You are perceptive and honest. They have cobalt in the metal, making them prone to edge cracking when they touch the last part of the cut. If you use a hand drill, this is what you expect. I was able to pierce the track bolts (grade 8) on the main link. If I had paid close attention to the pressure I was putting on the drill I would not have had any problems with the cutting edge breaking. I've never broken anything other than the cutting edge which was my fault overall, especially for the price.