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How to choose reciprocating saw blades: steel first

Updated: 22 October 2026

You already own the saw. The next amazon.co.uk pack is the decision, and the listing is noisy: a material field that says iron, a teeth field that copies the pack count, and a shank line that may not match the clamp. How to choose reciprocating saw blades comes down to the piece of steel that will actually touch the work. Set the material first, then the teeth per inch, then the length, then whether the shank locks. Prices on the saved listings run from about £7.99 to £29.99. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The full grid sits on the [reciprocating saw blades comparison](/hub/saw-accessories/reciprocating-saw-blades).

You already own the saw. The next amazon.co.uk pack is the decision, and the listing is noisy: a material field that says iron, a teeth field that copies the pack count, and a shank line that may not match the clamp.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch S 1531 L 5-piece

Best overall

Bosch Bosch S 1531 L 5-piece
9.6/10about £11.79
View offer
SabreCut SabreCut SCRS1531L 5-piece

Best value

SabreCut SabreCut SCRS1531L 5-piece
9.2/10about £7.99
View offer
Saxton Blades Saxton R825BF 10-piece

Alternative

Saxton Blades Saxton R825BF 10-piece
8.8/10about £15.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Start with the material the teeth will hit
  2. 2.Read TPI from the include line
  3. 3.Pick a length that clears the section
  4. 4.Seat the shank and pull-test it
  5. 5.A five-pack is not a 36-piece pouch

Start with the material the teeth will hit

Choose the steel that will touch the work, and treat a mixed title as a drawer of different blades. High-carbon steel, and chromium-vanadium on some wood blades here, suits clean timber, green wood, fibreboard, and plastic. Bi-metal suits pipe, sheet, screws, and timber that may hide a nail. CMT's UK guide uses strong wording about an HCS blade meeting a nail. That wording is theirs, not a test of these twelve packs. SabreCut's mixed ten-pack names high-carbon wood codes and has no metal blades in the bullets. That contrast stays on wood versus metal.

Read TPI from the include line

Teeth per inch is the count along 25.4 mm. About 5 or 6 TPI suits thick wood, and about 14, 18, or 24 TPI suits metal. Read that number from a bullet or an include line. Amazon's number-of-teeth field often copies the piece count. Saxton's R1021L ten-pack leaves TPI unstated while the teeth field says 10. SHALL's pouch has a teeth field of 34 and no TPI. Amazon Basics marks 14T, 18T, and 24T on metal and 3T to 8T on wood, while the teeth field says 24. If the only number equals the pack count, the pitch is still unknown.
Bosch Bosch S 1531 L 5-piece

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch S 1531 L 5-piece
9.6/10about £11.79
View offer

Pick a length that clears the section

A blade much longer than the section will flex and chatter. About 240 mm is the pruning class here, with a stated capacity around 180–190 mm on the Bosch S 1531 L pattern and on SabreCut's 240 mm five-pack. About 150 mm, as on Saxton's R644D at 6 TPI, is the pallet and board class. Starrett's method for its own blades adds about 75 mm to the section for tip clearance and stroke. That is their method, not a measurement of these packs. Thick green stems belong on the pruning page.

Seat the shank and pull-test it

The usual tang is a 1/2 inch universal shank. Saxton's bullets state 1/2 inch (13 mm). SabreCut's amazon.co.uk text prints universal 1/5 inch. A fifth of an inch is the figure on the listing. Do not silently correct it to 1/2. One UK review of the SabreCut mixed wood pack says the blades do not lock in a Black & Decker Scorpion. EZUVITA and KRETLAW often name brands and give no width at all. Seat the blade fully, then pull it. If it slides, it is not locked.

A five-pack is not a 36-piece pouch

A five-pack of one code is the right buy when you already know the job. A 32- to 36-piece pouch earns its place when the include line really contains both families, not because it holds more blades. Amazon Basics at £18.04 states bi-metal M2 and CRV. SHALL at £18.99 states 23 carbon-steel blades and 11 bi-metal blades, while the title says carbide. Entry packs in this set sit around £8 to £12, and the Bosch Tough Box at £29.99. Which pack leads for nail-free wood is on best reciprocating saw blades.

Common questions

Do I choose the material or the TPI first?
Choose the material first, because a fine tooth on the wrong steel still fails the job. 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 fixing. A mixed title does not make every blade in the pouch do both.
Is the Amazon number of teeth the TPI?
Often it is the pack count. In this set the teeth field says 10 on a ten-blade Saxton pack, 20 on a twenty-blade pack, and 34 on SHALL’s 34-piece pouch. Read TPI from the bullet or the include line. Amazon Basics carries 3T to 24T on the include line, and the teeth field still says 24.
How long should the blade be?
Match the length to the section, with a little clearance, and avoid a long blade on a thin piece. About 240 mm is the pruning class here, with stated capacities around 180–190 mm. About 150 mm is the pallet class. Starrett’s own method adds about 75 mm to the section for tip clearance and stroke. That is their rule of thumb, not a measured result on these listings.
Will a universal shank fit a Black & Decker Scorpion?
The word universal does not guarantee the lock. One UK review of SabreCut’s mixed wood pack says the blades do not lock in a Black & Decker Scorpion. Saxton states a 1/2 inch (13 mm) shank. SabreCut’s listings print 1/5 inch. Seat the blade and pull it. If it moves, stop.
What if the title says metal and the include line says high-carbon steel?
Trust the include line, and treat the title as the conflict. SHALL’s title says carbide steel while the bullets say 23 carbon-steel blades and 11 bi-metal blades. SabreCut’s mixed ten-pack is high-carbon wood codes only. Bosch’s S 1531 L application says nail-free wood while a compatible-material field says Iron. Fit the blade that matches the next cut.

Related pages

How to change a reciprocating saw blade

Reciprocating saw blades

Best reciprocating saw blades: nail-free wood picks

Reciprocating saw blades for pruning from the ground

Bi-metal vs high carbon steel reciprocating saw blade

Sources

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.

  1. HSE: Hand-arm vibration, employer duties (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. HSE: Assessing hand-arm vibration risk (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. HSE: Cutting and sanding wood (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Bosch Professional GB: S 922 VF reciprocating blade (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Bosch: S 1531 L, part 2 608 650 676 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Bryson: Choosing recip saw blades (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Drillfix: HCS and bi-metal reciprocating saw blades (retrieved 22 October 2026)