Wire material for saw wire and method for producing same

Disclosed is a wire material for a saw wire and a method for producing the same, wherein parameter P expressed by formula (1) for the C, Si, Mn, and Cr content is 1000 or higher. The metallographic structure includes an areal proportion of 98% or greater of drawn pearlite, and the diameter is 0.05 - 0.18 mm. The tensile strength is 4000 MPa. The grip spacing is 100 mm, and the number of twists in torsion tests with a load tension of tensile strength × wire material cross-sectional area × 0.5 is 5 or greater. P = 1098 × [C] + 98 × [Si] - 20 × [Mn] + 167 × [Cr]... (formula 1) (In formula (1), [C], [Si], [Mn], and [Cr] are the content (in mass%) of C, Si, Mn, and Cr, respectively.)