An attempt has been made to study the evolution of texture in high-purity Ni and Ni-5 at. pct W alloy prepared by the powder metallurgy route followed by heavy cold rolling (∼95 pct deformation) and recrystallization. The deformation textures of the two materials are of typical pure metal or Cu-type texture. Cube-oriented ({001} {100}) regions are present in the deformed state as long thin bands, elongated in the rolling direction (RD). These bands are characterized by a high orientation gradient inside, which is a result of the rotation of the cube-oriented cells around the RD toward the RD-rotated cube ({013} {100}). Low-temperature annealing produces a weak cube texture along with the {013} {100} component, with the latter being much stronger in high-purity Ni than in the Ni-W alloy. At higher temperatures, the cube texture is strengthened considerably in the Ni-W alloy; however, the cube volume fraction in high-purity Ni is significantly lower because of the retention of the {013} {100} component. The difference in the relative strengths of the cube, and the {013} {100} components in the two materials is evident from the beginning of recrystallization in which more {013} {100} -oriented grains than near cube grains form in high-purity Ni. The preferential nucleation of the near cube and the {013} {100} grains in these materials seems to be a result of the high orientation gradients associated with the cube bands that offer a favorable environment for early nucleation. © 2010 The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International.