PURPOSE: To efficiently produce a product having no crack at all at the time of producing free cutting steel contg. S and Pb by continuous casting and hot rolling.

CONSTITUTION: At the time of producing free cutting steel obtd. by adding 0.050 to 0.40% Pb to steel contg., by weight, ≤0.2% C, 0.60 to 1.5% Mn, ≤0.12% P, 0.08 to 0.4% S and the other trace components, Pb is added in such a manner that Pb/(S+Mn/1-3P/2)≤0.85 which expresses the relationships among the content of Pb and the content of Mn, P and S by wt.% is satisfied, and continuous casting is executed. By the same method, the free cutting steel free from surface flaws can be produced at high efficiency.