Skip to content
Every blade is made to order and welded to your length. Your basket shows the expected delivery date before you pay.
The Bandsaw Store
A bandsaw following a pencilled curve in a thick piece of pale timber with two gloved hands guiding it, sawdust on the table and finished curved components stacked on the right

Dakin-Flathers Saw37C

Carbon steel bandsaw blades

The workhorse family for wood, panel products, plastics and non-ferrous metals: hardened carbon teeth on an economical band, welded to the exact length your machine takes.

Shop carbon steel bladesHow custom lengths work

One steel, two backs

Every blade in this family is milled from one strip of hardened carbon steel: teeth and body are the same material, with no alloy tip and no welded-on edge. That simplicity keeps the cost of a band down, which matters in workshops that change blades often, swap between varied profiles or would rather fit a fresh edge than nurse a dull one.

The choice inside the family is the back. A flexback blade hardens only the tooth edge and leaves the back softer, so the band flexes: it tolerates smaller wheel diameters and follows contour work willingly. A hardback blade is hardened through the back as well, trading flexibility for beam strength: under feed pressure in a deep, straight cut it holds its line. Between them the two backs cover softwood, hardwood, chipboard, MDF, plastics and non-ferrous metals. The last row of the table below shows which of the two we list at the moment.

Where the work turns to steel, step up to a bi-metal blade, whose high speed steel edge keeps its hardness at cutting temperature. Whatever the back, the band is welded to the exact loop length your machine takes.

Flexback or hardback

Same steel, same teeth, one difference: whether the back of the band is hardened. That single variable decides how the blade behaves, so it is the first question to settle before pitch or width.

Flexback against hardback carbon blades. Qualitative by design: the honest differences are in behaviour, not numbers.
ConsiderationFlexbackHardback
Back hardnessHardened tooth edge on a softer, flexible back.Hardened through the back as well as the tooth edge.
Beam strengthModest. The back gives under heavy feed pressure before the cut does, which is the price of its flexibility.Higher. The stiff back resists deflection, so the band holds a straight line under feed pressure in deep cuts.
Wheel diameter toleranceTolerates smaller wheel diameters, which suits compact workshop bandsaws.Prefers larger wheels: a fully hardened back is worked harder every time it bends over a small wheel.
Contour workThe contour blade. In narrower widths it follows curves willingly without binding in the kerf.Built for straight-line cutting. When the cutting list curves, reach for a narrower flexback instead.
Typical dutiesGeneral woodworking, joinery, curved and varied profiles, plastics and non-ferrous metals.Deep, straight ripping and resawing in timber and panel products, where accuracy under feed matters.
In our rangeSaw37C Flex Back Carbon Bandsaw BladeNot currently listed

What carbon blades cut

The workpieces below are the manufacturer's published range for this family. The guidance is general workshop practice: your machine, feed and stock condition matter as much as the blade.

Typical carbon steel blade workpieces with general cutting guidance. Material names link to our dedicated guides where one exists.
MaterialCutting guidance
SoftwoodCuts fast and gently on the blade, but resin builds up on teeth and band until a coated edge rubs instead of cutting. Run coarser pitches on deep rips so the gullets clear the chip, keep the band clean and keep the feed steady.
HardwoodDenser and more abrasive, so edges dull sooner and a wandering band burns the cut. Run the widest band your machine will tension for deep, straight ripping, and keep the feed positive so every tooth bites rather than rubs.
ChipboardThe resin glue line dulls a carbon edge faster than the wood fibre around it. A consistent, finer pitch keeps panel edges clean; treat blades as consumables and change them before the cut edge starts to chip out.
MDFUniform and predictable to cut, with fine dust as the price. A finer pitch leaves a crisp edge on faces and mouldings; watch your extraction and change the blade as soon as the cut face turns fluffy.
PlasticsHeat is the enemy: too fast a band or too timid a feed melts the kerf shut behind the blade. Keep band speed down, feed positively so the chip carries the heat away and prefer coarser pitches that will not clog.
Non-ferrous metalsThin sections of aluminium, brass and copper cut well with a fine pitch and reduced band speed. Soft alloys pack gullets, so clear swarf often and keep the band lubricated. For steels, move to a bi-metal blade.

Choosing pitch and width

This family carries published widths from 3 to 32mm and pitch options from 2 to 32 TPI; each product page lists its own options. Three general rules narrow them down quickly.

  1. Keep 4 to 24 teeth in the cut

    The working rule for any bandsaw blade: at least 4 teeth in the workpiece so the band does not snatch, no more than 24 so each tooth still bites and the gullets can clear. Measure the depth of cut, then pick the pitch that keeps you inside that window.

  2. Fit the widest band the machine will tension

    Width buys straightness. A wider band resists deflection in deep rips and resawing, so run the widest band your wheels and guides will tension properly and let the published width range set the ceiling.

  3. Go narrower and finer for curves

    Contour work reverses both rules. A narrower flexback band follows the radius without binding, and on shallow cuts a finer pitch puts more teeth in the work and leaves a cleaner face.

Rather answer questions than apply rules? The blade wizard works through the same logic for you.

The carbon steel range

From Dakin-Flathers: published widths from 3 to 32mm, every band welded to the length you order.

Shop all carbon steel blades

How carbon blades are priced

Our metal-cutting blades are priced by the millimetre. Carbon blades work differently: for each width there is a price for every length band, and a blade costs the price of the band its length falls in. That price covers the blade welded to the length you order.

Enter your length on the product page and the price for your length shows before you add the blade to your basket. Where a width is not offered at a length, that length is not available for that width.

The first band covers lengths up to
2440mm (2.44m)
The longest band ends at
10670mm (10.67m)

A blade longer than the longest band cannot be priced online. Contact us with the length you need.

Where carbon blades earn their keep

The industries that reach for carbon first, because blade cost per cut beats edge life per blade on their work.

Material guides for this family

From the blog

Frequently asked questions

What are carbon steel bandsaw blades best for?

General woodworking, joinery, furniture production, panel products such as MDF and chipboard, plastics and softer non-ferrous metals. They are the most economical construction and suit workshops that change blades often or cut varied profiles.

What is the difference between flexback and hardback carbon blades?

A flexback blade has a hardened tooth edge with a flexible, softer back that tolerates smaller wheel diameters and contour work. A hardback blade is hardened through the back as well, giving higher beam strength for straighter cuts under feed pressure.

Can carbon steel blades cut metal?

Yes, within limits. Thin sections of aluminium, brass and copper cut well with a fine TPI and reduced band speed. For steels, a bi-metal blade is the right construction because its HSS tooth edge keeps hardness at cutting temperature.

Not sure a carbon blade is the right one for your work? Tell the blade wizard what you cut and it will shortlist a blade.

Try the blade wizard