Nitrogen-alloyed stainless steels have been available for some time but have only found limited use due to the cost of the alloys and the difficulty of controlling the metallurgical effects of nitrogen in the steel microstructure. However, the production costs of austenitic stainless steels are now much lower and the benefits of properly controlled heat treatments on both the mechanical behaviour and corrosion resistance are becoming more clearly understood. The present work describes austenitic stainless steel in the form of wire for use in cables for the gas and petroleum exploration industries. The mechanical strength of the steels over a range of temperatures is important in these applications and data from room-temperature to 350degreesC has been measured. The effect of elevated temperature aging is also examined. The mechanical behaviour of the steel can be explained in terms of the control. of both deformation structures and nitrogen distribution in the alloy.