Review on Versatile JCB Tools 18 Piece Jigsaw Blades for Wood, Metal, Laminate & Plastic Cutting - Compatible with Multiple Brands, Includes Storage Case by Greg Harris

These blades are sharp, sharpened, unstamped, cut well and hold well. It's hard to predict what next job I'll need it for, so choosing increases my chances of having something on hand that will work well for every job. The box is bulky and takes up too much room in my tool bag, I put the blades in a ziplock bag and threw the case away. The picture shows a carbon steel blade (marked "HCS") after several cuts in the wood. The edge shows no signs of wear and you can see the smart grind on the teeth, not just a straight cut but also some relief that the tooth on the cutting edge is cutting through the wood fibers like a knife and not just a chisel. I recommend that you don't run HCS blades (or any blade for that matter) at high speed, believing they will cut faster. Heat dulls blades, and high speed creates heat. The high speed also makes it difficult for each tooth to penetrate the surface of the workpiece. Every tooth must be cut at every stroke. If he's not cutting, or not cutting enough, he's just rubbing, and that quickly heats him up until he goes sour. Be careful of the size of the sawdust you are creating. I find that lower speeds give me good chips, more like a grain of salt than fine dust. This is a sign that the saw teeth are penetrating the chips and pulling them with them. If you take care that the blade cuts and not just rubs, the blade can last a long time. Cutting metal generates MUCH more heat. Do not use HCS blades in metal. High speed steel (marked "HSS”) blades withstand heat MUCH better than carbon steel. HCS blades will simply burn out in a cut or two. At $1 each, they're comparable to this Bosch kit: https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-10-Piece-Assorted-T-Tail-T5002/dp/B0000TZZVA. For my money I would walk around with Bosch all day just to ensure quality control. There's not much you can see in a product like this (alloy composition, quenching/tempering process, etc.) and only the brand can assure you that it gets the attention it deserves and makes no compromises to keep costs down.