The 10 Best Scroll Saw Blades Buys For 2021 And Buyer’s Guide

Scroll saws are amazing, aren’t they? You’ll rarely handle any other kind of tool that gives you so much control. The fine blade cutting and maneuverability give you the ability to make the most elaborate and intricate cuts with a fabulously smooth finish. A good scroll saw lets you make fabulous work.

But, you know what? Your scroll saw is only as good as the blades you use. And boy, are there a lot of blades. After all, a scroll saw gives you the freedom to cut all kinds of materials in all sorts of ways.

So choosing the right blade for the job can be a bit daunting. Fear not, I’ve got you covered. If you need a blade quick, then read about blade types and scroll down to my detailed blade reviews. I suggest you also read the buyer’s guide scroll saw blades.

I get it; time is short. So if you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick guide to the different kinds of scroll saw blades.

Standard Tooth Blades

Standard tooth scroll saw blades have teeth facing the same direction and with even spacing between the teeth.

Standard tooth blades come in two varieties: larger tooth blades for woodcutting and blades with more teeth per inch for cutting metal. You’ll notice a small gap between each tooth, which helps with sawdust removal.

Skip-Tooth Blades

Skip tooth blades look like standard tooth blades with every second tooth missing. Because the space between the teeth is wide, skip tooth blades make it much easier to clear sawdust and debris from the cutting area.

Skip tooth blades are easy-to-use and very efficient, but as there’s a big gap between the blades, skip tooth blades are less precise than standard tooth blades. These blades are great if you want to work fast and your cuts don’t need to be perfect, but for ultra-precise work, other blades are better.

Double-Tooth Blades

Double-tooth blades are middle-ground blades between standard and skip tooth blades. Instead of a gap between every two teeth, double-tooth blades leave a blade-width gap after every two teeth.

Double-tooth blades are excellent for precise, super smooth cutting, but the irregular blade spacing makes them tricky to use and liable to chatter. Use these blades when you want top-quality work, but: Take. Your. Time.

Reverse Skip-Tooth Blades

Reverse skip tooth blades are a bit like regular skip tooth blades with a mirror held halfway down. There’s are teeth in the middle on both sides that face in opposite directions.

Reverse skip-tooth blades cut on the downstroke and the upstroke. The benefit of this blade becomes apparent when you cut thin, layered, or fibrous materials.

Reverse skip tooth blades reduce tearing and abrasion when you’re cutting delicate materials.

Spiral Tooth Blades

Spiral tooth scroll saw blades are like standard blades twisted into a spiral. They can cut from any direction saving you the trouble of moving the surface you’re cutting. The drawback is they aren’t very accurate and not much use for precision work. They are easy to work with though, and by cutting from all directions, they reduce splintering.

Crown Tooth Blades

The teeth of a crown tooth blade look like a crown. There are two teeth pointing away from each other, then a gap, repeat. The advantage of crown tooth blades is that they cut on the downstroke and upstroke, but they’re notoriously hard to use. They are handy for cutting plastic and some other artificial materials, but that’s about it.

Precision Ground Blades

Precision ground blades have a thinner profile and kerf than regular blades. This means they offer a far more precise cut. Despite being tricky to work with, these blades are essential if you’re looking to get a perfect curve or precisely measured cut.

Other Types Of Scroll Saw Blade

Some manufacturers produce blades that mix the characteristics of some of the blades above. The trick here is to read what the manufacturer has to say about the blade and then check customer feedback.

TLDR:

1. Olson Saw Fr49501 Pin End Scroll Saw Blade – Best Beginners Scroll Saw Blades
2. Skil 80181 Scroll Saw Blade Set, 18 Piece – Best Mixed Scroll Saw Blades
3. Olson Saw Fr49501 Pin End Scroll Saw Blade (36 Pack) – Best Value Scroll Saw Blades
4. Flying Dutchman Spiral Five Dozen Scroll Saw Blade Variety Pack – Best Cylindrical Scroll Saw Blades
5. Flying Dutchman Ultra Reverse Five Dozen Scroll Saw Blade Variety Pack – Best Budget Scroll Saw Blade Set
6. Bosch Ss5-20 5-Inch X 20-Tpi Pin End Scroll Saw Blade – Best Precision Scroll Saw Blades
7. Delta Power Equipment Corporation 40-519-Precision Ground Sharp Scroll Saw Blades – Best Custom Size Scroll Saw Blade
8. Dremel Ms50 Side Cutting Wood And Plastic Blade For Moto-Saw – Best Scroll Saw Blades For Softer Materials
   
9. Bosch Ss5-115pl 5-Inch X 11.5-Tpi Plain End Scroll Saw Blade – Best Skip Tooth Scroll Saw Blade
10. Olson Saw Dt49300 Double Tooth Scroll Saw Blade – Best Double Tooth Scroll Saw Blade

Reviews:

1. Olson Saw Fr49501 Pin End Scroll Saw Blade

• Number of Blades: 18
• Good for cutting: medium turns in wood (regular tooth), skip turns and cuts in wood (skip tooth)
• Teeth Per Inch TPI: 15, 10, 18.5
• Tooth shape: Regular Tooth x 12, Skip Tooth x 6
• Material: Carbon Steel

If you’re looking for an excellent multipurpose set of blades, then this is a great place to start. These Olson blades aren’t Amazon’s bestselling scroll saw blades for no reason. This pack of eighteen blades features twelve regular tooth blades with ten and fifteen teeth per inch. And then there are six skip tooth blades as well give you plenty of flexibility for precision cutting.

The blades are made of premium-grade steel, making short work of cutting even the hardest materials. The pin end fixes the blade securely, making them easy to work with. But check that it’s a fitting your scroll saw can take.

PROS

• An excellently priced set of good precision cutting blades
• A good mixed selection of blades that offer a wide range of cutting options
• Pin end blades make for a good fit but don’t work with every type of scroll saw

CONS

• It would be nice to have a larger pack with a selection of other tooth configurations and sizes

Check price on amazon

2. Skil 80181 Scroll Saw Blade Set, 18 Piece

• Number of Blades: 18
• Blade Configuration: Pin End
• Good for cutting: wood and plastics
• Size/Teeth Per Inch TPI: 15, 18.5, 20 TPI
• Tooth shape: Regular Tooth x 12, Skip Tooth x 6
• Material: Premium Steel

This is an excellent set of fine-toothed precision blades for detail work on wood and plastics. The blades come in three configurations: standard, skip tooth, and reverse tooth. This is cool because it gives you the flexibility to use the skip tooth blade on the straightforward jobs that you want to work through quickly while offering you the precision of the other blades for when you’re getting down to the tricky curves and corners.

So this is a nice mixed blade set for softer materials and detailed work. If you’re looking for an excellent all-around blade collection, you’ll need to supplement these with some higher-grade blades.

I always like to check customer feedback, and after many happy buyers, these blades enjoy excellent buyer ratings.

PROS

• A good mixture of precision blades types
• Quality blades for a reasonable price
• Highly rated by customers

CONS

• It would be good to have some blades with larger teeth

Check price on amazon

3. Olson Saw Fr49501 Pin End Scroll Saw Blade (36 Pack)

• Number of Blades: 36
• Blade Configuration: Pin End
• Good for cutting: wood and plastics
• Size/Teeth Per Inch TPI: 15, 18.5, 20 TPI
• Tooth shape: Regular Tooth x 12, Skip Tooth x 6
• Material: Premium Steel

This is a bumper pack of the excellent mixed blade Olson set above at an even lower price. I’m very impressed with these blades, so much so that I’d even suggest you go for this large pack first. But, I’ll understand if you want to buy the smaller twelve-pack of blades just to make sure that they’re what you’re looking for.

And just to remind you, you get two sizes of standard blades and a set of skip tooth blades. The blades have a high tooth count, so they’re ideal for precision work but perhaps not best suited to cutting thick or hard materials.

I like to buy my scroll saw blades in volume because it’s cheaper.

PROS

• A bumper pack of quality blades at a bargain price
• These are a versatile set of blades for precision scroll saw cutting
• A mixture of standard and skip tooth blades

CONS

• You will need some blades with fewer teeth for working on thicker or harder materials

Check price on amazon

4. Flying Dutchman Spiral Five Dozen Scroll Saw Blade Variety Pack

• Number of Blades: 60
• Blade Configuration: pinless
• Good for cutting: wood, plastics, nonferrous metals
• Size/Teeth Per Inch TPI: #2/0, #1, #3, #5, #7 and #9
• Tooth shape: cylindrical
• Material: hardened steel

Cylindrical blades are very easy to use since you don’t have to rotate your surface much, but they’re not the most precise blade out there. I recommend buying these blades, especially at such an excellent price, if you’re doing work that doesn’t involve cutting the most precise curves and angles.

It’s also a nice touch that the blades come in six different sizes, so these are good blades to buy to add to your blade stock to ensure that you have the correct type of blade for every occasion. Cylindrical blades are handy when you’re working on thin or laminated wood since they cut from all angles, reducing the chance of tearing.

PROS

• Excellent value for money
• Blades come in six sizes
• Cylindrical blades are easy to work with and cut in multiple directions

CONS

• Cylindrical blades aren’t the tool of choice for the expert scroll saw operator since they offer only a reasonable level of accuracy

Check price on amazon

5. Flying Dutchman Ultra Reverse Five Dozen Scroll Saw Blade Variety Pack

• Number of Blades: 60
• Blade Configuration: pinless
• Good for cutting: soft and hardwood, plastics, nonferrous metal
• Size: 2/0, 1, 3, 5 ,7
• Teeth Per Inch TPI: 15, 15, 15, 15, 12
• Tooth shape: ultra reverse (two teeth down, one up)
• Material: Milled hardened steel

These Flying Dutchman blades are impressive, and you get plenty of blades here for an excellent price. There is a good selection of blade sizes for most cutting jobs.

All of the blades are configured in a unique design in which two teeth point downwards, and then every third tooth is reversed. This configuration offers a swift cut and uses the third tooth to prevent splintering on the underside of the surface. It’s a good combination of precision and speed, although I find that blades with teeth that point in two directions need careful management to prevent them from chattering.

Having said that, as long as you are a confident and experienced scroll saw user, I’d thoroughly recommend these blades.

PROS

• A wide selection of blade sizes and teeth per inch.
• Unique ultra reverse blade configuration offers speed and precision to the experienced user.
• 60 blades in the pack

CONS

• All of the blades are in the ultra reverse configuration

Check price on amazon

6. Bosch Ss5-20 5-Inch X 20-Tpi Pin End Scroll Saw Blade

• Number of Blades: 4
• Blade Configuration: Pin End
• Suitable for cutting: all woods, plastics, nonferrous metals
• Teeth Per Inch TPI: 20
• Tooth shape: Standard
• Blade Thickness: 0.13”
• Material: premium-grade steel

This is a pack of four top-quality precision blades in a standard configuration. The blades are made out of sharpened premium-grade steel, and at twenty teeth per inch, they’re designed for intricate cutting and fine detail work.

They’re sold in packs of four because they’re a bit more expensive than most other blades reviewed here. If you’re happy with them, I’d recommend buying a few packs just to have stock on hand. The price isn’t unreasonable since you won’t be using these blades on most of your work—just when you need that extra control.

Everyone should keep some premium blades on hand, and you can’t do much better than these.

PROS

• A high specification blade that you should reserve for jobs requiring the sharpest cuts in the most precise curves and turns.
• German engineered precision
• A reasonable price for a high-end product

CONS

• Only four blades in the pack

Check price on amazon

7. Delta Power Equipment Corporation 40-519-Precision Ground Sharp Scroll Saw Blades

• Number of Blades: 12
• Blade Configuration: pinless
• Good for cutting: wood, plastic, and non-ferrous metals
• Teeth Per Inch TPI: varies
• Tooth shape: two directions, with raker tooth to prevent burning
• Size: 2, 5, 7, 9 , 12 (user selects on purchase)
• Blade Thickness: varies
• Material: precision ground sharp steel

Here is another good precision saw blade. You get twelve blades in whatever size you order, and that’s it. Don’t buy this blade if you’re looking for a mixed set of blade styles and configurations; this is designed for users who know exactly what they want.

Delta is a manufacturer that makes custom toothed blades. This one has teeth set in both directions, and then every few teeth, there’s a raker tooth, specially designed to allow you to cut with high precision without any burning.

PROS

• Selecting your required blade size when you order means that you only buy what you need
• A dozen blades
• The sharpened and hardened steel blade construction means that it will stay sharp longer and produce accurate burn-free cuts

CONS

• The two-way tooth configuration means that this blade will need fine control from an experienced scroll saw user

Check price on amazon

8. Dremel Ms50 Side Cutting Wood And Plastic Blade For Moto-Saw

• Number of Blades: 4
• Blade Configuration: Pin end
• Good for cutting: soft wood, plastic, foam, carpet
• Teeth Per Inch TPI: 15
• Tooth shape: skip tooth
• Material: Hardened steel

This blade is specially designed for cutting the softest of materials with your scroll saw. The unique blade design allows for side cutting and can be configured to work from left to right or right to left. These blades are a little longer than conventional blades at just over 6 inches.

If you cut a lot of soft woods, plastics, and tricky materials like carpets and foam, then I recommend you grab yourself a set of these blades. They are specially designed for the kind of materials you cut from side to side, so they’ll make your work a lot easier than trying to get the job done with a conventional scroll saw blade.

Sure, these blades are a bit pricier than others on this list, but they’re sturdy. You’re going to be cutting materials that put up less resistance, so as long as you take good care of the blades, you can expect them to last.

PROS

• Simple to cut sideways
• Longer blade length allows for more versatile cutting
• A specialized product for cutting softer materials

CONS

• Quite expensive

Check price on amazon

9. Bosch Ss5-115pl 5-Inch X 11.5-Tpi Plain End Scroll Saw Blade

• Number of Blades: 12
• Blade Configuration: plain end
• Good for cutting: all woods, plastics, and nonferrous metals
• Teeth Per Inch TPI: 11.5
• Tooth shape: skip tooth
• Material: premium-grade alloy steel

This is an excellent multipurpose blade at a mid-range price. This is a multi-pack of a single blade type, so it’s designed for workers who have a very specific blade in mind. The skip tooth blade configuration means that sawdust gets cleared quickly and you’ll be able to cut rapidly and accurately with this blade.

But, if you need to make demanding cuts, like curves and tight corners, then go with a standard or a precision blade instead.

This blade is extremely popular with customers, boasting a 4.6/5 rating. This isn’t a surprise since Bosch is renowned for making long-lasting precision scroll saw blades. Note that Bosch makes blades in both pin and plain-end fittings.

PROS

• An excellently priced everyday cutting blade.
• A good blade for people new to using scroll saws
• A precision blade at a very reasonable price

CONS

• Only one size and blade configuration

Check price on amazon

10. Olson Saw Dt49300 Double Tooth Scroll Saw Blade

• Number of Blades: 36
• Blade Configuration: Plain End
• Good for cutting: woold, plastics, paper, bone, fiber
• Teeth Per Inch TPI: 23, 16, 11
• Tooth shape: double tooth
• Blade Thickness: #3, #5, #9
• Material: hardened steel

These plain end scroll saw blades have a double tooth cutting edge. This configuration allows for easy removal of sawdust without compromising on ease-of-use or blade stability. For this reason, these are excellent all-purpose cutting blades. They come in three very different sizes: two with fine-toothed blades for cutting the thinnest and most delicate materials as well as a chunky eleven tooth-per-inch blade for dealing with the hard stuff.

This is a balanced set of double tooth blades at an excellent price, so if you’re a fan of this blade configuration, you should snap these up.

PROS

• The double tooth blade configuration offers a good balance between speed and precision cutting
• Three different blade grades allow you to cut most materials
• A well-priced three-blade set

CONS

• Only one blade tooth configuration

Check price on amazon

Your work is only as good as the product you work with. And this is particularly the case when you’re using a tool as precise as a scroll saw. You need to have faith in your cutting blade to negotiate the tightest curves leaving the smoothest, most exact cuts.

I’ve already discussed different blade types in some detail, so you should have no trouble picking a suitable blade configuration for the job. But what exactly makes for a good scroll saw blade?

In this guide, I’ll take you through exactly what to look for to make sure you get the best blade for the job.

What’s the blade made from?

Whatever its shape and size, a scroll saw blade is only as strong as the material it’s made from.

If you want quality work from a long-lasting blade, then it needs to be tough. Plain old steel won’t last long, and most blades these days are made from tempered or hardened steel. Carbon steel is a particularly strong alloy.

If you are cutting soft wood, you can go with a lower-grade material, but the harder the substance you plan to cut, the stronger the scroll saw blade you’ll need.

Pick the right scroll saw blade tooth configuration

if you’re doing precise work in wood or metal, then standard tooth blades or precision ground blades are a good choice.

Skip tooth blades are easy to cut with but less precise, and double-tooth blades offer a good compromise between precision and ease of use.

Then, there are the fancy blades. Reverse skip tooth blades are suitable for laminates and thin materials to stop tearing. Crown tooth blades are helpful for cutting plastic. And spiral tooth blades are super easy to use but not ideal for the most detailed work.

Blade Size and Teeth per inch

Scroll saw blades are rated by blade size on a scale of 1-12. The #1 blade has a high concentration of teeth per inch, while a #12 has fewer, larger teeth and produces a wider kerf.

You’ll want thin and precise blades with many teeth per inch for the most delicate precision work. But, these are the thinnest blades and most likely to break, so use a high numbered blade with fewer teeth per inch for more straightforward cutting work and harder substances.

Blade profile and kerf

This is just an extension of the blade size discussion above. Pick the right blade for the work that you will be doing. If you are cutting intricate curves or tight angles, you need a thin blade with a high TPI.

What material are you cutting?

If you are cutting thick and/or hard materials, then choose a higher numbered blade. These thick, sturdy blades fare well against tough opposition. The lower numbered blades are more precise but more delicate and are suited to intricate work on thinner and softer materials.

Get the right blade for the right saw

Does your scroll saw accept plain end blades, pin end blades, or both? Make sure you choose a blade with a mounting that’s compatible with your machine.

Buy a variety of different blade types and sizes

If you keep a range of different blade types and sizes on hand, you’ll always have the right blade for the material and job you’re working on.

Using the wrong size or kind of scroll saw blade is a surefire way to break it, and then you have to buy more blades.

Keep plenty of blades in stock

Even if you’re the most expert scroll saw operator on earth, you will go through lots of scroll saw blades.

Many of the blades reviewed here come in multiple packs. Consider buying more. You’ll thank me later.