To provide a method for removal of a hard coating film in a superhard material, which can selectively remove the hard coating film provided on the surface of the superhard material such as superhard tools or dice and can minimize the deterioration of a superhard base material.

The superhard base material is produced by sintering superhard alloy particles each comprising a carbide of at least one element selected from the group consisting of group 4, 5 and 6 elements with a binder metal comprising at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Cu and Ni or an alloy containing those elements. The superhard material is produced by coating the superhard base material with a hard coating film containing a nitride, carbide, carbonitride, oxide or boride of at least one element selected from the group consisting of group 4, 5, 6, 13 and 14 elements (excluding carbon). The method for removal of the hard coating film includes bringing the superhard material into contact with an alkaline solution in a treatment container for removing the hard coating film. The film is removed by disposing the superhard base material together with a metal acting on the superhard base material as a sacrificial anode in the alkaline solution in a state of contacting the metal with the superhard base material.