction of oxides, and hydrometallurgical processing of aqueous solutions, although an atomised material, used mainly in the thermal spray and surface coating field, is also applied in the diamond tool industry. The bulk of the industrially important cobalt powder passes through the 37μm (400 mesh) standard sieve. Therefore it has become customary to classify the commercial powders into ultrafine (or sub-micron), extrafine and mesh grades, which are characterised by an average particle size of 0.5-lμm, 1-3.Sμm and 3.5-6μm respectively, as determined by the Fisher method.