Pick the Right Scroll Saw Blade

What Scroll Saw Blade Should You Use?  

Whether you’re just considering getting into scroll saw woodworking or you’re a seasoned pro, it can be confusing and downright difficult to decide on exactly which scroll saw blade to choose for a project.  

To further illustrate the point, here are just some of scroll saw blade options available to you:

• Reverse tooth blade

• Reverse skip tooth blade

• Double skip reverse tooth blade

• Modified geometry blade

• Double tooth blade

• Skip tooth blade

• Crown tooth blade

• Precision ground tooth double reverse tooth blade

• Spiral blade

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Scroll Saw Blade Size

On top of these various blade options, you still have to think about size.  The larger the number, the larger the scroll saw blade.  For example, a #2 blade is tinier than a #5, which is smaller than a #7.  This applies for all scroll saw blades, regardless of type.  As you increase the thickness of the wood you’re using, you’ll want to increase the size blade you use.  There’s not a one-size-fits-all for scroll saw blades because each blade type is different.  Depending on the blade you choose, a #5 blade in one style may cut thicker wood than a #5 blade in another style. 

All of this may sound confusing and frustrating, especially for someone who wants to try scroll sawing for the first time.  Rely on this knowledge – You don’t have to pick the perfect saw blade, but choosing the worst blade type for a project can result in poor cuts and aggravation.  To make it simple, below is a breakdown of some of the most commonly used scroll saw blades and their pros and cons.

Types of Scroll Saw Blades

Skip Tooth Blades

A skip tooth blade has large teeth widely distributed along the blade.  It’s called a skip tooth blade because it is either missing a tooth or has a smaller tooth between each regular size tooth.  These are pretty aggressive blades that cut through wood fast.  The cuts may result in splintering, depending on the type of wood.  I find that they are good for thick material (wood over 1/2” thick).  You can get them in ultra-small sizes for more delicate work, but I think there are better blades for cutting thin material.

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Reverse Tooth Blades

I absolutely love reverse tooth blades.  They are my go-to saw blade when cutting thick or oily wood species.  Reverse tooth blades have fairly wide spaces between each tooth, allowing for saw dust to escape.  The teeth are reversed at the bottom of the blade.  This results in clean, splinter-free cuts.  I find reverse tooth blades to be a bit aggressive on really thin material (approximately 1/8” thick).  I use a #5 blade for material 3/8” thick or less.  You can get away with using it on 1/2” thick material if it’s a domestic species like soft maple.  I tell people that if you need a good all-around blade, pick this one up.  While I love this blade, it’s not my favorite.  I’ll tell you which one receives that accolade later in the article.

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Double Tooth Blades

A double tooth saw blade has two teeth close together instead of one large tooth.  Imagine two teeth, a large space, followed by two more teeth.  Rinse and repeat.  Double tooth blades can give absolutely beautiful cuts.  My experience with these has been great.  The cuts are glassy smooth with little to no tearout.  I find these blades cut very slow and tend to gum up when cutting exotic, oily wood species.  When cutting thicker material, I have to use a larger size double tooth blade when compared to most other types.

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Precision Ground Blades

Think of these blades as a modification and not its own scroll saw blade type.  Precision ground blades are ground in a way that results in a different tooth geometry compared to traditional blades.  You can get precision ground blades in various types such as skip tooth or double reverse tooth.  They are advertised as being the best of the best, giving you fast cuts, that are also smooth and splinter-free.  They are supposed to be great at just about everything.  I haven’t experienced this.  I find them to be towards the top of the list in most situations, but not the best at anything.  Your experience may be different.

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Spiral Blade

Want to use a spiral blade?  Take everything you know about scroll sawing and throw it out the window.  I’m kidding…kind of.  Spiral blades are nothing like all the other saw blades.  Instead of the blade having teeth on one edge, these blades are twisted, with teeth on all sides.  With a regular scroll saw blade, you push your material towards the blade to make a cut.  In the case of spiral blades, you can cut your material front to back, back to front, side to side, whatever direction you want!  The result is the ability to cut tiny spaces that don’t have room for turning a traditional blade.  But alternatively, spiral blades are unforgiving.  Move your material even slightly to the side and it will get cut.  Don’t use these if you are cutting out shapes; they don’t track on a straight line.  Reserve using spiral blades for those tiny spots inside a project.

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Crown Tooth Blades

I firmly believe that crown tooth blades are the best you can buy when working with thin material.  It is my favorite scroll saw blade by far.  The cut quality is unmatched.  Each tooth along the blade is replaced by two teeth facing opposite directions.  The result is a glass-like cut with no splintering.  I usually work with 1/8” to 1/4” thick material.  If I’m using a domestic wood species such as maple or walnut, I’m going to use a crown tooth blade ranging from #2/0 to #5.  The drawback of this one is the lack of space between the teeth.  They aren’t great at removing saw dust when cutting thick material.  They also do poorly with oily woods like bloodwood or lignum vitae.  Either avoid them or use a larger size when cutting thick material or a super dense wood species.

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Which Saw Blade Should You Buy?

There are several other scroll saw blade types I didn’t mention.  I’ve used every type I’ve come across so I chose to highlight the ones I find on the better end or are most commonly utilized by scroll saw woodworkers.  I think the best advice I can give is to try different ones to pick what works best for you.  While that is true, I also find it to be unhelpful.  Instead, pick up a crown tooth blade and a reverse tooth blade.  Use a crown tooth blade when working with thin wood, veneer or plywood.  The smallest size, a #2/0, can easily cut 1/8” to 3/16” thick walnut.  Move up to a #5 when using 1/4” thick wood and go even higher when cutting material 3/8” and above.  If the crown tooth blade is dulling quickly, gumming up, or just can’t cut the material, switch over to a reverse tooth blade.  Use a #5 reverse tooth blade when cutting material under 3/8” thick and opt for a larger #7 blade when cutting thicker wood.  If you stick with these two blade types, you’re going to create many successful scroll saw projects in the future!