A Simple Guide To Common Tooth Grinds
What Is Tooth Geometry?
Saw blade tooth geometry refers to the shape, angle, and arrangement of the cutting teeth on a circular saw blade.
Depending on the cutting material and cutting direction, selecting the correct tooth grind is essential for achieving clean cuts, smooth surfaces, and stable cutting performance.
Among all blade design factors, the three most critical elements are:
- Tooth geometry
- Number of teeth
- Tooth angle
In this guide, we focus on tooth geometry (tooth grind), as it directly affects cutting quality, chip formation, delivery speed, and tool life.
Most Common Tooth Geometries
FTP – Flat Top (FZ, Flachzahn)
Flat-top teeth are primarily used for ripping along the grain and heavy material removal.
Typical applications:
- Ripping solid wood
- Wood hogging operations
ATB – Alternate Top Bevel (WZ, Wechselzahn)
ATB teeth alternate bevel angles left and right, allowing cleaner shearing of wood fibers.
Typical applications:
- Crosscutting
- General purpose woodworking
- Metal cutting
If the bevel angle exceeds 20°, it is classified as H-ATB (High Alternate Top Bevel) for finer cuts.
TCG – Triple Chip Grind (FZ/TR, Flachzahn–Trapezzahn)
This geometry alternates between a trapezoidal tooth and a flat-top tooth, offering high edge strength and surface stability.
Typical applications:
- Panel sizing
- General purpose woodworking
- Non-ferrous metal cutting
Further Tooth Geometries for Wood Processing
Conical Flat (KON/FZ, Konisch-Flachzahn)
Conical ATB (KON/WZ, Konisch-Wechselzahn)
Conical-shaped teeth designed for scoring saw blades, ensuring clean board edges before main cutting.
Hollow Face (HZ/DZ, Hohlzahn-Dachzahn)
Hollow ground teeth combined with inverted V profiles.
Typical applications:
- Melamine-faced boards
Uni-TCG / Trapezoidal (TZ, Trapezzahn)
A reinforced trapezoidal tooth design offering high impact resistance.
Typical applications:
- Boards containing embedded metal elements
MTCG – Modified Triple Chip Grind
A double trapezoidal teeth design offering high impact resistance.
Typical applications:
- Solid Surface
- Demolition processing
L / R - Left or Right Bevel (ES, Einseitig Spitz)
Single-bevel teeth that can be used individually or in combinations. Combination layouts such as 4L+1R or 4R+1L
Typical applications:
- Trimming
- Hogging
Combination Tooth Grinds
To achieve optimal cutting results across diverse materials, combination tooth geometries are widely used.
LRS (FT/WZ, Flachzhan-Wecheslzahn)
Combines ATB and flat-top teeth.
Typical applications:
- Hogging
- Grooving
ABABR (4+1 Tooth Pattern)
A repeating pattern of two ATB teeth followed by one flat-top tooth, with a 0° face bevel.
Typical applications:
- Angle cutting on miter saws
LRLRS (4+1 Tooth Pattern)
A repeating pattern of two ATB teeth followed by one flat-top tooth, with a 5° face bevel.
Typical applications:
- Plexiglass (PMMA) cutting
- Precision trimming
Tooth Geometries Commonly Used for Metal Cutting
Different metal cutting applications require specific tooth geometries to manage heat, impact, and chip evacuation.
The following designs are widely used in metal-cutting circular saw blades to ensure cutting stability and surface quality.
T2 (AD)
Flat-top teeth with alternating left and right face bevels.
Typical applications:
- Non-ferrous metals
- Aluminum cutting
CC = Modified ATB (MATB)
Alternate top chamfer.
MCC = Modifier CC
Alternate top shallow chamfer.
CTC = California Triple Chip
A combination of CC grind and trapezoidal tooth.
CB = Chip Breaker
Alternate top with dual shallow chamfers.
CBD
CB grind combined with a trapezoidal tooth for improved chip control.
Tooth grind selection plays a critical role in cutting performance, as each geometry is designed for specific materials and cutting demands. Understanding these differences helps ensure clean results, longer tool life, and stable operation. There is no universally “best” grind—only the most appropriate choice for your application.