Bandsaw Blades

Choosing a Bandsaw Blade

The right blade changes how your bandsaw performs on a given cut. Blade width, tooth pattern, teeth per inch, and length all play a part, and each one affects the cut in a different way.

Here are some things to consider when choosing a bandsaw blade:

• Width: Narrow blades turn tight curves. Wider blades hold a straighter line, which is why resaw work calls for a wider blade than scroll work does.
• Tooth pattern: Skip-tooth blades clear sawdust well in general wood cutting. Hook-tooth blades cut faster with a more aggressive angle. Scroll blades use a fine tooth built for detail work and tight curves.
• TPI (teeth per inch): Lower TPI cuts faster and leaves a rougher edge. Higher TPI cuts slower and leaves a smoother edge. Width and TPI usually move together: narrow curve-cutting blades pair with higher TPI to avoid tearing on tight turns, while wide resaw blades pair with lower TPI to clear chips fast.
• Length: Blade length is set by your bandsaw's wheel size, not by the cut you're making. Most manuals and spec sheets list the correct length directly, and it stays the same even if you switch width or tooth pattern later.

Once you know your machine's blade length, matching width and tooth pattern to your typical cut is straightforward.