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T-shank or U-shank jigsaw blades: match your clamp

Updated: 22 October 2026

The packet says it fits Makita, and the tang in your hand will not enter the slot. A T-shank clicks into a tool-free lever. A U-shank, and the B&D-style tang for older Black & Decker clamps, is held by a screw or a bolt. This page is that T-shank versus U-shank choice: which tang you have, and which pack matches it. Prices are on the [jigsaw blade comparison](/hub/saw-accessories/jigsaw-blade). We read those listings, BLACK+DECKER’s UK support note, Axminster and Tooled-Up on 20 October 2026. We did not fit every saw. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The slot is the proof.

The packet says it fits Makita, and the tang in your hand will not enter the slot. A T-shank clicks into a tool-free lever. A U-shank, and the B&D-style tang for older Black & Decker clamps, is held by a screw or a bolt.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch 30-piece wood and metal set

Best overall

Bosch Bosch 30-piece wood and metal set
9.6/10about £18.64
View offer
TopsTools TopsTools 15 x T144D

Best value

TopsTools TopsTools 15 x T144D
9.2/10about £5.99
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Dekton Dekton 5-piece B&D set

Alternative

Dekton Dekton 5-piece B&D set
9.0/10about £3.79
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On this page
  1. 1.What the two tangs look like
  2. 2.Buy T-shank unless the saw bolts the blade
  3. 3.When the Dekton pack is the right one
  4. 4.New Black & Decker is not the old fitting

What the two tangs look like

A T-shank has a wide shoulder that a spring or a lever grabs. You lift a lever, or turn a cap on some Bosch saws, push the blade up until it clicks, and let go. Axminster describes T-shank as the current default, with U-shank still in circulation for older clamps. Tooled-Up notes that some very old U-shanks need a hole for the bolt. If the blade in the saw today needs an Allen key before it comes out, you are in that family. If it releases with a lever and no tool, you are in the T-shank family.

Buy T-shank unless the saw bolts the blade

Eleven of the twelve packs here are T-shank, including the Bosch sets, the TopsTools refills, WORKPRO, SabreCut, Hoiny, JMD, BGTEC and EXFEIN. Buy a T-shank pack if the blade you remove today comes out with a lever and no spanner. Buy the bolt-in pack only if a screw holds the blade. A wrong tang does not become right because the price is £3.79. Bosch DIY GB says some U-shank blades fit their SDS holder. Do not generalise that to a DeWalt or a Makita lever, and do not file a tang. Tooth counts stay on the jigsaw blade buying guide.
Bosch Bosch 30-piece wood and metal set

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch 30-piece wood and metal set
9.6/10about £18.64
View offer

When the Dekton pack is the right one

Dekton DT80915 is the exception: five high-carbon blades, 50 mm and 75 mm, at £3.79, rated 4.5 from 395 reviews, and the fitting is B&D style. UK reviewers say the blade bolts into an old Black & Decker. The seller list names Makita, Hitachi and Stanley. That list is weaker than the words B&D-style plus reviewers who bolt the blade in. If you own a Makita or a DeWalt with a tool-free shoe, Dekton will not click. If the blade needs an Allen key, follow the screw sequence on how to fit a jigsaw blade.

New Black & Decker is not the old fitting

BLACK+DECKER’s UK support article says the blades commonly used with new products are T-shank, and that you should check the manual. A Black & Decker bought this year is a clue toward T-shank, not a reason to order Dekton. The old saw that still needs a screwdriver on the clamp is the Dekton buyer. Do not assume every Ryobi takes B&D blades. A US-market cordless kit page is not evidence for a saw on a UK bench.

Common questions

How do I tell T-shank from U-shank without the packet?
Look at the tang and the clamp, with the saw unplugged or the battery off. A T-shank has a wide T that a lever grabs and usually needs no screw. A U-shank or B&D-style tang is the piece a bolt pinches, and some very old ones have a hole for that bolt, as Tooled-Up notes. If the blade already in the saw comes out with a lever, buy T-shank. If it needs an Allen key, buy the bolt-in shape.
Will a T-shank blade fit my old Black & Decker?
Only if that clamp is the newer quick-clamp type. An older Black & Decker that bolts the blade is the machine UK reviewers fit with the Dekton B&D-style set, not with a TopsTools or Bosch T-shank. BLACK+DECKER UK says new products commonly use T-shank, so the clamp matters more than the badge. If you still need a screwdriver to release the blade, a T-shank pack is the wrong order.
Will Dekton fit a Makita or DeWalt?
Not if those saws use the usual tool-free T-shank lever. Dekton DT80915 is sold as B&D style, and reviewers describe bolting it into an old Black & Decker. The listing’s brand list, including Makita, is not stronger than that shank line. A Makita or DeWalt with a click-in holder needs one of the eleven T-shank packs. Forcing the Dekton tang into a lever risks a blade that never locks.
My saw says it takes both. What do I buy?
If the manual accepts both, a T-shank is the easier daily blade, because eleven packs here are T-shank and the lever is what current Black & Decker, Bosch and DeWalt describe. Keep a bolt-in set only if you still swap onto a second, older clamp. Takes both is not a reason to buy Dekton for a saw you have only used with a lever. When the manual is vague, copy the tang already in the saw.
Are universal blades the same as U-shank?
No. Universal is a selling word, not a tang shape. It sometimes means a T-shank the seller hopes will click into many brands. It sometimes means a blade cut with more than one profile. Tooled-Up notes that some blades carry both shapes, which is a specific product, not a promise on every title. Match the metal to the clamp. If the tang will not enter the slot, the word on the sleeve will not finish the fit.
Why does the listing name Makita on a B&D set?
Because the bullet list over-claims. Dekton’s page can name Makita, Hitachi and Stanley while the product is B&D style and the reviews that describe a fit talk about a saw that bolts the blade. A brand name in a feature list is not a measurement of the tang. Prefer the shank words and the review that says how the blade was held. If your Makita releases the blade with a lever, use a T-shank pack from the main table.

Related pages

Best jigsaw blade set

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Jigsaw blade buying guide: shank, steel, then pack

How to fit a jigsaw blade: unplug, then seat and tug

Reverse tooth jigsaw blade for the cleaner top face

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 20 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file. Type-code thickness bands are maker figures for the code, not a result measured on every pack.

  1. Bosch Professional GB: T 144 D speed for wood (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. Bosch Professional GB: T 101 B clean for wood (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. Bosch Professional GB: T 118 A basic for metal (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. Axminster Tools: jigsaw blades, shank and steel (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. Tooled-Up: choosing jigsaw blades (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. Electrical Safety First: electric jigsaws (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. HSE: WIS23, wood dust (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  9. legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 23 (retrieved 20 October 2026)