Table Saw Blade Thickness
The standard table saw blade thickness is ⅛” (0.125) inches or 3.175mm at its widest points, which are the teeth. The body of the blade, which doesn’t do the cutting, is slightly smaller than ⅛”. In other words, if you’re using a table saw with a stock blade, you’ll be removing ⅛” of material with each cut you make. Standard blades are sometimes referred to as ‘thick kerf’ blades.
Standard thin kerf blades typically measure 3/32” (0.09375) inches or 2.381mm at their widest points, again being the teeth. For some speciality applications, some thin kerf blades measure 1/10” (.1000) inches or 2.54mm.
Some blades may measure slightly differently, depending on the manufacturer. For example, in the images below, the Dewalt is marked as a 0.095" (2.4mm) kerf blade and measures as such.
There are also ultra-thin kerf blades, also called micro kerf blades, which measure 5/64” (0.078125) inches or 1.984mm at their widest points, again being the teeth.
The width of the teeth are what removes the material. The gap from where the blade has removed material is known as the kerf.

A measurement is taken of the kerf on a Dewalt table saw blade. This blade measures 0.095" or 2.4mm


This angle shows that it is the tooth of the blade being measured, not the body.
The body of the blade is slightly thinner than the width of the teeth to reduce friction between the saw blade and the material. Even though it is thinner, this doesn’t guarantee that the body of the blade won’t make contact with the work piece. There is still variation in the movement of the blade as it spins.
Other Table Saw Blade Thicknesses
You’ll often hear other woodworkers refer to thin and thick kerf blades and dado stacks. Each of which have varying teeth widths that correlate to the amount of material they remove with each pass through of the material. A woodworker may opt to use a thin kerf blade when performing a rip cut to remove only a small amount of material.
This is often the case when working with very expensive or exotic woods because of their price per board foot. For example, purple heart will run around $14 to $17 per board foot, making a 4’ x 1’ x 1” (LxWxH) in the neighborhood of $60. This is quite high when compared to a board white oak the same size going for about a third of the price.
When to specifically use a thin kerf blade
You are making a lot of thin rip cuts, regardless of the wood type
You are working an expensive or exotic wood where your supply is limited
You are cutting MDF, which tends to produce a ton of sawdust
Plenty of woodworkers prefer a thin kerf blade all the time, not just for those specific scenarios. Thin kerf blades waste less material over time (marginal in the short run), allow you to dial in precise cuts, and put less stress on the motor. At the end of the day, it’s about personal preference, but in some cases a thin kerf blade is very beneficial.
MDF or Medium Density Fiberboard is notorious for kicking up a lot of sawdust - since it is just a ton of wood fibers glued together after all. If you don’t have a robust dust collection system, a thin kerf blade can be helpful in reducing the amount of dust you’d need to be cleaning up.
Thin kerf blades can be especially beneficial to users with a low horsepower table saw when cutting through denser material, like white oak. While a standard kerf blade can cut through the material, woodworkers will see some marginal improvement in the cutting efficiency and some reduction in burn marks, so as long as the rest of the table saw is aligned.
When to use thin kerf blade stiffeners / dampeners
When using an ultra-thin kerf blade, you’ll need to add a stiffening disc or dampener to the blade. A stiffener or dampener is approximately a 5” metal disc that’s added to the arbor of the table saw to provide the blade with added stability.
This helps to prevent variation in the blade’s movement so you get a more linear cut. Due to the thinness of the blade, it’s less stable, which can result in excessive runout and a bad cut. The dampener will reduce some of the cut depth of the blade.
5-Inch Size 5/8 Inch Arbor Saw Blade Stiffener Dampener | Forrest
Dampen out motor and belt vibrations from being transmitted up to the rim of the teeth
Greatly reduce cutting noise, holds blade rigid and true for better cuts on your machine
Are hardened and precision ground flat within .001" to keep your blade true
When to specifically use a thick kerf blade
Thick or standard kerf blades are your general use blades. They’re used for ripping, crosscutting, making dados and everything in between. Plan on using a standard kerf blade by default for most projects.
How to account for table saw blade thickness
When you measure and make cuts, you’ll need to account for the material removed by the blade, unless you want each piece to end up a little short. For example, if you are cutting a 2’x4’x8’ into 3 pieces, each piece will not be exactly 32”, assuming the piece was exactly 96” in length to start. Instead, the three pieces will total something close to 95 ¾”, since ¼” of material is being removed by the saw (⅛” + ⅛”).
For making rough cuts, this doesn’t make a huge difference. However, for more precise projects, like when using an expensive hardwood, you want to be 100% sure everything will align.
Let’s go back to the original example. If you need 3 pieces that are exactly 32” in length, you’ll need 2x, 2’x4’x8’ studs.
With the first stud, you’ll be able to get 2 pieces that are exactly 32” in length with about a 31 ¾” piece leftover. Then you can use the second stud to get the remaining 32” piece.
When you make a mark on a board, it can get confusing as to which side of the line to make the cut. An easy way to remember is to mark the material that needs to be removed with x’s or hash marks.
FAQ
How thick is a table saw blade in millimeters?
A table saws blade thickness is anywhere from 3.175mm for standard kerfs to 1.984mm for micro kerfs.
Blade Size | Kerf Size (inches) | Kerf Size (mm) |
Standard / Thick Kerf Blade | ⅛ or 0.125 inches | 3.175mm |
Thin Kerf Blade | 3/32 or 0.09375 inches | 2.381mm |
Ultra Thin / Micro Kerf Blade | 5/64 or 0.078125 inches | 1.984mm |
What is the thickness of a saw blade called?
The width of the material removed by the saw blade is referred to as the kerf. The kerf is related to the width of the saw blade’s teeth.
How thick is a full kerf saw blade?
A full kerf saw blade is 3.175mm or ⅛ of an inch. A full kerf saw blade is also referred to as a standard or thick kerf saw blade.