A new duplex coating is proposed to combine the prehardening via the high density plasma nitriding with the nano-laminate DLC-coating for tool-life extension of SKD11 dies and punches in semi-dry stamping. The former process in this duplex coating is characterized by prehardening in high surface hardness and with thick nitrided layer; e.g. the surface hardness reaches to 1070 Hv and the nitrided layer thickness of 40 m in depth even by plasma nitriding for 14.4 ks or four hours at 753 K (or 480 oC). The latter process has preferable features to the duplex coating; toughing against the crack penetration via the nano-lamination, and, surface hardness tuning. The surface hardness is controllable from 30 GPa to 53 GPa by varying the bilayer thickness of nano-laminates and the ratio of higher and lower density DLC sublayers. The ball-on-disc testing reveals that low friction state is preserved for long-distance sliding under high loading condition; e.g. the friction coefficient is kept constant by 0.15 for 540 m by 10 N. The semi-dry transfer stamping is employed as a metal forming simulator to demonstrate that the engineering durability in stamping is preserved even in semi-dry condition by using the duplex-coated dies and punches. The brass sheet is sheared into a blank, deep-drawn in step-by-step and necked to a metallic-shining brass hook. Even after continuously transfer-stamping for 100,000 shots, there is no scratches on the duplex-coated tool surfaces to preserve high surface quality on the finished surface of brass hook. The amount of used lubricating oils is reduced from 30 litters to 0.333 litters by this duplex-coating; emission from stamping operation site is significantly reduced. Furthermore, the tool-life extension by the present method results in less consumption of tooling materials; in particular, tooling cost is much reduced without use of WC (Co).