Scroll saw blades buying guide: mount before teeth
Updated: 22 October 2026
The blade has snapped halfway through a plywood letter, and the amazon.co.uk results are a row of 5 inch packs that look interchangeable. A scroll saw blades buying guide puts the checks in the order the saw cares about: the end that seats, then the length the manual means, then the tooth count, then the price in pounds. The [scroll saw blade comparison](/hub/saw-accessories/scroll-saw-blade) is the table of the packs in this set. This page is the checklist before that table. It does not crown a top pick, and it does not walk you through tension.
The blade has snapped halfway through a plywood letter, and the amazon.co.uk results are a row of 5 inch packs that look interchangeable.
The blade has snapped halfway through a plywood letter, and the amazon.co.uk results are a row of 5 inch packs that look interchangeable. A scroll saw blades buying guide puts the checks in the order the saw cares about: the end that seats, then the length the manual means, then the tooth count, then the price in pounds. The scroll saw blade comparison is the table of the packs in this set. This page is the checklist before that table. It does not crown a top pick, and it does not walk you through tension.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Mount | Length | Teeth | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Olson Olson SA4950 18-blade pin assortment | Pin end | 127 mm | 10, 15 and 18.5 TPI skip | 9.4 | about £10.94 | View offer |
| Best value |  VooGenzek VooGenzek 20-piece pinned mix | Pin end | 127 mm between pins | 10, 15, 18, 20 and 24 | 8.2 | about £6.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Aeaocvo Aeaocvo 24-piece 10 and 28 TPI set | Title says plain; UK review says pinned | 5 inch on the title | 10 and 28 TPI on the title | 6.2 | about £4.49 | View offer |
On this page
Check the mount before the tooth count
Start with the holder, not the packet. On the Lumberjack SS558V, a pin sits in the V-notch and a plain end is locked with the handle. If your saw only hooks pins, a plain-end blade will not mount.
Most packs in this amazon.co.uk set are pin-end: Olson, both Xcalibur listings, TXErfolg, and the three VooGenzek boxes. The Aeaocvo title says plain end, and a verified UK review says the blades arrived pinned and were returned. Look at the blade you have just taken out before you filter by teeth. The mount page, pin or plain end scroll saw blades, stays on that choice.
Read which 127 mm the manual means
Einhell’s TC-SS 405 E states a 127 mm blade. VooGenzek and TXErfolg state 127 mm between the pins and 132–133 mm overall. Both figures can be honest on the same piece of steel. Reject a pack only when you have compared the same measurement the manual uses.
Foxbc sells a 3 inch pin-end blade, so “5 inch” is not universal. In this set the Xcalibur 21 TPI title says 130 mm, and a review says 5 inches. Brrnoo says 5.12 inch. If the pins on the blade you removed sat comfortably, compare a replacement with the same pin-to-pin length.
Pick pitch after the blade will fit
Tooth count comes third, and only if the blade will mount. On these pinned packs, “18 teeth” means teeth per inch, not an Olson universal number. A plain-end number 5 skip is about 12.5 TPI on Olson’s chart. Shesto’s note on SA4950 is six at 15 TPI, six at 10 TPI and six at 18.5 TPI skip.
About 10 TPI is the coarser cut in wood, about 15–18 TPI is general wood, and finer counts suit thin sheet. Only the Olson bullet says skip tooth. Where VooGenzek and TXErfolg print width, the blade is about 3 mm wide, and a higher tooth count does not narrow it. Thickness and material are on scroll saw blade TPI.
Then compare pack size and the price
A large review count is not a kerf test. Olson SA4950 is £10.94 with 4.6 from 4,758. The VooGenzek 20-piece is £6.99. The three VooGenzek ASINs share one 4.4 from 826 line. A 4.8 from six reviews, with no written text, does not outrank 4.6 from 4,758.
A rule of thumb is that about £7–£11 covers a pinned mixed spare. The £4.49 box is cheaper, and the end type is the problem. Who each pin pack is for is on best scroll saw blades. If the saw is work equipment, PUWER 1998 still applies. HSE wood-dust limits are 3 mg/m³ for hardwood and 5 mg/m³ for softwood. A new pack does not repair a damaged guard.
Common questions
Do I buy pin-end or plain-end blades?
Buy the end your saw seats. A pin drops into a notch. A plain end needs a clamp. The Lumberjack SS558V can take both. If the saw only hooks pins, a plain-end blade will not mount. Most packs in this amazon.co.uk set are pin-end, and one title that says plain was returned as pinned, so check a photo of the ends before you pay.
Is 133 mm overall too long for a saw that asks for 127 mm?
Not by itself. VooGenzek and TXErfolg state 127 mm between the pins and 132–133 mm overall. Einhell’s TC-SS 405 E states a 127 mm blade. Compare pin-to-pin with pin-to-pin, or overall with overall. Reject the pack when the pins cannot seat, not when the longer figure is simply the overall length.
Is “18 teeth” the same as Olson universal size 18?
No. On a pinned pack, 18 teeth means about 18 teeth per inch. Olson’s universal numbers are a plain-end system, and they run finer as the number falls. A number 5 skip is about 12.5 TPI on Olson’s chart. Shesto’s 18.5 TPI skip in the SA4950 mix is still a pin-end pitch. Read the packet as TPI unless it prints a plain-end number such as 2/0 or #5.
Can I add the VooGenzek review counts together?
No. The 20-piece and both 40-piece VooGenzek ASINs print one 4.4 from 826 line and the same review bodies. Counting 826 three times treats one set of reviews as three. Use the line once when you compare satisfaction, and judge the boxes by pack size, pitch mix and the £6.99 or £9.99 shelf. Stars are not a kerf measurement.
Does a plain-end title guarantee plain ends?
No. The Aeaocvo title says plain end, 24 blades, 12 each of 28 TPI and 10 TPI, at £4.49. A verified UK review says both ends are pinned and the buyer returned them. Goods should match the description under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. LuLobtg also says plain end, no review body confirms it, and the pack-count bullet disagrees with the title. Check a photo of the end before you rely on the word plain.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for this comparison. Shelf prices are amazon.co.uk listings from 19 October 2026.
- HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved 20.10.2026)
- HSE: Safe use of woodworking machinery (L114) (retrieved 20.10.2026)
- HSE: Wood dust (retrieved 20.10.2026)
- HSE WD0: Wood dust – controlling the risks (retrieved 20.10.2026)
- Einhell TC-SS 405 E manual (retrieved 20.10.2026)
- Lumberjack SS558V manual (retrieved 20.10.2026)
- Olson scroll saw blade chart (retrieved 20.10.2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 20.10.2026)