Carbide vs Bi-Metal vs HSS: Blade & Bit Materials Explained (2026 Guide)

You can spend hours comparing brands, reading reviews, and watching YouTube videos about which reciprocating saw blade to buy. But here’s what most people miss: the material your blade is made from matters more than the name on the package.

A $30 carbide blade from a brand you’ve never heard of will outlast a $15 bi-metal blade from a top brand every single time. The material determines how long the blade stays sharp, what it can cut, how much heat it handles, and whether it snaps on the third cut. This guide breaks down the five cutting materials you’ll encounter—HCS, HSS, bi-metal, carbide, and diamond—so you can stop guessing and start buying the right blade for the job.

The Five Cutting Materials at a Glance

Material	Made From	Best For	Durability	Heat Resistance	Cost
HCS (High Carbon Steel)	Carbon + iron, no alloys	Softwood, PVC, drywall	Low—dulls fast	Poor (softens at ~300°F)	$—cheapest
HSS (High Speed Steel)	Steel + tungsten/molybdenum/chromium	General drilling (wood + metal)	Moderate—3-5x HCS	Good (holds edge to ~1,100°F)	$$
Bi-Metal	HSS teeth welded to spring steel body	Recip saw demolition, nail-embedded wood	High—10x HCS	Good (HSS teeth handle heat)	$$–$$$
Carbide (Tungsten Carbide)	Tungsten + carbon sintered, brazed to steel	Metal cutting, circular saw blades, abrasive materials	Very High—50x bi-metal on metal	Excellent (holds edge to ~1,500°F)	$$$–$$$$
Diamond	Industrial diamond bonded to steel substrate	Tile, glass, stone, concrete	Extreme on masonry/tile	Excellent with water cooling	$$$$

Durability ratings compare blades cutting their intended materials. A diamond blade won’t help you cut wood any better than HCS.

High Carbon Steel (HCS)

High carbon steel is the simplest and oldest cutting material. It’s just iron with extra carbon—typically 0.6% to 1.5%—and zero fancy alloys. That extra carbon lets the steel be hardened to around 55-60 HRC (Rockwell C scale), which is hard enough to slice through soft materials cleanly. Think of HCS like a sharp kitchen knife: it cuts beautifully when fresh but needs resharpening after every meal.

HCS blades are the cheapest option on the shelf, and that’s actually an advantage in certain situations. If you’re doing scroll cuts in softwood with a jigsaw, HCS blades flex without snapping—something harder materials struggle with. That flexibility also makes them ideal for tight-radius cuts where a stiffer blade would bind. The trade-off? They dull quickly, especially if you push them through anything harder than pine.

When to Use HCS

• Softwood jigsaw cuts (pine, cedar, poplar)
• Scroll and curved cuts where flexibility prevents blade snapping
• PVC, drywall, and soft plastics
• Disposable applications where you’ll toss the blade after the job

When to Avoid HCS

• Hardwood (oak, maple, walnut)—dulls almost immediately
• Any metal cutting—the teeth will round off on the first pass
• High-speed cutting applications—HCS softens quickly from friction heat

For a budget-friendly HCS jigsaw blade set, the WORKPRO 36-Piece Woodworking Jigsaw Blade Set (around $13) gives you a variety of T-shank HCS blades for different wood-cutting profiles. At roughly 35 cents per blade, you can afford to swap them frequently—which is exactly how HCS blades should be used.

Property	HCS Value
Composition	Iron + 0.6–1.5% carbon
Hardness	55–60 HRC
Heat Tolerance	~300°F before softening
Flexibility	High—bends without snapping
Edge Retention	Low—dulls quickly on dense materials
Cost	$0.25–$1.00 per blade
Common Forms	Jigsaw blades, hand saw blades, scroll saw blades

High Speed Steel (HSS)

High speed steel is what happens when you take carbon steel and add tungsten, molybdenum, chromium, and vanadium. These alloy additions transform a basic steel into a material that keeps its edge at temperatures up to 1,100°F (600°C)—nearly four times the heat tolerance of HCS. The name “high speed” comes from industrial machining: HSS tools could operate at much higher RPMs than plain carbon steel without losing their temper (literally—”temper” is the metallurgical term for hardness).

HSS is the workhorse material behind almost every twist drill bit you’ll find at the hardware store. When you grab a set of drill bits labeled “HSS” or “high speed steel,” you’re getting a general-purpose tool that handles wood, soft metals, and plastics without complaint. Most HSS drill bits run 62-65 HRC hardness, which is meaningfully harder than HCS while retaining enough toughness that the bits don’t shatter on impact.

When to Use HSS

• General-purpose drilling in wood, soft metal, and plastic
• Standard twist drill bits for most DIY tasks
• Step bits for sheet metal and electrical boxes
• Any drilling where you need one bit to handle multiple materials

When to Avoid HSS

• Hardened steel or stainless steel—HSS dulls quickly on these
• Concrete, tile, or masonry—totally wrong material for the job
• Extended metal-cutting production—carbide holds up much longer

HSS is also the base material for most coated drill bits. Titanium nitride (TiN), black oxide, and cobalt coatings all start with an HSS core and add surface treatments to improve heat resistance and hardness. The coating matters, but only because the HSS underneath provides the fundamental toughness. We cover coatings in depth in our drill bit coatings guide.

For a reliable HSS drill bit set, the DEWALT DW1361 Titanium Pilot Point 21-Piece Set (around $30) is one of the best-selling sets on Amazon for good reason. The pilot point tips reduce walking on smooth surfaces, and the titanium nitride coating extends the already-solid HSS life. This set covers 1/16″ to 1/2″ in common increments—enough for 95% of DIY drilling tasks.

Property	HSS Value
Composition	Iron + carbon + tungsten + molybdenum + chromium + vanadium
Hardness	62–65 HRC (up to 67 HRC for M42 cobalt grades)
Heat Tolerance	~1,100°F (600°C) before softening
Flexibility	Moderate—more brittle than HCS
Edge Retention	Good—3-5x longer than HCS
Cost	$1–$3 per bit (standard), $3–$8 per bit (cobalt/coated)
Common Forms	Twist drill bits, step bits, hole saws, some jigsaw blades

Bi-Metal

Bi-metal is arguably the most clever engineering solution in the cutting tool world. Take an HSS strip—hard enough to cut metal—and electron-beam weld it to a spring steel body that’s flexible enough to bend without breaking. You get teeth that stay sharp and a body that absorbs vibration and impact. It’s why bi-metal dominates the reciprocating saw blade and jigsaw blade markets.

The “electron-beam welded” part isn’t marketing fluff. The weld fuses the HSS cutting edge to the spring steel back at the molecular level, creating a bond stronger than either material alone. This means you can bend a bi-metal recip blade almost 90 degrees without it snapping—try that with a carbide blade and you’ll have two pieces of expensive metal shrapnel.

Why Bi-Metal Dominates Recip and Jigsaw Blades

Reciprocating saws and jigsaws share a common problem: the blade moves back and forth rapidly while being pushed into the material at an angle. This creates enormous stress at the blade root. A purely hard blade (like solid HSS or carbide) can’t flex with the motion and eventually cracks from fatigue. A purely flexible blade (like HCS) bends fine but the teeth round off in minutes. Bi-metal solves both problems simultaneously.

When to Use Bi-Metal

• Reciprocating saw demolition—cutting through nail-embedded wood, framing, old construction
• Jigsaw cutting in mixed materials or hardwoods
• General-purpose cutting where you might hit nails or screws unexpectedly
• Hacksaw blades for metal cutting by hand

When to Avoid Bi-Metal

• Stainless steel or hardened steel—the HSS teeth will dull; step up to carbide
• Softwood-only cuts—HCS is cheaper and cuts just as well in pine
• Tile, stone, or concrete—wrong material entirely (you need diamond)

The industry standard for bi-metal recip blades is the DEWALT DW4898 10-Piece Bi-Metal Reciprocating Saw Blade Set (around $20). It includes a mix of 6 TPI wood-cutting and 18 TPI metal-cutting blades in 6″ and 9″ lengths. For jigsaw work, the Bosch T18CHCL 18-Piece T-Shank Set (around $20) is the gold standard—it includes HCS, HSS, and bi-metal blades sorted by application, so you always grab the right one.

Property	Bi-Metal Value
Composition	HSS cutting edge + spring steel (HCS) body
Teeth Hardness	62–65 HRC (HSS teeth)
Body Hardness	45–50 HRC (flexible spring steel)
Heat Tolerance	~1,100°F at cutting edge
Flexibility	Very high—bends without breaking
Edge Retention	Good—10x longer life than HCS
Cost	$2–$5 per blade
Common Forms	Recip saw blades, jigsaw blades, hacksaw blades, hole saws, oscillating tool blades

Carbide (Tungsten Carbide)

Carbide is where cutting materials get serious. Tungsten carbide is made by sintering (heating and compressing) tungsten and carbon powders at extreme temperatures—around 2,550°F (1,400°C). The result is a material that hits 88-93 HRA (Rockwell A scale) on the hardness chart, which translates to roughly 75-80 HRC. To put that in perspective: carbide is nearly twice as hard as the HSS teeth on a bi-metal blade. Think of it like a ceramic knife—stays sharp seemingly forever, but chips if you abuse it.

You’ll encounter carbide in three main forms on cutting tools:

• Carbide-tipped (TCT): Small carbide teeth brazed onto a steel blade body. This is how virtually every circular saw blade, miter saw blade, and table saw blade is made. The steel body handles the spinning stress while the carbide tips do the cutting.
• Solid carbide: The entire cutting tool is carbide. Common in CNC router bits and specialty drill bits. Extremely hard and precise but very brittle.
• Carbide-grit: Carbide particles bonded to a steel surface, similar to how diamond tools work. Used on oscillating tool blades for cutting tile or grout.

When to Use Carbide

• Circular saw, miter saw, and table saw blades (almost all are carbide-tipped)
• Cutting stainless steel, cast iron, or hardened metals
• Demolition with heavy nail encounters—carbide teeth survive nails that destroy bi-metal
• Long production runs where blade changes waste time and money

When to Avoid Carbide

• Reciprocating saw work in tight spaces—carbide blades can’t flex and will snap if bent
• Budget jobs where a bi-metal blade does the work fine
• Tile, stone, or glass—you still need diamond for those

For carbide reciprocating saw blades, you have two excellent options depending on brand preference. The Diablo Steel Demon/Demo Demon 5-Piece Carbide Variety Pack (around $30) on Amazon includes both metal-cutting and nail-embedded-wood blades—it’s the best way to try carbide recip blades without committing to a single type. If you’re in the Milwaukee ecosystem, the Milwaukee SAWZALL Carbide 5-Piece Demolition Set at Home Depot delivers the same carbide performance with Milwaukee’s TORCH technology.

For circular saw blades, the Diablo D1060X 10″ 60-Tooth Fine Finish Blade (around $35) is a shop staple. The carbide tips stay sharp through hundreds of crosscuts, and the laser-cut body reduces vibration. If you’ve never used a Diablo blade on your miter saw, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with the blade that came with the tool.

Property	Carbide Value
Composition	Tungsten + carbon (sintered), cobalt binder, brazed to steel body
Hardness	88–93 HRA (~75–80 HRC equivalent)
Heat Tolerance	~1,500°F (800°C+) before softening
Flexibility	None—brittle, will chip or snap if bent
Edge Retention	Excellent—20-50x longer than bi-metal on metal
Cost	$6–$15 per recip blade; $25–$60 per circular saw blade
Common Forms	Circular/miter/table saw blades, recip blades, router bits, hole saws

Diamond

When nothing else can make the cut—literally—diamond steps in. Diamond cutting tools use industrial-grade diamond particles (not gemstones) bonded to a steel substrate. Diamond is the hardest known natural material at 10 on the Mohs scale, which means it can scratch and cut through anything: porcelain, ceramic tile, glass, granite, marble, and concrete. No carbide blade touches these materials without destroying itself.

You’ll find diamond tools in three manufacturing styles, each with different performance characteristics:

• Sintered diamond: Diamond particles mixed into a metal powder matrix and heated under pressure. As the surface wears, new diamond particles are exposed. Longest lasting, best for hard materials like granite. Most expensive.
• Electroplated diamond: A single layer of diamond particles bonded to steel via nickel electroplating. Very aggressive cut when new but shorter life since there’s only one layer of diamond. Good for softer stone and tile.
• Vacuum-brazed diamond: Diamond particles brazed to steel with a nickel-chromium alloy. More diamond exposure than sintered, higher cutting speed, moderate life. Great middle ground for tile and porcelain.

When to Use Diamond

• Drilling holes in ceramic or porcelain tile
• Cutting glass (bottles, mirrors, shower doors)
• Stone and granite countertop work
• Concrete drilling and cutting
• Marble, slate, and natural stone

When to Avoid Diamond

• Wood, metal, or plastic—diamond doesn’t help and you’re wasting money
• Dry cutting without water cooling (most diamond tools need water to prevent overheating and dust)
• Impact applications—diamond particles can detach from the substrate under shock loads

For hole saw kits aimed at tile and glass work, the Drilax 10-Piece Diamond Hole Saw Set (around $30) covers sizes from 1/4″ to 2″—the range you need for most tile faucet and fixture installations. These are electroplated diamond on steel, so they cut aggressively. Run them with water (even a damp sponge held against the cut helps) and they’ll last through dozens of holes in porcelain tile.

Property	Diamond Value
Composition	Industrial diamond particles bonded to steel substrate
Hardness	10 Mohs / ~98+ HRA (diamond particles themselves)
Heat Tolerance	High (with water cooling); diamond degrades above 1,400°F in air
Flexibility	None—rigid steel core
Edge Retention	Excellent on masonry/tile; not applicable to wood/metal
Cost	$3–$10 per drill bit; $15–$50 per hole saw; $20–$100+ per cutting blade
Common Forms	Tile drill bits, hole saws, concrete saw blades, glass cutters, angle grinder blades

Material Selection Cheat Sheet

Stop overthinking it. Match your material to the job and move on.

Your Job	Material to Buy	Why
Cutting softwood only (pine, cedar)	HCS	Cheapest, cuts clean, disposable
Drilling holes in wood and soft metal	HSS (coated preferred)	Versatile, affordable, handles heat
Recip saw demolition (nail-embedded wood)	Bi-Metal or Carbide	Bi-metal flexes; carbide lasts longer but costs more
Cutting stainless steel or cast iron	Carbide	Only material hard enough to survive hardened metals
Circular saw crosscuts in wood	Carbide-tipped (TCT)	Industry standard; virtually all circular saw blades are carbide
Cutting tile, porcelain, or glass	Diamond	Nothing else can cut these materials effectively
Cutting concrete or stone	Diamond	Sintered diamond for longest life on hard masonry
General DIY (mixed tasks, limited budget)	HSS bits + Bi-Metal blades	Best bang-for-buck versatility across materials

Is Carbide Worth the Extra Money?

This is the question everyone asks at the blade aisle, usually while holding a $5 bi-metal recip blade in one hand and a $12 carbide blade in the other. Let’s do the math.

A standard bi-metal reciprocating saw blade cutting through nail-embedded 2x4s will typically last about 15-25 cuts before the teeth are too dull to be productive. Call it 20 cuts at $5 per blade. That’s $0.25 per cut.

A carbide-tipped recip blade doing the same work will last 200+ cuts before the teeth wear down. At $12 per blade, that’s $0.06 per cut—roughly one-quarter the cost of bi-metal, per cut.

Metric	Bi-Metal Blade	Carbide Blade
Purchase Price	~$5	~$12
Cuts per Blade (nail-embedded wood)	~20	~200
Cost per Cut	$0.25	$0.06
Blade Changes per 200 Cuts	10 blade changes	1 blade change
Total Cost for 200 Cuts	$50 (10 blades)	$12 (1 blade)

The math is overwhelming once you factor in blade change time. Every time you swap a dull blade, that’s 30-60 seconds of downtime. Over 200 cuts, that’s 10 blade changes with bi-metal versus one with carbide. On a demolition job where you’re cutting all day, carbide pays for itself before lunch.

The verdict: If you cut metal or nail-embedded wood regularly, carbide saves money long-term. If you do occasional DIY work and cut softwood most of the time, bi-metal (or even HCS for jigsaw work) is perfectly fine. Don’t buy carbide to cut clean pine—that’s like buying a Ferrari to go grocery shopping.