What Cricut blade cuts what?

If you are wondering what Cricut blade cuts vinyl or which Cricut blade cuts wood, I’ve got you covered. The next time you’re working on a project and are wondering which Cricut blade to use, this is the only guide you’ll need to learn all about the Cricut tips and blades.

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When I first got my Cricut, I had no idea there were so many different Cricut blades and tips. Some of the blades (e.g. engraving tip) seemed pretty straightforward. But what about blades like the knife blade? Does the knife blade cut wood? What Cricut blade cuts vinyl?

Let’s take a moment to review the different types of blades and which machine can use what blade.

Blades for the Cricut Explore Machines

Additional tools the Cricut Explore Machines (Explore Air 2) can use:

Fine Point Blade

The Fine Point Blade comes with both the Cricut Explore Air 2 and Cricut Maker. It’s considered the default blade that you use for most projects.

It’s made from German Carbide which is a high-quality material and makes it extremely durable. It is mostly used for paper and vinyl projects and is great for iron-on (HTV), paper, cardstock, and other medium-weight materials.

The Fine Point Blade comes in silver and its premium housing is in gold. Either function pretty much the same. The replacement blades are also color-coded and have silver and premium gold blades. The premium blades have higher durability.

Materials the Fine Point Blade can cut

Printer Paper
Vinyl
Iron-on or HTV (Heat transfer vinyl)
Laminated sheets
Cardstock
Washi Tape
Parchment Paper
Vellum
Canvas
Light Chipboard
Faux Leather (Paper Thin)

Popular Fine Point Blade Projects

Deep Point Blade

If you need to cut thicker materials, the Deep Point Blade is perfect for that. The Deep point blade has a steeper blade angle (60 degrees vs 45 degrees on the fine point blades).

It’s made of more durable and harder steel. It even feels more robust in your hand. It’s easy to identify the Deep Point Blade because it is the only one in black.

Materials the Deep Point Blade can cut

Aluminum Foil
Chipboard
Thick Cardstock
Stiffened felt
Genuine Leather
Magnetic Sheets
Corrugated Paper
Foam Sheets
Cardboard

Bonded Fabric Blade

If you’ve ever cut fabric before by hand, you’ll know how difficult it is to cut it with a craft knife or Exacto knife. The Bonded Fabric Blade isn’t a rotary blade (see the Cricut Maker section for that) but it is able to cut bonded fabric.

These blades are pink which makes them easy to identify. The blades can also be used in the Fine Point Blade housing.

Materials the Bonded Fabric Blade can cut

Bonded fabric (such as silk, denim, felt, cotton, or polyester)
Fabric with an iron-on backing

Blades for Cricut Maker Machines

The Cricut Maker can use all of the Cricut Explore blades as well as the following:

Rotary Blade

The Rotary Blade comes with the Cricut Maker machine. It is THE sewing tool and lets you cut all sorts of fabric materials.

Similar to a traditional hand rotary blade, it glides across your fabrics. Combined with the Cricut, it cuts quickly and with such precision.

Materials the Rotary Blade can cut

Tissue Paper
Cork
Canvas
Chiffon
Cotton
Denim
Felt
Fleece
Silk
Polyester
Microfiber
Nylon

Knife Blade

If you thought the Deep Point Blade didn’t cut deep enough, the extra-deep Knife Blade slices through dense materials up to 3/32” thick. It’s perfect for medium in thicker materials. If you are looking to cut wood, this is the one to use.

Note: Due to longer cut times requiring Bluetooth connection, there is no longer support from Cricut for the Knife Blade tool on iOS and Android devices.

Materials the Knife Blade can cut

Balsa Wood
Basswood
Matboard
Chipboard

Quick Swap Tools

The Cricut Maker has an adaptive housing tool system that allows you to switch between different tips. You can easily switch between the different tips saving you space (and money) since you don’t need a full housing system for each one. Here is the full list of tips you can use with the Quick Swap housing.

ENGRAVING TIP

The engraving tip creates all sorts of fun things from monograms, and metal inscriptions, to even etching on plastic.

Materials the engraving tip can work on

Metal (sheets/flat pieces)
Acrylic
Aluminum
Bronze
Stainless Steel
Leather (thin)
Plastic

Related: Engraving tip project – Whiteboard Learning Mats

DEBOSSING TIP

The debossing tip creates a debossed effect which basically is creating an indented design. Similar to the engraving tip, it is primarily used for lighter materials – in particular, paper.

Materials the debossing tip can work on

Cardstock
Poster Board
Chipboard
Kraft Board
Matboard
Leather (thin)
Balsa wood

SCORING TIP AND DOUBLE-SCORING TIP

The scoring tip makes paper crafts so easy by making crisp lines that make it easy to fold.

The double scoring tool is great for scoring heavier materials like poster board and cardboard.

Materials to use with scoring tips

Copy paper
Construction paper
Scrapbook paper
Cardstock
Acetate sheets
Plastic Packaging

Materials to use with the double-scoring tip

Posterboard
Cardboard
Chipboard
Kraft board
Laminated sheets

Scoring wheel projects:

Graduation Card and Mug

Mother’s Day Card

WAVY TIP

Similar to patterns craft scissors can make, the wavy tip makes fun wavy cuts into your designs. Use the Wavy tip to create fun wavy ribbons, unique vinyl decals, gift tags, and fun envelopes.

Due to its rotary-like shape, it can also cut wavy designs in fabric!

Materials the wavy tip can cut

Copy paper
Construction paper
Cardstock
Cardboard
Posterboard
Kraft Board
Cotton
Polyester

PERFORATION TIP

The perforation tip allows you to give your projects a tear-apart effect. It’s perfect for raffle tickets, coupon booklets, or homemade journals.

Materials the perforation tip can cut

Copy Paper
Construction paper
Cardstock
Cardboard
Poster Board
Felt
Craft Foam
Vellum
Plastic
Acetate

What do the numbers on the Cricut tips mean?

You might have noticed small numbers on your blades and tips. Each one is number coded to help you identify which tip/blade they are.

Here is the guide:

Tip #	Tip/Blade
01	Scoring Wheel
02	Double Scoring Wheel
11	Perforation Blade
21	Debossing Tip
31	Wavy Blade
41	Engraving Tip

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