A band saw machine for sawing metallic workpieces, having a lower saw part and an upper saw part with two carrying wheels mounted therein, and a saw band that revolves with a cutting motion around the wheels that passes through a cutting region. A feeding device attached to the lower saw part feeds workpieces to the cutting region and/or into a sawing plane, in which the cutting region of the saw band is moved in a saw advance motion. The feeding device has a movable holder for detachably fastening the workpiece, and the holder, starting from an initial position, is movable both with translational and rotational motions. The saw band is guided through the cutting region, and the holder is moved translationally against the cutting region in order to execute the saw advance motion. Here, the workpiece is preferably turned by the holder such that its upper side faces downward.