A wire drawing die includes a metal casing having flat, parallel front and back sides. A first cylindrical cavity having a bottom wall is formed in the front casing side. A cylindrical metal plug having top and bottom ends is secured in the first casing cavity, the bottom end having a second, concentric cylindrical cavity formed therein. A cylindrical metal blank having opposite ends and a concentric core formed of a synthetic hard, wear-resistant material, such as polycrystalline aggregate of synthetic diamond or polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, is closely fitted in the second cavity with one end engaging the bottom thereof and the other end engaging the first casing cavity bottom wall. The top end of the plug and the back side of the casing have concentric countersunk openings therein respectively extending therethrough to the core, and the core has a concentric die opening therethrough communicating between the countersunk openings.