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HSS vs bi-metal jigsaw blades: straight cut or flex

Updated: 22 October 2026

The two names sit next to each other on metal packs, and it is easy to read bi-metal as the better HSS. HSS vs bi-metal jigsaw blades is a choice about the cut, not a ladder. Stiff HSS is the straight mild-sheet blade. A bi-metal blade has a hard tooth on a back that can flex, which is what you want for a bend or for stainless the maker has actually rated. In this amazon.co.uk set, the only clearly bi-metal metal pack is the Starrett BU224. The stainless codes are not in the nine packs at all. Prices for those nine stay on the [jigsaw blades metal comparison](/hub/saw-accessories/jigsaw-blades-metal).

The two names sit next to each other on metal packs, and it is easy to read bi-metal as the better HSS. HSS vs bi-metal jigsaw blades is a choice about the cut, not a ladder. Stiff HSS is the straight mild-sheet blade.

Our top picks

Eclipse Eclipse EPT118G fine metal blades, 5 pack

Best overall

Eclipse Eclipse EPT118G fine metal blades, 5 pack
8.3/10about £4.95
View offer
Bosch Bosch T118G Basic for Metal, 5 pack

Alternative

Bosch Bosch T118G Basic for Metal, 5 pack
8.7/10about £5.25
View offer
Starrett Starrett BU224 metal jigsaw blades, 5 pack

Rank 3

Starrett Starrett BU224 metal jigsaw blades, 5 pack
9.1/10about £3.89
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What HSS and bi-metal actually are
  2. 2.When HSS is the right metal blade
  3. 3.When bi-metal is the right metal blade
  4. 4.What the life claims do not prove
  5. 5.Curves, carbide and the packs that only say BIM on the box

What HSS and bi-metal actually are

HSS is hardened through, so the strip stays stiff on a straight cut and can snap on a bend. Tooled-up warns of that. Bi-metal bonds HSS teeth to a flexible back, usually HCS. That is not proof it outlasts every HSS pack. HCS alone is the wood body. Thickness bands are on the buying guide.

When HSS is the right metal blade

Use HSS for a straight cut in mild sheet inside the printed band. Eclipse’s EPT118G is HSS, 32 TPI, up to 1.5 mm, £4.95. JMD’s T118A is HSS, 21 TPI, about 1–3 mm, £17.79. BGTEC and EXFEIN name M2 HSS on ten metal blades in each 50-piece box. Bosch’s Amazon bullets for the T118G, and both TopsTools packs, do not state the grade. A stiff body snaps on a tight curve. Which mild-steel job matches which pack is on best jigsaw blades for metal.
Eclipse Eclipse EPT118G fine metal blades, 5 pack

Testsieger

Eclipse Eclipse EPT118G fine metal blades, 5 pack
8.3/10about £4.95
View offer

When bi-metal is the right metal blade

Choose bi-metal when the blade must flex, or when the maker rates that code for stainless. Starrett’s BU224 is the in-table example: £3.89, 50 mm, 24 TPI, stated 1.6–3.2 mm, 4.5 from 213 reviews. It is not a stainless specialist. Outside this list, Bosch’s T118GFS is bi-metal for stainless sheet about 0.5–1.5 mm. On 20 October 2026 the Bosch UK shop listed that five-piece at £14.59 including VAT. At work, PUWER still requires suitable equipment.

What the life claims do not prove

Bosch’s T118GFS page says “up to 2x longer” than a T118G. Axminster says bi-metal life is approximately twice HSS. Those are seller claims. This comparison did not run a timed cut. A bi-metal label on a 50 mm blade for 1.6–3.2 mm does not make it the tooth for 6 mm plate. If the teeth are gone after one forced, dry cut with the pendulum on, read how to cut metal with a jigsaw before you buy a dearer alloy.

Curves, carbide and the packs that only say BIM on the box

A curve wants a narrower flexible blade, such as Bosch’s T118EOF class, outside these nine ASINs. Forcing a stiff T118A around a tight radius is how HSS snaps. Carbide, such as a T118AHM, has no verified thickness band here, so it stays a name to look up. A carton that says BIM is not a stainless set. WORKPRO names HCS, HSS and BIM for the whole box, not blade by blade.

Common questions

What is the difference between HSS and bi-metal jigsaw blades?
HSS is a stiff, fully hardened blade that holds an edge on a straight cut in mild sheet. Bi-metal is HSS teeth on a more flexible back, so the blade can bend with less risk of snapping and can be the construction used for stainless. HCS is the wood body and is the wrong default on steel.
Which should I use for mild steel sheet?
Use HSS for a straight cut, and match the code to the thickness: a T118G-class blade for about 0.5–1.5 mm, T118A for about 1–3 mm, T118B for the thicker band. Eclipse, JMD and the metal blades in the BGTEC and EXFEIN boxes are the HSS examples that say so on the listing. Bi-metal is not required for ordinary straight mild sheet.
Can I cut stainless steel with a T118G or T118A?
Not as the default. Those codes in this table are basic HSS for mild sheet. Thin stainless wants a bi-metal the maker rates for it, such as Bosch’s T118GFS for about 0.5–1.5 mm. That blade is not one of the nine amazon.co.uk packs compared here.
Does bi-metal last longer than HSS?
Makers say so. Bosch’s “up to 2x” line and Axminster’s “about twice” line are their claims, not a test run for this page. A bi-metal blade can still be the wrong thickness, and an HSS blade can outlast it if the HSS tooth matches the sheet and the bi-metal one does not.
Is the Starrett BU224 a bi-metal blade?
Yes. The amazon.co.uk listing describes it as bi-metal, 24 TPI, 50 mm, for a cutting thickness of 1.6–3.2 mm, at £3.89. It is the clear bi-metal metal pack in this set. It is a thin-metal blade with a short length, not a stainless rating and not a deep-profile blade.
Why do mixed sets say HCS, HSS and BIM?
Because the box holds more than one job. WORKPRO names all three at set level, so you cannot tell which blade is which from that phrase alone. BGTEC and EXFEIN are clearer: M2 HSS on the ten metal blades and SK5 HCS on the forty wood blades. “BIM” on the carton is not a stainless promise.
Are carbide metal blades the same as bi-metal?
No. Carbide is a harder tooth again, used for tougher stainless and abrasive sheet, and a code such as T118AHM sits outside this comparison. Bi-metal is HSS teeth on a flexible back. Neither label replaces reading the thickness the maker prints for that exact blade.

Related pages

Jigsaw blades for wood

Metal jigsaw blades

Best jigsaw blades for metal by the sheet thickness

Jigsaw blades for metal: pitch, shank, metal count

How to cut metal with a jigsaw: clamp, oil and feed

Jigsaw blade for thin sheet metal, about 0.5–1.5 mm

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Updated 22.10.2026.

  1. Bosch Professional GB: T118G Basic for Metal (retrieved October 2026)
  2. Bosch Professional GB: T118A Basic for Metal (retrieved October 2026)
  3. Bosch Professional GB: T118B Basic for Metal (retrieved October 2026)
  4. Bosch DIY UK: cutting metal (retrieved October 2026)
  5. Machine Mart: how to use a jigsaw (retrieved October 2026)
  6. Tooled-up: choosing jigsaw blades (retrieved October 2026)
  7. HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 11 (retrieved October 2026)