Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

How to choose fretsaw blades: length, ends and teeth

Updated: 22 October 2026

You already own the frame. It might be a hand fretsaw on the bench, or a small scroll saw that takes a short blade, and the next pack on amazon.co.uk looks like a dozen identical strips. How to choose fretsaw blades is a match to that frame, not a hunt for the finest tooth. Length decides whether the blade can reach both clamps. The ends decide whether it will seat. Tooth count comes third, and it follows the thickness of the wood. The nine packs in the [fret saw blades comparison](/hub/saw-accessories/fret-saw-blades) are the shelf you are choosing from. This page stops once those three facts are clear.

You already own the frame. It might be a hand fretsaw on the bench, or a small scroll saw that takes a short blade, and the next pack on amazon.co.uk looks like a dozen identical strips.

Our top picks

Eclipse Eclipse 71-FS5R 18 TPI pack of 10

Best overall

Eclipse Eclipse 71-FS5R 18 TPI pack of 10
8.4/10about £5.48
View offer
Draper Draper 25510 25 TPI pin-end pack of 12

Best value

Draper Draper 25510 25 TPI pin-end pack of 12
7.9/10about £6.63
View offer
Faithfull Faithfull 16 TPI pack of 12

Alternative

Faithfull Faithfull 16 TPI pack of 12
4.6/10about £8.35
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Measure the frame before the tooth count
  2. 2.Pins, plain ends, and a coping blade
  3. 3.Tooth count for the thickness
  4. 4.What the nine listings actually state

Measure the frame before the tooth count

A fret blade in this set is usually 125 mm, 127 mm, or 130 mm. Eclipse 71-FS5R is 125 mm, also written as 5 inches. Draper 25510 is 127 mm. Faithfull’s included lines say 130 mm. A frame built for one span will not accept the others. Measure between the clamps. One Eclipse review said 125 mm was short of a machine that needed more than 5 inches. Newark has printed 127 mm for 71-FS5R. The maker says 125 mm, so stay with that figure.

Pins, plain ends, and a coping blade

A hand frame bites a plain end in jaws. Many small scroll saws hook a pin, and the two do not interchange. Hobbies’ 130 mm grades are pinless. Faithfull’s reply says its 130 mm blades have no pins, although the amazon bullets do not print that. Draper 25510 states pins. Xcalibur states pins and names a Faithfull CSBS, not a plain-end hand frame. If the title is silent, the end is unknown. Eclipse’s bullets do not mention pegs. The clamp match is on the pin end or plain end fretsaw blades page. Eclipse’s coping blade 71-CP7R is 165 mm. Fitting is on the how to fit a fretsaw blade page.
Eclipse Eclipse 71-FS5R 18 TPI pack of 10

Testsieger

Eclipse Eclipse 71-FS5R 18 TPI pack of 10
8.4/10about £5.48
View offer

Tooth count for the thickness

A higher tooth count is a finer pitch, not a better blade. It suits thinner wood and clogs sooner. Hobbies’ chart for pinless 130 mm grades is a rule of thumb, not a laboratory result. Do not copy a bandsaw chart down to 3 TPI. Eclipse is 18 TPI, Draper is 25 TPI, and Faithfull lists 18 and 16 TPI. Bahco’s medium spiral states no pitch. Flat or spiral is on the spiral or flat fretsaw blade page. Metal on a filter is not a steel test. Eclipse’s maker page says carbon steel. The amazon attribute says high speed steel.

What the nine listings actually state

A useful listing prints length, ends, tooth count, and a material without contradicting itself. Eclipse states 125 mm and 18 TPI, and reviews supply no pegs where the bullets are silent. Draper states pins and 25 TPI, while its compatible-material line says wood only. Faithfull’s 18 TPI dimension says 23 cm by 5.5 cm against a 130 mm included line. Xcalibur states pins, then adds coping saw. Bahco states a medium spiral, then splits 130 mm against 177 mm. The two YUYTE colours share one star line, and a review says ordinary blades arrived. ZenithQuest pairs a spiral style name with a flat-serrated bullet. The captured review found no spiral.

Common questions

Does the blade have to match the frame length, or is 5 inches close enough?
It has to reach both clamps. Eclipse is 125 mm, also written as 5 inches. Draper is 127 mm. Faithfull’s included lines say 130 mm. One Eclipse review was short of a machine that needed more than 5 inches. A 125 mm blade will not tension a 130 mm span.
How do you tell a pin end from a plain end before you open the packet?
Look for pin, pinned, or pin end in the title. Draper 25510 and Xcalibur state pins. Eclipse’s bullets do not mention pegs, and reviewers later reported there were none. Faithfull’s maker site says plain end for the 130 mm blades. The amazon bullets do not print that sentence.
Is 25 TPI better than 16 TPI?
No. Twenty-five teeth per inch is a finer pitch for thinner stock. Sixteen is the coarser pitch Hobbies pairs with wood around 18 mm. The finer blade clogs sooner when the wood is thick. Draper’s 25 TPI and Faithfull’s 16 TPI are different jobs, not a better blade and a worse one.
Which tooth count suits 3 mm, 6 mm, and 18 mm wood?
On the Hobbies seller chart, about 25 TPI goes with wood around 3 mm, about 18–19 TPI with about 6–9 mm, and about 16 TPI with about 18 mm. That is a rule of thumb for their pinless 130 mm grades. Eclipse at 18 TPI sits on the middle pair. Draper at 25 TPI sits on the thin pair.
Can a listing that says metal cut steel?
Not on that word alone. Draper names non-ferrous metals. A review cut 1 mm brass, and oyster shell was too hard for another reviewer. Eclipse’s maker page names wood, bone fibre, ivory, horn, and plastic, not steel. A compatible-material line that says metal is a filter label.
Why is a 165 mm coping blade the wrong part?
Eclipse’s coping blade 71-CP7R is 165 mm, or 6½ inches, at 14 TPI. A fret blade in this set is about 125–130 mm. The coping blade is for a coping frame. It will not replace a short fret blade.
Should you ignore a pack whose style name and bullet disagree?
Leave it until you can see the blade. ZenithQuest’s style name says spiral and the bullet says a flat serrated edge. The captured review found no spiral. The two YUYTE colours share 4.5 from 412, and a review says ordinary blades arrived.

Related pages

Best fret saw blades in this set

Fret saw blades

How to fit a fretsaw blade and tension it properly

Pin end or plain end fretsaw blades for your frame

Spiral vs flat fretsaw blade: wander or stay on line

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, plus the stored amazon.co.uk listings. Updated 22.10.2026.

  1. Spear & Jackson, Eclipse fret saw blades (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. Eclipse data sheet, fret 71-FS5R and coping 71-CP7R (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. Faithfull Tools, 130 mm fretsaw blades (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. Hobbies Yellow Label fretsaw blades (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. Proxxon DSH leaflet (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. Draper 25510 pin-end fretsaw blades (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. Trading Depot, Bahco 302-83S-12P (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. HSE: wood dust (retrieved 22.10.2026)