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Bi-metal vs high carbon steel reciprocating saw blade

Updated: 22 October 2026

You are breaking down pallets in the morning and cutting pipe in the afternoon, or you have found a screw the detector missed. A bi-metal vs high carbon steel reciprocating saw blade choice is the difference between finishing that cut and stripping the teeth. High-carbon steel is for nail-free wood. Bi-metal is for metal, and for wood that may hide a fixing. A mixed pouch only helps if you fit the blade that matches the next stroke. Peter F. compared the include lines of the twelve saved amazon.co.uk listings on 21 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and stars are on the [reciprocating saw blades](/hub/saw-accessories/reciprocating-saw-blades) comparison.

You are breaking down pallets in the morning and cutting pipe in the afternoon, or you have found a screw the detector missed.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch S 1531 L 5-piece

Best overall

Bosch Bosch S 1531 L 5-piece
9.6/10about £11.79
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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.High-carbon steel when the wood is clean
  2. 2.Bi-metal when the cut can hit metal
  3. 3.A mixed set is a drawer, not a single blade
  4. 4.Which to buy for pallets and pipe

High-carbon steel when the wood is clean

High-carbon steel is what CMT describes for clean softwood, board, and plastic. Bosch specifies it for the S 1531 L, part 2 608 650 676: nail-free coarse wood, pruning, and firewood, under 190 mm, at 5 TPI on Bosch's page. The amazon.co.uk listing, B0009W868C, at £11.79 and 4.8 from 8,420 reviews, is 240 x 19 x 1.5 mm. Its material field says Wood and its compatible-material field says Iron. Follow the application line. SabreCut's five-pack, at £7.99, states 240 mm and 5 TPI in high-carbon steel. Chromium-vanadium on the EZUVITA pruning pack is the same wood family, not a carbide tip.

Bi-metal when the cut can hit metal

Bi-metal welds a harder tooth edge to a more flexible back. It is the blade for pipe, sheet, screws, and nail-embedded timber. Saxton's R825BF, B07DPR15MX, is £15.99 and 4.4 from 540 reviews: 200 mm, 14 TPI, sheet of 2–8 mm, and pipes or profiles of 10–150 mm. UK reviewers use it on pallet screws and on aluminium. Rusted steel and 50 x 50 x 3 mm angle took one blade per cut in one review. CMT says an HCS blade meeting a nail can fail immediately. That is their wording, not a measurement here. Leave aside any seller claim that bi-metal lasts many times longer. These listings were not life-tested.
Bosch Bosch S 1531 L 5-piece

Testsieger

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

A mixed set is a drawer, not a single blade

A title that says wood and metal is a set of blades, and you still pick one. SabreCut's mixed ten-pack, B07VGSC9KB, at £10.99, names high-carbon codes S644D, S1531L, and S2345X, with no metal blades in the bullets. SHALL's pouch, at £18.99, says carbide in the title and 23 carbon-steel blades plus 11 bi-metal blades in the bullet. The Bosch Tough Box, at £29.99, states S 922 EF and S 922 BF for metal, S 922 HF for wood and metal, and S 644 D for wood. Fit S 644 D on clean wood and S 922 HF when a fixing is possible. A 550 mm length field on that listing does not describe these blades.

Which to buy for pallets and pipe

If the pallet is clean and the pipe is a separate job, buy two specialist packs. Saxton's R644D is 150 mm and 6 TPI carbon steel at £14.99, and pallet users say the blades do not like nails. The R825BF pack is the single-code metal option here. Amazon Basics at £18.04 states bi-metal M2 and CRV, with metal marks at 14T, 18T, and 24T. Prefer that include line. Nail-free wood takes high-carbon steel. A screw, nail, pipe, or sheet takes bi-metal. Pitch and shank sit on the buying guide. The nail-free ranking is on best reciprocating saw blades.

Common questions

When is high-carbon steel the right blade?
High-carbon steel is the right blade when the wood is clean or green and you do not expect a nail or a screw. Bosch’s S 1531 L is specified for nail-free coarse wood, pruning, and firewood under 190 mm. SabreCut’s 240 mm five-pack states the same class at 5 TPI. Chromium-vanadium pruning blades in this set belong with that wood job. They are not carbide-tipped demolition blades.
When do I need bi-metal instead?
Use bi-metal for pipe, sheet, screws, and any timber that may hide a fixing. Saxton’s R825BF states 14 TPI, sheet of 2–8 mm, and pipes or profiles of 10–150 mm. UK reviews also use it on pallet screws and on a caravan. Rusted steel and 3 mm angle can still consume a blade per cut, so the stated range is a guide, not a guarantee of life.
Will an HCS pruning blade cut a nail or a screw?
The application lines say no. Bosch limits the S 1531 L to nail-free wood, and pallet reviews of Saxton’s carbon-steel R644D say the blades do not like nails. CMT warns that HCS can fail as soon as it meets a nail. That is their wording. Swap to the bi-metal blade before the next screw, rather than pushing the wood blade through it.
Does wood and metal on the title mean every blade in the pouch?
It means the pouch is supposed to contain more than one kind of blade. You still fit one blade for the cut in front of you. SabreCut’s mixed ten-pack is high-carbon wood codes only, with no metal blades in the bullets. SHALL’s title says carbide, while the bullets say 23 carbon-steel blades and 11 bi-metal blades. Read the include line, then pick the matching blade.
What should I buy if I cut both pallets and pipe?
Buy a carbon-steel blade for the clean pallet, such as the 150 mm 6 TPI Saxton R644D, and a bi-metal blade for the pipe, such as the 14 TPI Saxton R825BF. A single pouch is the alternative when its bullets actually list both, as Amazon Basics does with bi-metal M2 and CRV. A five-pack of one pruning code leaves you with nothing suitable once the pipe starts.

Related pages

How to change a reciprocating saw blade

Reciprocating saw blades

Best reciprocating saw blades: nail-free wood picks

How to choose reciprocating saw blades: steel first

Reciprocating saw blades for pruning from the ground

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)