To begin, it is useful to know how the different types of raw, blade materials are manufactured. This will give you a better understanding of the types of blades available. For example, did you know that more than one brand of blade is made from the same steel? This is because there are only about six major steel manufacturers in the world producing the strip steel used to make bandsaw blades. The process of making a blade begins with steel being drawn and flattened into ribbon stock. It looks exactly like it sounds: long ribbons of steel. Raw, ribbon stock is fed, ganged (many strips side by side) into a milling machine. The teeth are cut, or milled, into the ribbon steel. This creates a flat blade with teeth. The flat blade is then put through a state-of-the-art-computer, ‘run setting’ machine which bends, or sets, each tooth slightly. The set to the teeth of the blade is what creates the kerf, or gap, in the cut, and makes movement of the work piece possible. The final stage in the production of bandsaw, coil stock is the hardening process. Most manufacturers use induction hardening, however, some still use a flame process. Regardless of the type of hardening process, heat is applied to the teeth, and then oil quenched, which ‘case’ or surface hardens the teeth of the blade. In the case of hard back material, this process of hardening is applied to the teeth and also to the back of the material. With this basic understanding of how bandsaw material is manufactured, let’s take a look at the different blades and their uses.

      Anyone who has purchased a new bandsaw machine will be familiar with the spring steel blade. This is usually the type of blade which comes with the machine. Just as its name implies, this blade is made of a thin spring like material. It is used on three wheel bandsaw machines. Its soft, highly elastic composition provides the flexibility that is important for extended-blade life. Generally, these blades have a low tooth rockwell (universal standard for measuring hardness) of 46RC. The most commonly available and economical blade is the carbon hard edge flex back, which is made of pinpoint carbon steel and has a flexible back. It is available in a variety of widths and teeth per inch. They usually possess a tooth hardness of 60-62RC, far harder than the spring steel blade. Similar to the carbon flex back is the carbon hard edge, hard back. This is manufactured in the same manner as the flex back, but with the added benefit of having the back case hardened to 50RC. It will perform better in situations which require a higher feed pressure, especially on power feed machines.

     The furniture band blade is similar to the hard back. It is a carbon blade and is used primarily by the furniture frame industry. It is made of a thicker gauge carbon material, with a heavy set to the teeth. This makes the furniture band blade perfect for fast cutting, while providing greater beam strength. This blade has also been readily adopted by wood turners and carvers for roughing out blanks. New for the hobbyist market, is the silicon bandsaw blade. It is still a carbon steel band, however, it contains a higher percentage of silicon, or tungsten which gives the blade a higher tooth rockwell of 68RC. The blade stays sharper for a longer period of time and can withstand higher temperatures without fatiguing. In addition, the hard back gives you the ability to maintain a vertical straightness with less tension. It is a highly efficient blade, especially when re-sawing with a bandsaw machine under 1 horsepower. This type of blade has a longer life and is, from this standpoint, highly economical. Bi-metal blades are a steel blade with a M2 or M42 high speed steel tip. It has a very high rockwell tooth. While manufactured in a similar fashion as the carbon and silicon bands, some significant differences exist in the composition of the bi-metal blade. It is made from two types of steel: a high speed ribbon is fused to a spring steel body, hence the name, Bi-metal. The teeth are milled and set in the same manner as other blades, however, the hardening is done in an atmospheric furnace, at significantly higher temperatures, for longer periods of time. It is often used for cutting extremely hard or abrasive products, such as metal, while maintaining its sharpness. Unfortunately, it can cost five times more than a good carbon bandsaw blade. A Bi-metal blade will stay sharper for a longer period of time, however, it does require a higher tension for optimum performance and to maintain vertical straightness. The carbide tipped blade consists of carbide tips which have been welded to the ribbon steel and then ground. This blade, however, can cost from fifteen to twenty times that of a carbon band.

     Now we have reviewed the different types of blades available on the market, the true challenge is figuring out which blade is best for you and your project. The average woodworker need not concern themselves with the Bi-metal or carbide tipped blades. They are fairly specialized in their applications and can be costly. Your best options are the carbon flex or hard back and the silicon bandsaw blade. It is most likely that your woodworking falls into the general cutting category, that is: not too tight, and not too thick. In this case, a good general purpose blade would be a 1/4" or 3/8" by 6 tooth per inch hook blade. Keep in mind that the thicker the wood, the coarser the tooth pitch (number of teeth per inch). If a straight cut is your focus, then a wider blade would be a better option. However, a wider blade will require more power to run, so be sure to balance the horse power of your machine with the blade size. Often, a blade such as the silicon band is a better choice because they are not any thicker or wider than a normal blade. They don’t require as much power to run and because of the hard tooth and hard back, they can stay very straight vertically and linearly. As an added bonus, they are also resistant to fatigue. As a rule, the tighter the radius, the smaller the width of the blade, and the greater the pitch of the tooth. Unfortunately, burning occurs when the normal blade speed of 3000 F.P.M. does not allow for the higher pitched blade's smaller teeth to clear the saw dust. As a result, it has a chance to bind and generate heat, causing burning to the project. This will limit the thickness of the material you can cut. The heat friction also further fatigues the blade. If, however, you can slow the blade speed on your machine you should be able to get away with cutting a little thicker material, while reducing burning. Once the speed has been reduced, there is ample time for the sawdust to clear. For a well rounded selection of blades for your shop, I would suggest the following three widths to start: 3/16 X 10TPI, 1/4 X 6TPI and 1/2 X 3TPI. After that you might want to consider the 3/8 x 4 or 6TPI.

This selection will cover most of the hobbyist’s woodworking needs for a reasonable cost. Then, if you find yourself using one width more than another, upgrade to a silicon band.