The purpose of this work is to enhance hard sol–gel coatings onto stainless substrates to improve their behavior as wear. The chosen method is the hydrolysis and poly-condensation of organometallic precursor (to form a gel) and the dip-coating process (to deposit the matured gel on the stainless steel). All the processing parameters are controlled: the gel viscosity, the dipping speed, the grain size of alumina powder added to the gel and the conditions to disperse it in order to amplify the thickness of the coating. After the deposition, the drying and thermal treatment conditions will be optimized to ensure the layer adhesion to the stainless steel and the presence of α-Al2O3 (and/or) δ-Al2O3 phase, which exhibits the best behavior in terms of friction and wear properties.