Abstract: The invention relates to a saw wire consisting essentially of a steel wire, an intermediate layer and a metallic binding phase into which diamond grains with an average diameter of 10 to 50 micrometers are inserted, characterized in that the metallic binding phase has a hardness of between 600 and 1100 HV 0.1 and consists of an inner layer and an outer layer which are arranged concentrically around the steel wire provided with the intermediate layer. The inner layer has a thickness of approximately between 10 and 25% of the average diamond grain diameter, while the thickness of the outer layer is such that the overall thickness of the metallic binding phase is 45-55% of the average diamond grain diameter and the diamond grains have an average interval of not more than 5 times their average diameter. Other fine particles with an average diameter of 1 to 6 micrometers are located between the diamond grains with an average diameter of 10 to 50 micrometers.