The best fret saw blades, compared.
Top pick: Eclipse 71-FS5R 18 TPI pack of 10 – Highest score: 125 mm, 18 TPI and a pack of 10 at about £5.48, with 4.6 from 334 reviews reporting no pegs. Best value: Draper 25510 25 TPI pin-end pack of 12 – Twelve pin-end blades at about £6.63 state 127 mm, pins and 25 TPI, against ten pinned blades at about £8.99. Updated 22.10.2026.
A fret saw blade is a short consumable, usually about 125 to 130 mm long, tensioned in a hand frame or in a scroll saw that accepts that length. UK shoppers buy packs of 10 or 12 when a blade snaps or when the teeth no longer suit the thickness. What still matters after the models change is the length, the ends, the tooth count, and whether the cut has to stay on a line. Measure the span between the clamps before you buy. A blade that misses either clamp will not tension. Plain ends sit in jaws. Pin ends drop onto hooks, and the two do not interchange. A seller chart, as a rule of thumb, pairs finer teeth with thinner wood and coarser teeth with thicker stock. More teeth clog sooner. A flat blade stays on a line. A spiral cuts without turning the work and wanders. Metal on a filter is not a steel trial. The [pinned or plain fret saw blades](/hub/saw-accessories/fret-saw-blades/sub/fret-saw-blades-pinned-or-plain) guide matches the end to the holder.
A fret saw blade is a short consumable, usually about 125 to 130 mm long, tensioned in a hand frame or in a scroll saw that accepts that length.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
How does the frame hold the blade?
The Eclipse 71-FS5R is a pack of 10 fret blades at 125 mm and 18 TPI, £5.48 on amazon.co.uk, and the star line is 4.6 from 334 reviews. Reviewers report no pegs, and those blades missed a scroll saw that needed pins. One review said 125 mm was short of a machine that needed more than 5 inches, so the length is a fit check, not a universal 5 inch spare. The maker page names carbon steel and lists wood, bone fibre, ivory, horn and plastic, while the amazon attribute says high speed steel and the bullets do not claim a metal cut. The listing describes a rectangular, precision-milled tooth path. In this set it is the top pick when your hand frame takes a plain end near 125 mm. The star count does not prove the blade will reach both clamps on your machine.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Your hand frame takes a plain end near 125 mm, and you want 18 TPI for wood around 6–9 mm on the usual seller chart.
Less suitable: Your saw hooks onto pins, or the clamps need more than 5 inches.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing say these blades have pins?
The bullets do not. Reviews report no pegs, and those blades missed a scroll saw that needed pins.
How long are the Eclipse 71-FS5R blades?
125 mm. The blade-length attribute says 5 inches. One review said that was short of a machine that needed more than 5 inches.
Do the bullets say they cut metal?
The page asks about metal. The bullets do not claim metal. The attribute names high speed steel.
The Draper 25510 is 12 pin-end blades at 127 mm and 25 TPI, £6.63, and the title states pins at both ends. The bullets name wood, plastics and non-ferrous metals, while the compatible-material attribute says wood only. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.6 from 76 reviews, and many of the UK texts are a single line, so the written file is thinner than the star suggests. One review cut 1 mm brass. Oyster shell was too hard for another reviewer. No storage case is listed, although the page is asked about one. It is the best value pin-end pack here, about 55p a blade against the Xcalibur pack of 10 at £8.99, and 25 TPI is still a fine pitch for thin stock rather than a better blade for thick wood.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Your fretsaw or scroll saw hooks onto pins at about 127 mm, for thin wood, plastic, or non-ferrous sheet.
Less suitable: Your frame uses plain jaws, or the job is steel, shell, or thick wood that wants a coarser pitch.
Specifications
Common questions
Do these Draper blades have pins?
Yes. The title says pin ends at both ends, at 127 mm and 25 TPI, in a pack of 12.
Which materials do the bullets name?
Wood, plastics and non-ferrous metals. The compatible-material attribute says wood. A review cut 1 mm brass. Oyster shell was too hard for one reviewer.
Does the pack include a storage case?
Questions on the page mention a case. No case is listed in the included items. The listing is the blades.
YUYTE colour 01 is a pack of 12 at £8.02, about 13 cm by 0.1 cm on the bullet, sold under a spiral title. The star line is 4.5 from 412 reviews, and colour 05 shows the same rating, the same count and the same main image, so this is one pool rather than a second test. A review in that pool says ordinary blades arrived instead of spiral ones. Another describes a round blade that cuts in any direction, and another says the finish is rough and harder to keep on a line. Tooth count and ends are not stated on this colour’s bullets. The number-of-teeth attribute is 12, which matches the pack, not a pitch you can compare with 18 TPI.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You will open the pack and keep it only if the blades are actually round in section.
Less suitable: You are choosing a spiral or a pin from the title, or counting 412 reviews as proof of this colour alone.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a separate review sample from colour 05?
No. This listing and B07RNK8537 show 4.5 from 412 and the same main image. Treat the review texts as one pool.
What length and tooth count are stated?
The bullet gives about 13 cm by 0.1 cm. TPI is not stated. The number-of-teeth attribute is 12, the same figure as the pack.
Do UK reviews describe the cut?
One review says a round blade cuts in any direction. Another says the finish is rough and harder to keep on a line. A shared-pool review says ordinary blades arrived instead of spiral ones.
YUYTE colour 05 is £8.11 for a pack of 12, with a dimension line of 13 cm by 0.1 cm. It carries the same 4.5 from 412 reviews and the same main image as colour 01, so the texts are one pool. This page’s compatible-material attribute says metal, while colour 01’s attribute says wood, and both titles name wood, plastic and metal. One bullet says spiral blades for a scroll saw with pins. A review in the shared text describes a grade without a pin, and another says ordinary blades arrived. Tooth count is not stated. You cannot use this colour as the pin-end answer or as a separate spiral trial.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You can compare the blades in the packet with both the pin bullet and the spiral title before you fit them.
Less suitable: You are buying pins or a spiral from the title, or treating the metal attribute as a steel test.
Specifications
Common questions
How does colour 05 differ from colour 01 on the attributes?
This page’s compatible-material attribute says metal. Colour 01’s attribute says wood. Both titles name wood, plastic and metal, and both show the same 4.5 from 412.
Are the ends pinned?
One bullet says spiral blades for a scroll saw with pins. A review in the shared text describes grade 5 without a pin. The listing does not give one end type.
Is a tooth count stated?
TPI is not stated. The number-of-teeth attribute is 12, which matches the pack count, not a pitch.
The Xcalibur pack is 10 pin-ended blades at 24 TPI and 130 mm in the title, with the bullet saying 5 inches, at £8.99. The bullet names a Faithfull CSBS scroll saw. The title also says coping saw, and Eclipse’s coping blade 71-CP7R is a different part at 165 mm, so the extra words are wider than the 130 mm figure. The star line is 4.5 from 28 reviews. Five UK reviews in the file are a single line each, and none of them names a snap or a wrong length. Carbon steel is stated, the attribute says wood, and the title also names plastic, foam and MDF. It is the dearer pinned option next to Draper’s 12 blades at £6.63, and the written reviews are too short to separate a real fit from a polite line.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A scroll saw that takes 5 inch pin-ended blades, including the Faithfull CSBS named on the bullet, once you set aside the coping-saw words.
Less suitable: A plain-end hand frame, or a coping saw that needs about 165 mm.
Specifications
Common questions
Are these pinned, and how long are they?
The title says pinned, 24 TPI and 130 mm, in a pack of 10. The bullet says 5 in pin-ended blades for a Faithfull CSBS scroll saw.
Is this a coping saw blade?
The title includes the words coping saw as well as fret saw and scroll saw. The length stated on the file is 130 mm, and the bullet says 5 in pin-ended scroll saw blades.
What do the captured reviews say?
Five UK reviews are one line. They say as expected, a perfect fit that lasts well, very good blades, and good value. None names a snap or a wrong length.
The Bahco 302-83S is a pack of 12 medium spiral blades at £7.84, and it is the listing in this set that actually states a spiral. The included-components line says 130 mm, and the dimension attribute says 2 mm by 177 mm, so you cannot treat the length as settled. Pitch is not stated. The number-of-teeth attribute is 12, the same figure as the pack count. Across 166 amazon.co.uk reviews the line is 4.4. Reviewers describe cuts in any direction, including internal shapes, and they also say the blades wander, run hot, snap, and are too wide for a delicate pattern. The page names wood and plastic, not metal, and one reviewer wanted flat ends that the listing does not specify.
Pros
Cons
Best for: An internal shape in wood or plastic when you do not want to turn the work.
Less suitable: A steered outline, a metal cut, or a frame that needs a stated pin and one agreed length.
Specifications
Common questions
What do reviewers say a spiral blade does?
They cut in any direction without turning the work, including internal shapes. Reviewers also say they wander, run hot and snap, and that they are too wide for a delicate pattern.
Does the listing state a tooth count?
The title grade is Medium. The number-of-teeth attribute is 12, the same as the pack count. Pitch is not stated.
Does Bahco claim these blades cut metal?
No. The highlight names wood and plastic. The page asks about metal and storage, and the bullets do not answer either.
The Faithfull 18 TPI pack is 12 blades at £8.07. The included-components line says 130 mm, or 5 inches, at 18 TPI, and the dimension attribute says 23 cm by 5.5 cm, so the two length lines do not match. Ends are not stated on the amazon bullets. The maker’s site, in a customer reply, says the 130 mm fretsaw blades are plain end, which the amazon page itself does not print. The star line is 4.2 from 46 reviews. One review says the blades break easily on plywood over about 0.75 mm and tear the edge of thinner wood. Another, written about use in a Faithfull fretsaw, says they do not break more than other makes, and the notes also say tension takes practice.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A plain-end frame you have measured near 130 mm, using the included line rather than the 23 cm attribute.
Less suitable: A pinned saw, or plywood if you are relying on the review that reported easy breakage.
Specifications
Common questions
Which length should you trust on this listing?
The included-components line says 130 mm (5 in) at 18 TPI. The dimension attribute says 23 cm by 5.5 cm. Those two lines do not match.
Does the listing say whether the ends are pinned?
No. Ends are not stated in the bullets. The compatible device is a fretsaw machine, and the compatible materials named are wood and metal.
What do the reviews say about breakage?
One review says they break easily on plywood over about 0.75 mm and tear the edge of thinner wood. Another, on a Faithfull fretsaw, says they do not break more than other makes.
The Faithfull 16 TPI pack is 12 blades at £8.35. The included line says 130 mm, or 5 inches, at 16 TPI, and the dimension attribute is 13.4 cm by 5 cm. The bullets do not say whether the ends are pinned. A reviewer who wanted an unpinned quick-release blade said they are not pinned, which lines up with the maker’s plain-end reply and is still not printed on this amazon page. One buyer said the blades were too short for both of their fretsaws. Reviews also say they snap as soon as they touch wood, fail to cut 1/8 inch plywood that older blades cut, and dull in a few strokes on carbon fibre. The star line is 4.0 from 65 reviews, so the coarser 16 TPI pitch is on the page and the cutting reports are mostly about breakage.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A plain-end frame you have already measured at about 130 mm, if you accept the breakage reports.
Less suitable: A pinned saw, carbon fibre, or a frame that has already rejected a 130 mm blade as short.
Specifications
Common questions
Are the Faithfull 16 TPI blades pinned?
The bullets do not say. A reviewer wanted this unpinned quick-release type and said they are not pinned.
What length is on the included line?
130 mm (5 in) at 16 TPI, pack of 12. The dimension attribute is 13.4 cm by 5 cm. One buyer said they were too short for both of their fretsaws.
What breakage do the reviews report?
Reviews say they snap as soon as they touch wood, fail to cut 1/8 inch plywood that older blades cut, and dull in a few strokes on carbon fibre.
The ZenithQuest pack is 12 carbon-steel blades at 12 cm for £6.39, and the listing does not agree with itself. The style name says spiral teeth and the included line says wire spiral, while the bullet says a flat serrated edge. The only captured review says there is no spiral, and that the blades snapped and would not make crisp corners. The star line is 4.0 from six reviews. Pin or plain ends are not stated, and neither is a tooth count. The bullet names wood, thin metal sheets and rigid plastics, which is a seller sentence rather than a record of a steel cut, and the low price does not settle the tooth path.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already hold the packet and can see whether the edge is flat before you tension it.
Less suitable: You are buying a spiral, a pin, or a stated tooth count from the title.
Specifications
Common questions
Are these spiral blades?
The style name says spiral teeth and the included-components line says wire spiral. The bullet says a flat serrated edge. The one captured review says there is no spiral.
What length does the listing state?
The bullet says 12 cm with a machined shank. The dimension line is 12 cm by 0.5 cm. Pin or plain ends are not stated.
What materials does the bullet name?
Wood, thin metal sheets and rigid plastics. The only captured review says the blades snapped and would not make crisp corners.
Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk listings stored for these nine packs. Maker pages used for length and ends are Spear & Jackson for the Eclipse pack, Draper for the pin-end pack, Faithfull’s reply on plain ends, and Trading Depot for the Bahco spiral. This is not a cut test. A star row is amazon.co.uk’s figure. The word metal on an attribute is a filter, not a steel trial. No British Standard number is printed on these listings. Scores are out of 100 and shown here on a 1–10 scale. The highest score is the top pick. Best value is a different pack: twelve pin-end blades with length, pins and tooth count stated. The cheapest listing does not take that award when the style name and the bullet disagree.
Amazon evidence
25%Star rating on amazon.co.uk, then a hard deduction when the count is six reviews, when the written reviews are one line, or when two listings share one star line and one main image.
Listing agreement
30%Length, ends, tooth count and tooth path that agree with each other score higher. A spiral style name against a flat bullet, 130 mm against 23 cm, or a coping-saw title on a 130 mm blade lose points.
Review outcome
25%UK texts that describe seating, length or the cut on the stated blade score higher than a file with one captured review or a pool shared with another colour.
Value
20%Shelf price in GBP for a pack whose length and either the ends or the tooth path are usable. The lowest price does not win this block when the listing contradicts itself.
Measure the span, then match the ends, then the teeth. A fret saw blade is a short consumable for a hand frame or a scroll saw that accepts that length. A flat blade stays on a line. A spiral cuts without turning the work and wanders. The word metal on a filter is not a steel trial, and a star line is not a fit guarantee.
A fret saw blade is a short, thin consumable that you tension in a deep hand frame or in a scroll saw built for about the same span. UK packs are usually 10 or 12 blades. The blade is the part that wears out. The frame is not in the packet. A useful listing states length, ends, tooth count and material, and those lines agree with each other. Length is the first check. Blades in this kind of work are usually about 125 to 130 mm. That is not one size.
A coping saw blade is a different part, about 165 mm on the Eclipse 71-CP7R sheet. A 130 mm pack whose title also says coping saw is not that blade. If the length misses the clamps, it will not tension.
A pin will not sit in plain jaws, and a plain end will not hook. Some amazon bullets omit the ends. A review or a maker reply is not the same as a line printed on the listing you are buying.
More teeth clog sooner in thick stock. The seller chart is a rule of thumb: about 25 TPI for wood around 3 mm, 18 to 19 TPI for about 6 to 9 mm, and 16 TPI for about 18 mm. A spiral is also the wrong blade for a finished line.
Measure the span between the clamps before you compare price. A blade that does not reach both ends will not tension. About 125 mm, 127 mm and 130 mm are different spans, and a 5 inch label is not one shared size. Plain ends sit in jaws. Pin ends drop onto hooks. The two do not interchange. Where the bullets are silent, do not invent the end from the title. A maker reply or a review can tell you what arrived for that buyer. It is still not printed on the page.
Match tooth count to thickness. The seller chart is a rule of thumb, not a grade ladder: about 25 TPI for wood around 3 mm, 18 to 19 TPI for about 6 to 9 mm, and 16 TPI for about 18 mm. Finer teeth clog sooner in thick stock. A flat blade stays on a line. A spiral cuts without turning the work and wanders off that line. Buy the spiral for an internal shape, not as an upgrade. Metal on a filter is not steel. Non-ferrous sheet is a narrower claim.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
Your hand frame clamps a plain end near 125 mm and you want 18 teeth per inch for wood around 6–9 mm on the usual seller chart. The Eclipse 71-FS5R is the top pick at about £5.48, pack of 10, 4.6 from 334 reviews. Reviews report no pegs. It missed a scroll saw that needed pins, and 125 mm was short of one machine.
Your saw hooks onto pins at about 127 mm, for thin wood, plastic or non-ferrous sheet. The Draper 25510 is best value at about £6.63: pack of 12, pins, 25 TPI, 4.6 from 76 reviews. A review cut 1 mm brass. Oyster shell was too hard for one reviewer. It will not sit in plain jaws.
You want a spiral for an internal shape in wood or plastic and you do not want to rotate the work. The Bahco 302-83S is the pack that states a medium spiral, about £7.84, 4.4 from 166 reviews. Pitch and ends are not stated, and the 130 mm line disagrees with a 177 mm dimension. It wanders off a line you need to steer.
Match the length and the ends before the price. The top pick is the Eclipse 71-FS5R when your hand frame takes a plain end near 125 mm at 18 TPI: about £5.48, pack of 10, 4.6 from 334 reviews. Reviews report no pegs, and 125 mm was short of one machine. Best value is the Draper 25510, not the cheaper pack whose style name and bullet disagree: twelve pin-end blades at about £6.63, 127 mm and 25 TPI, against a pinned pack of 10 at about £8.99. A spiral is a separate job. Stars do not prove the blade will reach both clamps.
Eclipse 71-FS5R 18 TPI pack of 10
Highest score: 125 mm, 18 TPI and a pack of 10 at about £5.48, with 4.6 from 334 reviews reporting no pegs.
Draper 25510 25 TPI pin-end pack of 12
Twelve pin-end blades at about £6.63 state 127 mm, pins and 25 TPI, against ten pinned blades at about £8.99.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources from the research digest, plus the stored amazon.co.uk listings. Updated 22.10.2026.
This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures already stored for this set, with tag pcuk26-21. This is not a laboratory test.
