To provide a raw material for a piston ring, of which only the surface required to be nitrided as a piston ring, can be nitrided without needing cutting or grinding processes, or a step of removing a nitrided layer or a plated part by chemical treatment such as etching, after nitriding.

In the raw material to be absolutely nitrided for the piston ring for an internal combustion engine, the raw material has a cleaned surface to be nitrided, and a surface without needing nitriding, which has a nitriding inhibitor coated thereon by a coating, immersing or spraying method.