8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549



                                    FORM 8-K




                                 CURRENT REPORT



      PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


         Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 9, 1999


                             Commission file number:
                                    000-15760



                                  Hardinge Inc.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)




New York                                                     16-0470200
(State or other jurisdiction of                              (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                               Identification No.)


                       One Hardinge Drive Elmira, NY 14902
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)


                                   (607) 734-2281
               (Registrant's telephone number including area code)







ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS


          On April 9, 1999,  Hardinge Inc.  issued a press release  announcing a
stock repurchase program and preliminary  results for the first quarter of 1999.
The Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to 1.0 million shares
of its common stock, or  approximately  10% of the total shares  outstanding.  A
copy of the press  release is included as Exhibit 99 to this  Current  Report on
Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.




ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS


         (a)   Not applicable
         (b)   Not applicable
         (c)   Exhibits

               99    Press Release issued by registrant on April 9, 1999.





                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
the  registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.


                                  Hardinge Inc.





April 16, 1999                              By:_/s/ Richard L. Simons_________
Date                                        Richard L. Simons
                                            Senior Vice President and
                                            Chief Financial Officer
                                            (Principal Financial Officer)

EX-99

                                   EXHIBIT 99


HARDINGE INC.
                                                              One Hardinge Drive
                                                              Elmira, NY  14902
                                 (Nasdaq: HDNG)


AT THE COMPANY:            AT THE FINANCIAL RELATIONS BOARD:
Richard L. Simons                   For Analyst Info: John McNamara
Senior VP & CFO                     For Media Info: Claudine Cornelis
(607) 734-2281                                    (212) 661-8030


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


                       HARDINGE COMMENTS ON FIRST QUARTER

          Repurchase Program Authorized For Up To 1.0 Million Shares

ELMIRA,  N.Y.,  April 9, 1999 -- Hardinge  Inc.  (HDNG),  a leading  producer of
machine  tools,  today  announced  that it expects  sales for the first  quarter
ending March 31, 1999 to be  approximately  30% below the $65.8 million in sales
reported for the first  quarter of 1998. It expects to report net income for the
first quarter of between $2.0 million and $2.2  million,  or $0.21 and $0.23 per
share.  The first quarter of 1999 was  characterized  by very weak demand in the
early weeks, with improvement as the quarter  progressed.  As a result,  backlog
increased by approximately  $3.0 million to $35 million due to a surge in orders
at the end of the  quarter.  Hardinge is  scheduled  to formally  release  final
results for the first quarter on April 22, 1999 and will hold a conference  call
at that time.

         Robert  E.  Agan,  Chairman,  President  and Chief  Executive  Officer,
commented, "As we have stated previously,  we have been experiencing weakness in
all  machine  lines  which we  believe is  prevalent  throughout  the  industry.
However,  it is still  too  early  to  determine  whether  this  situation  is a
short-term dip in demand or the start of a longer-term trend.

         "Current  market  conditions are consistent  with those of the last two
quarters. There are many manufacturing companies, both large and small, that are
holding back on purchases due to uneasiness about the current economy. Our sales
have been  negatively  impacted by these  conditions.  On the other  hand,  many
companies  continue to buy machine tools as an investment in their future. It is
also  important to note that despite the soft market,  we continue to win orders
against our competitors,  although  discounting and special  financing  packages
have been necessary.

         "The  changing  market  conditions  have   significantly   reduced  our
visibility on future sales figures by creating a `book to bill' situation.  Most
of our orders result in product  shipment  within three months.  Trends  suggest
that sales for the second quarter of 1999 will increase  compared with the first
quarter,  but will be lower  year-over-year  compared with the second quarter of
1998.  Total sales for 1999 could be off by as much as 25% compared with 1998.

         "We expect to benefit during the second quarter from the full impact of
our previously announced restructuring measures,  including the reduction of our
U.S. workforce by approximately 15%. We will also continue our efforts to reduce
costs.  However,  since new product  development and strong customer service are
the  foundation  upon  which we build for  future  success,  we do not intend to



reduce our  investments  in these efforts.  As a result of this strategy,  along
with the discounting of machines,  it is likely that our operating margins going
forward  will  continue  to be  depressed  relative to  historical  performance.
Although  it is  still  early  in the year and  visibility  is  limited,  we are
anticipating that net income for 1999 could fall into the range of $11.0 million
to $12.5 million, or $1.16 to $1.32 per share," Mr. Agan concluded.

         "In  the  midst  of  current  industry   conditions,   we  continue  to
successfully  introduce  new  products to the  marketplace  and plan to unveil a
number of new machines  throughout  the  remainder of the year,"  continued  Mr.
Agan.  "We  initiated  sales  of the new  CONQUEST(R)  Twin  Turn  65,  the most
technologically  advanced  machine ever  offered by  Hardinge,  during the first
quarter and we are very  encouraged by initial  market  interest,  especially in
Europe.  Additionally,  we recently  introduced the CONQUEST(R) GT27 Autoload at
WESTEC `99, a leading  industry  tradeshow.  This  gang-tooled  turning cell has
built-in automation to provide affordable  unattended  operation for smaller job
shops, enhancing the appeal to this key target segment. "

         The Company also  announced  that its Board of Directors has authorized
the repurchase of up to 1.0 million shares of its common stock, or approximately
10% of the total shares  outstanding.  Any such purchases will be made from time
to time in the open market or in privately  negotiated  transactions and will be
at the discretion of management.  Shares  repurchased  will be available for use
under the Company's employee incentive  compensation plans and for other general
corporate purposes.

         Mr. Agan  continued,  "The  decision to repurchase  our stock  reflects
management's  optimism about the long-term performance of the company and future
prospects  for the  machine  tool  industry.  We have an  extensive  history  of
managing  profitability  through  industry  downturns and have confidence in our
ability to continue  to do so. At current  levels,  it is our  opinion  that the
stock price does not accurately reflect our position and is undervalued."

         Hardinge  Inc.,  founded  more than 100 years ago, is an  international
leader in the  machine  tool  industry.  The company  designs  and  manufactures
computer-numerically   controlled   metal-cutting  lathes,   machining  centers,
grinding machines,  electrical discharge machines and other industrial products.
The company's common stock trades on Nasdaq under the symbol "HDNG."

   To receive additional information on Hardinge  Inc., via fax at no charge,
               dial  1-800-PRO-INFO and enter code HDNG.


This news release contains  statements of a  forward-looking  nature relating to
the financial  performance of Hardinge Inc. in 1999 . Such  statements are based
upon  information  known to management at this time.  The company  cautions that
such  statements  necessarily  involve  uncertainties  and  risk,  and deal with
matters  beyond the  company's  ability to control and in many cases the company
cannot predict what factors would cause actual results to differ materially from
those  indicated.  Among the many  factors  that could cause  actual  results to
differ from those set forth in the  forward-looking  statements are fluctuations
in the machine tool business cycles,  changes in general economic  conditions in
the U.S. or  internationally,  the mix of products  sold and the profit  margins
thereon,  the  relative  success of the  company's  entry into new  product  and
geographic markets, the company's ability to manage its operating costs, actions
taken by customers such as order  cancellations or reduced bookings by customers
or distributors,  competitors'  actions such as price discounting or new product
introductions,  governmental  regulations and environmental matters,  changes in
the availability and cost of materials and supplies,  the  implementation of new
technologies and currency fluctuations.  Any forward-looking statement should be
considered in light of these  factors.  The company  undertakes no obligation to
revise its  forward-looking  statements  if  unanticipated  events  alter  their
accuracy.

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