Explosive welding is a solid state process in which controlled explosive detonations force two or more metals together at high pressures. The resultant arrangement is joined with a high quality metallurgical bond. The aim of this study was to investigate of strength of explosive welding metals which had same chemical compositions. In this study, it was taken different welding interfaces (straight, wavy and continuous solidified-melted) with changing explosive welding parameters (stand-off distance (s), explosive loading (R) and anvils). Joined metals were investigated in heat treatment and non heat treatment conditions. Microstructures, microhardness, tensile shear strength and bending test results were reported. Effect of anvil on explosive welding process was evaluated in joining/no joining performance. It was shown that bonding interface changed from straight to wavy structure when explosive loading and stand-off distance were increased. On wavy interface, when explosive loading was increased wavy length and amplitude increased. Results of tensile shear and bending tests showed that heat treated specimens have more strength than which of unheat-treated ones. According to tensile shear test results, straight and wavy interfaces had similar strength. Also, bending zone has shown some cracks after the bending test of unheated specimens. (C) 2004 Kluwer Academic Publishers.