Channeled hardfacing wear protection incorporating matrix composite and hard elements

A method of making a channeled composite article comprising:

• creating a plurality of preforms including at least a base layer preform, a perforated hard particle preform including a plurality of cavities, and a perforated braze preform including a plurality of cavities corresponding to the cavities in the perforated hard particle preform;
• assembling on a flat surface the base layer preform, the perforated hard particle preform, the perforated braze preform, and hard elements into a layered preform coating mat;
• applying the layered preform coating mat to a substrate with the base layer preform of the layered preform coating mat disposed adjacent the substrate;
• and
• fusing the layered preform coating mat to the substrate with braze from the perforated braze preform, thereby decreasing the combined thickness of the perforated hard particle preform and the perforated braze preform and forming channels between the hard elements over at least a portion of the layered preform coating mat.