Blade material is categorized by the type of material used for the backing and teeth of the blade, largely determining cutting application.

 

Spring Steel blades are made from spring steel, which are a series of varying composition steels with low-alloy manganese content and very high yield strengths. Spring steel blades are typically the most affordable, and very sharp on the initial cut, but primarily designed to cut only wood and plastics in lower power saws. These are not recommended for high-volume production or cutting in harder materials.

 

Carbon Steel blades are made from solid carbon steel, and are perfect for general-purpose cutting in softer workpieces like aluminum, wood, plastics, and other non-ferrous materials. Offers better longevity and strength over spring steel blades, while still remaining relatively inexpensive. These are not recommended for high-volume production or cutting in harder materials.

 

Bi-Metal Steel blades are made from two metals—typically a strip of high-speed steel (HSS) teeth welded to a carbon steel backing—which results in a cost-effective blade with extremely hard and durable teeth. These blades are not initially as sharp as carbon steel blades, but retain their edge sharpness longer than most other blade materials, besides full carbide blades. These have become an industry standard due to their versatility, cost-effectiveness, and longevity; they are capable of retaining a sharp cutting edge in tougher materials like stainless steel and alloy steel, while still offering suitable performance in aluminum, wood, plastics, and other non-ferrous materials. 

 

Carbide-Tooth blades are similar to bi-metal steel blades, except with a strip of tungsten carbide teeth brazed onto a backing material. These are the most expensive types of blades, and are initially the dullest, but provide greater tool life than bi-metal steel blades and offer exceptional, stable cutting performance in all material types, including stainless steel, alloy steel, cast iron, aluminum, wood, plastics, and other non-ferrous materials. Due to carbide’s natural wear and temperature-resistant properties, these blades perform the best in extremely hard and abrasive materials, and enable users to run their saws at higher speeds and feeds. 

 

NOTE: A new bandsaw blade may break prematurely if not properly broken in. The blade must be engaged into a cut gradually before being subjected to the recommended feed rate.