What is a bi-metal blade vs. a carbide-tipped blade?

The choice between these two blades comes down to a trade-off between cost, durability, and application.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of a bi-metal blade versus a carbide-tipped blade.

Bi-Metal Blade

The Core Concept: A blade made of two different types of steel welded together to get the best properties of each.

• The Body (Backing): Made of a flexible, high-carbon spring steel. This makes the blade very durable and resistant to shattering under stress and bending.

• The Teeth: Made of a separate, much harder High-Speed Steel (HSS) that is electron-beam welded onto the body. HSS can withstand the high friction heat generated when cutting metal.

Think of it as: A flexible, shock-absorbing body with incredibly hard, heat-resistant teeth.

Best For: Cutting METAL and other hard materials.

• Steel, aluminum, copper, brass

• Stainless steel (with the appropriate tooth design and lubrication)

• Plastics, fiberglass

• Often used on reciprocating saws (Sawzalls), band saws, and portable circular saws for demolition and metalwork.

Key Characteristics:

• Pros:

  • Flexible & Durable: The spring steel body can withstand twists, bends, and impacts that would snap a rigid blade.

  • Heat Resistant: The HSS teeth stay hard even when they get red-hot.

  • Cost-Effective for Metal: They are the standard for metal cutting and last much longer than carbon steel blades.

• Cons:

  • Dulls Faster on Wood: While it can cut wood, it will dull much more quickly than a carbide blade when used on lumber, especially with nails or dirt.

  • Not for Fine Woodworking: The teeth are integrated and can’t be sharpened to the same razor edge as carbide, so cuts in wood won’t be as clean.

Carbide-Tipped Blade

The Core Concept: A blade with individual teeth (tips) made of ultra-hard carbide that are brazed (a high-temperature welding process) onto a steel body.

• The Body: Made of a rigid, high-quality steel. It’s not designed to be flexible like a bi-metal blade.

• The Teeth (Tips): Made of Tungsten Carbide, a material that is significantly harder than HSS. It’s so hard and brittle that the tips are often just small rectangles brazed onto the steel tooth.

Think of it as: A rigid, precision body with individual, super-hard “chisels” (the carbide tips) that stay sharp for a very long time.

Best For: Cutting WOOD and wood-composite materials.

• Dimensional lumber, plywood, MDF, OSB

• Hardwoods and softwoods

• Melamine and laminated materials

• The standard blade for table saws, miter saws, and circular saws used in woodworking and carpentry.

Key Characteristics:

• Pros:

  • Extreme Hardness & Edge Retention: Stays sharp up to 50-200 times longer than a steel blade when cutting wood. It resists abrasion from the resins in plywood and MDF.

  • Clean, Precise Cuts: Ideal for fine woodworking and finish carpentry where a smooth cut is critical.

  • Can Be Re-sharpened: A skilled professional can re-sharpen the carbide tips multiple times, extending the blade’s life significantly.

• Cons:

  • Brittle: Carbide tips are prone to chipping if they hit a nail, rock, or are dropped on a hard surface.

  • More Expensive: The initial cost is much higher than a bi-metal blade.

  • Rigid: The blade body is not flexible and can crack under impact or misuse.

Head-to-Head Comparison Table

The “Can I Use It For…” Scenarios

• “Can I use a carbide-tipped blade to cut metal?”

  • Generally, No. The extreme hardness and brittleness of carbide mean that hitting the rigid structure of metal can easily chip or shatter the tips. It’s also the wrong tooth geometry.

• “Can I use a bi-metal blade to cut wood?”

  • Yes, but it’s not ideal. It will work in a pinch, especially for rough cuts where a nail might be present. However, it will dull much faster than a carbide blade and won’t leave a clean finish.

The Exception: Carbide Grit Blades

It’s worth mentioning a third type: the Carbide Grit Blade. Instead of sharp teeth, the edge is a continuous rim coated with industrial diamond or silicon carbide grit. These are used for extremely abrasive materials that would quickly destroy a toothed blade, such as:

• Fiber cement board (like HardieBacker)

• Ceramic tile

• Slate and brick

Summary

• Choose a Bi-Metal Blade when your primary task is cutting metal and you need a blade that can handle shock and flex.

• Choose a Carbide-Tipped Blade when your primary task is cutting wood and you want a long-lasting, clean-cutting blade.