Bosch is now offering a jigsaw blade with some features that make it an especially smooth cutter.

Traditional jigsaw blades cut only on the upstroke, so the top surface of the workpiece is more prone to chipout. This new blade from Bosch-the T308B Xtra-Clean for Wood-is designed to cut on both the upstroke and downstroke, and that helps to reduce chipout on both faces.

Also, unlike most jigsaw blades, which are made on a stamping machine, the T308B Xtra-Clean’s teeth are ground. That makes them much sharper; all else being equal, sharp teeth cut faster and produce less chipout.

I used the Bosch blade and a typical stamped blade to make straight and curved test cuts in oak, walnut, cherry, pine, birch plywood, and melamine. The Bosch consistently produced cleaner cuts.

Much less tearout. A recently introduced jigsaw blade from Bosch made clean cuts in a variety of materials.

A package of five T308B blades sells for $14 (it’s available only with a T-shaped shank). Look for the blade at Lowe’s and woodworking specialty stores. For more information, go to www.boschtools.com.

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