How to read the number
A 6 TPI blade has a tooth every 1/6 in (about 4.2 mm). That spacing is called the pitch. A listing marked “4/6 TPI” is variable pitch: the spacing alternates along the band, which damps vibration and is more common on metal-cutting blades.
The three-teeth rule, worked out
Divide 3 by the thickness of the stock in inches. That gives the coarsest pitch that still keeps three teeth in the wood.
- 1/4 in (6 mm) stock: 12 TPI minimum, so a 14 TPI scroll blade.
- 1/2 in (13 mm): 6 TPI.
- 3/4 in (19 mm): 4 TPI, though 6 TPI cuts cleaner and still clears.
- 1-1/2 in (38 mm): 2 TPI minimum; 3 to 4 TPI in practice.
- Resawing 4 in (100 mm) and up: 2 to 3 TPI. Here the limit is no longer the number of teeth but how much sawdust each gullet can carry.
Too few teeth, too many teeth
Too few and each tooth takes a bite the workpiece cannot resist: the blade grabs, chatters and can snatch thin stock, and the cut is rough.
Too many and the gullets, the hollows between the teeth, fill before they leave the cut. The sawdust has nowhere to go, friction rises, the feed slows and the wood scorches.
Tooth form counts as much as tooth count
- Regular (standard) tooth: small gullets, a fine and smooth cut, for thin stock and tight curves.
- Skip tooth: every other tooth left out, so the gullets are wide. For softwood, resinous wood and plastics that would clog a regular blade.
- Hook tooth: a forward-leaning face that pulls itself into the wood. Fast and aggressive, for thick hardwood and resawing.
Width is a separate choice
Width decides the curve, not the finish. As a rule of thumb, a 1/8 in band turns about a 1/8 in radius, 1/4 in about 5/8 in, 3/8 in about 1-1/2 in and 1/2 in about 2-1/2 in. Wider bands track straighter on a resaw, as long as the saw can tension them.
On our band saw blade shelf
Length comes first: a blade is a closed loop, and the length stamped on your saw is the one to buy. For 93-1/2 in saws, the usual 14 in size, our band saw blades shelf covers the range. Prices read on Amazon.com on October 27, 2026:
- POWERTEC 13603, about $30 for three blades: 1/2 in at 6 TPI, 1/4 in at 6 TPI and 1/8 in at 14 TPI.
- AYAO 3/8 in, 6 TPI, about $19 for two: the general-purpose pitch.
- Wood Wolf 1/2 in, 4 TPI, about $37: a resaw band for 14 in saws.
- Wood Wolf 3/8 in, 3 TPI, about $36: the listing names 6 to 8 in stock.
For choosing width, length and pitch together, see choosing a band saw blade.
Prices quoted in this text were read on October 27, 2026. The live price is at the top of the page.
What comes up most often
Is a higher TPI always better?
No. More teeth give a smoother cut in thin stock, but each gullet is smaller. In thick wood the gullets fill with sawdust before they leave the cut, and the blade slows, heats and burns the wood.
What TPI should I use for resawing?
Two to three TPI, on the widest band your saw can tension properly, usually 1/2 in on a 14 in saw. A hook or skip tooth form helps, because its gullets are larger. Fine pitches pack in a deep cut.
Is there one blade for everything?
The usual compromise is 1/4 in wide at 6 TPI. It turns a 5/8 in radius and keeps enough teeth in 1/2 to 1-1/2 in stock, but it is too fine to resaw well and too coarse for very thin stock.
Last reviewed October 27, 2026