In this study, 316L stainless steel and DIN-P355GH grade vessel steel were cladded by explosive welding technique. Microstructure, hardness and tensile shear strength, and fracture toughness of the cladded metals were evaluated. The bond interface of the cladded metals shows a wavy morphology. The hardness was increased in the parent and flyer plate near the bond interface while a general decrease was observed in both parent and flyer plate away from welded interface. Tensile shear test results showed that the bonding is acceptable. The impact toughness of the cladded metals at a given test temperature is found significantly higher than that of parent plate alone because of the high impact toughness of 316L austenitic stainless steel layer. Consequently, mechanical properties of the low-carbon steels can be increased by explosive cladding with austenitic stainless steel. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.