PURPOSE: To accurately measure hardness by providing an indenter, a load cell for indenter load measurement, a load cell for contact pressure measurement, etc., so as to enable to detect the actual depth of the indentation without the influence of deflection and distortion.

CONSTITUTION: The projection quantity of the indenter 1 from a stopper frame body 7 is adjusted, and then a test load is placed on the support frame body 2 of the indenter 1 and detected by the load cell 3 for indenter load measurement fitted to the indenter 1. When the indenter 1 is intruded into a sample 10, the stopper frame body 7 provided to an end part of the support frame body 2 of the indenter 1 detects the contacting of the surface of the sample 10 to eliminate the need to detect the depth of the indentation. Further, the indenter support part is constituted simply and the test load can be placed directly, so the influence of deflection and distortion is reduced as much as possible, thereby accurately measuring the hardness.