The best reciprocating saw blades, compared.
Top pick: Bosch S 1531 L 5-piece – 4.8 from 8,420 reviews at about £11.79, for nail-free coarse wood at 240 mm, the largest review file in this set. Best value: SabreCut SCRS1531L 5-piece – Lowest price in this twelve, about £7.99, with 240 mm and 5 TPI stated and 4.6 from 2,587 reviews. Updated October 2026.
A reciprocating saw blade, often called a sabre blade in the UK, locks into a corded or cordless reciprocating saw and cuts on the push and on the pull. You buy one for pruning, pallets, firewood, sheet, pipe, or a mixed DIY job. Match the blade that will touch the work. Check the steel, the teeth per inch, the length, and the shank. High-carbon steel or chromium-vanadium is for nail-free or green wood. Bi-metal is for pipe, sheet, screws, and timber that may hide a nail. About 5–6 teeth per inch suits thick wood. About 14–24 teeth per inch suits metal. About 240 mm is the pruning class, with a stated capacity around 180–190 mm. About 150 mm is the pallet class. A longer blade flexes on a thin section. The usual tang is a 1/2 inch universal shank. Seat it and pull-test the lock. Those checks are set out in the [reciprocating saw blades buying guide](/hub/saw-accessories/reciprocating-saw-blades/sub/reciprocating-saw-blades-buying-guide). Keep the shoe on the work, and remove the battery or unplug before you change a blade.
A reciprocating saw blade, often called a sabre blade in the UK, locks into a corded or cordless reciprocating saw and cuts on the push and on the pull.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you cutting?
Bosch’s S 1531 L five-pack, part 2 608 650 676, is 240 x 19 x 1.5 mm and leads this set on review volume: about £11.79 and 4.8 from 8,420 amazon.co.uk reviews. UK reviewers use it on green wood, dead wood, oak, birch, Leylandii, and branches around 4 inches, on Milwaukee, Makita, DeWalt, Ryobi, and Bosch saws, and more than one review still had a blade going after substantial lopping. The amazon.co.uk application line says rough wood, nail-free and living wood, and firewood. Bosch’s page for the same part adds high-carbon steel, 5 TPI, and a capacity under 190 mm. Those tooth and capacity figures are not printed in the Amazon bullets, and the teeth field says 5, which is also the pack count. The material field says Wood and the compatible-material field says Iron, which conflicts with the nail-free line. A few of the early reviews had not used the blades yet. For clean coarse wood under that stated capacity, this is the strongest review signal in the comparison. A likely nail puts it on the wrong job.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Nail-free coarse wood, green pruning, and firewood under the stated 190 mm
Less suitable: Nails, screws, pipe, sheet, and soil
Specifications
Common questions
Does this listing say the blade cuts nails?
No. The application line says rough wood, nail-free and living wood, and firewood. The compatible-material field says Iron.
What size is in the include line?
Five S 1531 L blades, 240 x 19 x 1.5 mm.
Is TPI stated?
Not in the bullets. The teeth field says 5, and the pack is also five blades.
The Bosch Professional Tough Box is the highest price in this twelve at about £29.99, and it shares the 4.8 star line with the S 1531 L five-pack, from 2,285 reviews. The include line is five S 922 EF and five S 922 BF for metal, five S 922 HF for wood and metal, five S 644 D for wood, and the box. UK reviews repeat Bosch quality and a robust case, and one wood blade made short work of conifer roots. The same sample says the wood blades were shorter than a previous set and may not suit wide stock, and one reviewer likes the blades and the case but says they do not fit that saw. The bullets also give diameter 14 mm and effective length 550 mm, which do not describe these codes, and one line says Made in Switzerland while the origin field says China. TPI and shank are not stated. S 644 D remains a wood code, even though it shares a box with the wood-and-metal code S 922 HF.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Someone who already works from Bosch codes and cuts both wood and metal
Less suitable: A single pruning job, or anyone treating 550 mm as the blade length
Specifications
Common questions
Which blades are in the Tough Box?
Five each of S 922 EF and S 922 BF for metal, five S 922 HF for wood and metal, five S 644 D for wood, plus the box.
What do the diameter and length fields say?
Diameter 14 mm and effective length 550 mm. The include line does not repeat those figures for the blades.
Where does the listing say they are made?
One bullet says Made in Switzerland. Country of origin says China.
Saxton’s R644D twenty-pack is 150 mm carbon steel at 6 TPI, about £14.99, with 4.7 from 245 reviews and a reusable pouch. UK reviewers say the length is right for pallets, and they also mention 90 mm fence-post tops, firewood, window work, and roots up to about 4 inches. Pallet users are clear that the blades do not like nails, and that you should keep nails out of the cut if you want the edge to last. Window fitters say they do not last long, though they match other brands they know, and repeat buyers still say the edge goes sooner than they would like. The material field says Iron, which contradicts the carbon-steel bullet, and the teeth field says 20, the pack count, rather than the 6 TPI in the bullet. The shank is stated as universal 1/2 inch (13 mm), and the thickness field is 1.25 mm. A 150 mm blade is the pallet class. It is short beside the 240 mm pruning packs when the stem is thick.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Pallets, boards, and construction timber with the nails kept out of the cut
Less suitable: Pipe, nail-embedded timber, and thick branches that need a 240 mm blade
Specifications
Common questions
What length and TPI do the bullets state?
150 mm and 6 teeth per inch. The teeth field says 20, which matches the pack count.
What does the material field say?
Iron. The bullet says premium carbon steel.
Do the reviews treat them as nail-cutting blades?
No. Pallet users say they do not like nails and to be careful if you want them to last.
Saxton’s R1021L ten-pack is 240 mm carbon steel for wood and pruning, at about £13.99 with 4.6 from 4,059 reviews, and UK reviewers use it on Makita and DeWalt saws for branches, wet wood, a trunk of about 127 mm, roots, stumps, pallets, and a shed that included felt roofing. One reviewer cut about 100 thick branches on a single blade. The bullets never state a TPI, and the teeth field says 10, which is the pack count, so that number is not a tooth pitch. The shank line does say universal 1/2 inch (13 mm), and it names DeWalt, Bosch, Hitachi, Flex, Makita, Metabo, and Skil. Size fields on the same listing are unusable as blade measurements: weight 0.37 g, thickness 0.5 inches, and dimensions 24 x 24 cm. A reviewer found a blade flexed and vibrated, feared it would snap, and said the edge wore fairly quickly. Another called the blades a little flimsy. The review count is large, and the missing pitch is still the gap.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Long wood and pruning cuts when you can accept an unstated tooth pitch
Less suitable: Metal cuts, and any job where you need the TPI printed before you buy
Specifications
Common questions
Does this Saxton listing state a TPI?
No. The bullets give 240 mm and the code R1021L. The teeth field says 10, which matches the pack count.
Which shank does the bullet state?
Universal 1/2 inch (13 mm), with DeWalt, Bosch, Hitachi, Flex, Makita, Metabo, and Skil named.
What is odd in the size fields?
The listing says 24 x 24 cm, thickness 0.5 inches, and weight 0.37 g.
The SabreCut SCRS1531L five-pack is a 240 mm, 5 TPI high-carbon blade, and UK reviewers on amazon.co.uk use it on joists of about 5 inches, branches of about 80 mm, bushes, apple-tree wood, bamboo, rotten decking, and shed timber. At about £7.99 it is the lowest price in this twelve, with 4.6 from 2,587 reviews, and one reviewer still found the edges sharp after about two hours of mixed wood. Others report the opposite: blades that were not very sharp, or that blunted after a couple of cuts so the job took longer. One person said they did not do well on that green wood, so the pruning line is not a promise on every live stem. The listing prints a universal 1/5 inch shank, which is a different figure from the 1/2 inch tang on the Saxton packs, and one reviewer found a blade a little difficult to remove. The stated capacity is up to 190 mm. These teeth are for nail-free wood, and a screw or a pocket of soil sits outside that job.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Nail-free coarse wood, pruning, and firewood under the stated 190 mm, once the saw locks this shank
Less suitable: Nails, screws, soil, and saws that will not hold a shank the listing calls 1/5 inch
Specifications
Common questions
What shank does this SabreCut listing state?
Universal 1/5 inch. The bullets do not say 1/2 inch.
What cut is the pack described for?
Coarse cuts in wood, wet or dry pruning, firewood, and green timber, with a stated capacity up to 190 mm.
How many blades are in the pack?
Five. The title, unit count, and number of items all say 5.
SabreCut’s SCRSKW10A ten-pack costs about £10.99 and is rated 4.6 from 1,825 reviews. The bullets name high-carbon codes S644D, S1531L, and S2345X for flush cuts, pallets, timber, plastics, MDF, chipboard, and wet or dry wood. UK reviewers use the mixed lengths on branches, rotten wood, a trunk, a 4-inch branch on a Ryobi saw, and a railway sleeper, and a boatbuilder who usually buys Bosch called them acceptable at this price. The pack does not include metal blades, and reviewers who expected them say the set would be more useful with some. They also say the edges wear quickly and suit odd jobs, and that the blades do not lock in a Black & Decker Scorpion. The shank is printed as universal 1/5 inch. TPI numbers are not stated, and the thickness field says 0.2 inches. One review says made in the UK, while the origin field says China. It is a wood-only mix. Pipe or a screw needs a different blade.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Nail-free wood in more than one length, if the saw locks this shank
Less suitable: Pipe, screws, and a Black & Decker Scorpion if that lock review matches your saw
Specifications
Common questions
Does this mixed pack include metal blades?
Not in the bullets. The codes named are S644D, S1531L, and S2345X, in high-carbon steel, and the compatible-material field says Wood.
What shank is printed?
Universal 1/5 inch.
Which saw failed to lock them, in the reviews?
A Black & Decker Scorpion. The reviewer says they do not lock in.
KRETLAW’s 36-piece pouch costs about £19.99 and is rated 4.6 from 336 reviews, the smallest count among these mixed sets. The bullets state TPI groups of 5, 6, 8, and 9 for wood and 14, 18, and 24 for metal, in chromium-vanadium and bi-metal. Length is not stated. UK reviewers fitted the blades to a Ryobi saw, cut timber during a house renovation, and cite exhausts and scaffold poles as metal cuts that worked, with one week of use and no broken teeth in a single review. Other reviewers call the blades too flimsy for anything beyond light cutting, say the print came off so the spec was no longer readable, and report an edge that went blunt after a few uses. One person had only tried the chromium-vanadium blades, not the bi-metal ones. The teeth field says 8, and the shank size is not stated. The printed TPI split is the useful part. Missing lengths and the light-duty comments set the limit.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Light mixed DIY when you want the wood and metal TPI bands written down
Less suitable: Heavier cuts, or a job that needs a known blade length before you order
Specifications
Common questions
Which TPI groups does the bullet list?
5, 6, 8, and 9 TPI for wood, and 14, 18, and 24 TPI for metal. Lengths are not given.
What materials are named?
Chromium-vanadium and bi-metal, for wood, metal, and plastic.
What did reviewers say failed?
Flimsy feel on heavier cuts, markings that rubbed off, and edges that went blunt after a few uses.
The Amazon Basics pouch holds 32 blades at about £18.04 and is rated 4.5 from 1,813 reviews. The include line is the part to read: bi-metal M2 blades marked 14T, 18T, and 24T, and CRV wood blades marked 3T, 5T, 6T, and 8T, from 10 cm to 22.8 cm. UK reviewers praise the mix and the organiser pouch, and they mention branches, garden jobs, and a deep root, with wood blades praised more often than the metal ones. One reviewer said the blades seem sharp but are not when used on wood, and another treats the set as a backup rather than a match for heavier brands. They are also said to struggle if the stance is crooked or the angle is poor. The material field says Metal, Plastic, the teeth field says 24, the items field says 1, and the shank size is not stated. You still fit the blade that matches the next cut. The piece count is not a measure of how long an edge lasts.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Occasional DIY across wood, metal, plastic, and plasterboard, if you swap blades
Less suitable: A single heavy material all day, or a saw whose shank size you need printed
Specifications
Common questions
What is in the 32-piece include line?
MT blades marked 24T, 14T, and 18T, plus CRV blades marked 6T, 8T, 5T, and 3T, at lengths from 10 cm to 22.8 cm.
Does the listing state a shank size?
No. Compatibility is not given as a 1/2 inch or 1/5 inch shank.
What does the material field say?
Metal, Plastic. The bullets say bi-metal M2 and CRV, for metal, plastic, wood, and plasterboard.
SHALL’s 34-piece pouch costs about £18.99 and sits at 4.5 from 1,601 reviews. The package bullet splits it into 23 heat-treated carbon-steel blades for wood and 11 bi-metal blades for metal, stored in a 600D nylon bag. UK reviews praise the wood blades, an easy metal cut, and seized subframe bolts, and one person cut a tree with about 10 cm of wood. The title says carbide steel. A reviewer says that claim is wrong, and the bullets do not describe tungsten-carbide teeth. TPI and length are absent, and the teeth field says 34, which matches the piece count. One blade bent on first use, which the reviewer allowed might have been their own error. Teeth were damaged after three attempts in another review, and blades folded on 3.2 mm scaffold tube. The split can cover wood and metal when you fit the matching blade, and pitch and length stay unknown until the bag arrives.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A householder who wants wood blades and metal blades in one bag and can sort them by eye
Less suitable: Anyone expecting carbide demolition teeth, or a known TPI and length before delivery
Specifications
Common questions
Are these carbide blades?
The title says carbide steel. The package bullet says 23 heat-treated carbon-steel blades and 11 bi-metal blades.
Does the listing give TPI or length?
No. The teeth field says 34, which matches the piece count.
What storage is described?
A 600D nylon bag.
EZUVITA’s 36-piece pouch is about £20.99, the highest price among the mixed pouches here, at 4.5 from 424 reviews. Only 26 of the first 50 review slots were marked United Kingdom, and several of those say the blades had not been used yet. The readable include line counts 11 bi-metal metal blades, including 100 mm at 24 TPI and 152 mm at 14, 18, and 24 TPI, plus CR-V wood blades at 152 mm and 230 mm. The pruning clause stops after 5 T, so that pair is not fully specified in the saved listing. UK comments that name a job mention a Makita saw, a Ryobi saw, and conifer branches, and they praise the pouch. The material field says high-carbon steel and high-speed steel, which disagrees with the bi-metal and CR-V bullets. Shank size is not stated, and there is little UK comment on how long the edges last. Use the readable lengths, and leave the cut-off pruning line unread.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A mixed kit when you can work from the readable metal and wood lengths
Less suitable: Buying it for a fully specified pruning pair, or treating the material field as the contents
Specifications
Common questions
How does the include line split the 36 pieces?
11 bi-metal metal blades and 23 CR-V wood blades are counted. The pruning sentence is cut off after 5 T.
What does the material field say?
High-carbon steel and high-speed steel. The bullets say bi-metal for metal and CR-V for wood.
Which lengths are named?
100 mm, 152 mm, 230 mm, and 240 mm.
Saxton’s R825BF is the single-code metal pack in this set: ten bi-metal blades, 200 mm, 14 TPI, milled and wavy set, at about £15.99 and 4.4 from 540 reviews. The bullet states medium-thick sheet of 2–8 mm and solid pipes or profiles of 10–150 mm, on a universal 1/2 inch (13 mm) shank. UK reviewers use them on nails and screws in pallet timber, on a caravan’s metal, wood, and insulation, and on aluminium and steel bolts, including in a Black & Decker saw. The same sample is hard on dirtier or thicker steel. Blades in one session went blunt at different rates, rusted car parts were bounced off, and only mild steel was called acceptable in that review. A 50 x 50 x 3 mm steel angle took one blade per cut, while aluminium was fine. One reviewer said the blades burn out quickly and the cut takes longer. The part number RPR825BF05 looks like a five-pack, while the title and the unit count say ten. This is a metal blade, and a poor spare for green pruning.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Sheet around 2–8 mm and pipe or profile inside the stated 10–150 mm band
Less suitable: Green pruning, and thick rusty steel if you expect one blade to finish the job
Specifications
Common questions
What metal range does the bullet state?
Medium-thick sheet 2–8 mm, and solid pipes or profiles 10–150 mm, at 14 TPI.
Why might the part number look like a five-pack?
The manufacturer part number is RPR825BF05. The title, unit count, and number of items say 10.
What did UK reviews struggle to cut?
Rusted car parts, and 50 x 50 x 3 mm steel angle, where one review used one blade per cut. Aluminium was described as easier.
EZUVITA’s arc pruning five-pack is chromium-vanadium steel at 5 TPI, with a total length of 240 mm and a stated working length of 210 mm, for round wood up to a stated 180 mm. It costs about £15.99 and is rated 4.4 from 444 reviews. UK reviews include two telegraph poles on two blades, one reviewer cutting a 20-foot plum tree on one blade, 4-inch branches, stump and privet roots, and an already felled ash. Other reviews in the same sample say the blade was too long for the job, dulled after a single cut, and clogged in the teeth. Anything over about 3 inches was a struggle with harsh vibration in one review, which is that person’s experience and sits against reviews that cut thicker wood. One review says the tang snapped on each blade, and others say the blades snap once they are dull or if they are pushed. A bullet describes a plastic case with a hanging hole, while included components say a storage pouch. The shank is called universal without a width. At about £15.99 it sits above the Bosch and SabreCut pruning five-packs in this set, with a lower star rating.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Green wood and firewood under the stated 180 mm, from the ground
Less suitable: Thin sections where a 240 mm blade will flex, soil, nails, and saws that need a stated shank width
Specifications
Common questions
What length does the bullet distinguish?
Total length 240 mm and working length 210 mm, for round wood up to 180 mm.
Is the storage a case or a pouch?
A bullet describes a plastic case with a hanging hole. Included components say storage pouch.
What breakage shows up in UK reviews?
A snapped tang on each blade, and blades that snap after they dull or if pushed.
Twelve amazon.co.uk listings were read from the stored pages. The 0–100 score is the UK star line scaled to 100. It is not a laboratory cut test. The top pick is the Bosch S 1531 L five-pack, which shares 4.8 stars with the Tough Box and has the larger review count, at a lower price, for nail-free wood. The best value is the SabreCut five-pack, the lowest price here with 5 TPI stated. The weights below sum to 100. They describe what was checked. They were not used to override the star score.
Blade material
25%The steel that will touch the work comes first. High-carbon steel or chromium-vanadium is for nail-free or green wood. Bi-metal is for pipe, sheet, screws, and timber that may hide a nail. A mixed title is not one blade that does both.
Teeth per inch
20%About 5–6 TPI suits thick wood. About 14–24 TPI suits metal. A teeth field that copies the pack count, such as 10, 20, 34, or 36, is not the pitch. If the bullets omit TPI, the pitch stays unstated.
Length
20%About 240 mm is the pruning class, with a stated capacity around 180–190 mm where one is printed. About 150 mm is the pallet class. A blade much longer than the section flexes.
Shank and lock
15%The usual tang is a 1/2 inch universal shank. A listing that prints 1/5 inch is kept as that figure. A universal line with no width is not a lock test. Seat the blade and pull it.
Reviews and price
20%Stars and review counts stay the amazon.co.uk line. Shelf price separates the best value after the award on the listing is read. Piece count is not treated as a longer life.
Match the blade that will touch the work, then the teeth per inch, then the length, then the shank. A mixed pack title is not one blade that does both. Piece count is not a life test. The notes below follow that order for these twelve amazon.co.uk listings. None of the scores is a cut test.
A reciprocating saw blade, often sold in the UK as a sabre blade, is a straight blade with a tang that locks into a corded or cordless reciprocating saw. The saw pushes and pulls the blade. The teeth, the steel, and the length decide the cut. A pack can be one code, repeated, or a pouch that splits wood blades from metal blades. Piece count is not a test of how long an edge lasts. Material is the first check, and it applies to the blade that will touch the work.
A mixed title is not one blade that cuts wood and metal. Read the include line. High-carbon steel and the S 1531 L application line are for nail-free wood. Bi-metal is the blade for pipe, sheet, and screws.
A teeth field of 10, 20, 34, or 36 often copies how many blades are in the pack. Use the TPI in the bullets. If the bullets never state a pitch, the pitch is unknown until you see the blade.
About 240 mm is the pruning class. On a thin section that length flexes, vibrates, and clogs. A dull edge makes the job longer, and pushing it is how tangs snap. Trusting the word universal without a pull test is the same class of mistake.
Material is the blade that will actually touch the work. High-carbon steel or chromium-vanadium is for clean or green wood. Bi-metal is for pipe, sheet, screws, and nail-embedded timber. A mixed title is not one blade that does both. Read the include line, and prefer it when a material field says Wood or Iron against the application, or when a title says carbide and the bullets say carbon steel and bi-metal. Teeth per inch follow the material. About 5–6 TPI is the coarse pitch for thick wood.
Length decides whether the blade reaches the cut or flexes. A total length of about 240 mm is the pruning class. Where a capacity is printed, it sits around 180–190 mm. A working length, when it is printed beside the total length, is shorter than the overall blade. A 150 mm blade is the pallet class. A 200 mm blade here is the metal code, with sheet stated at 2–8 mm and pipe or profile at 10–150 mm. A blade much longer than the section flexes, vibrates, and clogs.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want about 240 mm and a coarse pitch for nail-free green wood, and you stop at soil, ladders, and large stems. The Bosch S 1531 L five-pack is about £11.79, with 4.8 from 8,420 reviews. The application line is nail-free wood. The Amazon bullets do not print the TPI.
You cut construction timber and the odd pipe or screw, so you need wood blades and bi-metal blades, not one title that claims both. The Amazon Basics pouch states metal marks and wood marks in the include line, at about £18.04. You still swap the blade for the next cut.
The Tough Box names five each of S 922 EF, S 922 BF, S 922 HF, and S 644 D, plus the box, at about £29.99 and 4.8 from 2,285 reviews. Ignore the 550 mm length field. A cheaper S 1531 L pattern is only a stand-in for nail-free wood.
In this set of twelve amazon.co.uk listings, the top pick is the Bosch S 1531 L five-pack. It is about £11.79, with 4.8 from 8,420 reviews, for rough wood, nail-free and living wood, and firewood, at 240 x 19 x 1.5 mm. The Amazon bullets do not state TPI. Bosch’s page for the same part adds high-carbon steel, 5 TPI, and a capacity under 190 mm. It is the wrong blade for a nail. The best value is the SabreCut SCRS1531L five-pack at about £7.99, with 4.6 from 2,587 reviews, 240 mm and 5 TPI stated, and a capacity up to 190 mm. Some reviews report dulling after a couple of cuts, and the shank is printed as 1/5 inch. The other ten have no award. None of these scores is a lab test.
Bosch S 1531 L 5-piece
4.8 from 8,420 reviews at about £11.79, for nail-free coarse wood at 240 mm, the largest review file in this set.
SabreCut SCRS1531L 5-piece
Lowest price in this twelve, about £7.99, with 240 mm and 5 TPI stated and 4.6 from 2,587 reviews.
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 sources from the research digest, used for this page on 22 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are from the UK listings in the display file. We did not lab-test these reciprocating saw blades.
