High-Speed Steel—The most versatile taps resist heat and wear to stay sharp. They’re good for most metals and plastic.

Cobalt Steel—These taps resist higher temperatures and and last twice as long as high-speed steel taps. They thread hard materials such as iron and hardened steel without damaging their cutting edges.

Carbide—The hardest and most wear-resistant taps. They last 10 times longer than high-speed steel for the best performance on hard and abrasive materials like nickel and fiberglass. Carbide can be brittle, however, so these taps require a rigid machine tool holder to prevent breakage and should not be used for hand tapping.

Carbon Steel—The economical choice for occasional hand tapping. These work on most metals and plastic but will dull more quickly than other taps.

Uncoated—The economical choice, these won't last as long as coated taps.

Titanium Nitride (TiN) Coated—Run at higher speeds and last twice as long as uncoated taps.

Titanium Carbon Nitride (TiCN) Coated—Resist heat, chipping, and wear for three times the life of uncoated taps.

Titanium Aluminum Nitride (TiAlN) Coated—No taps last longer. These are the best for high-speed, high-temperature drilling of tough materials such as iron.

Taper Chamfer—Good for both starting holes and threading through holes. These taps have the longest taper to gradually engage with the material, reducing the force needed to turn them. They can't reach the bottom of blind holes, however, so you will likely need to finish with a bottoming-chamfer tap.

Plug Chamfer—Our go-to chamfer type, these thread both through holes and blind holes. The tapered section is shorter than a taper chamfer and longer than bottoming chamfer. As a result, they're easier to turn than bottoming taps but require more force than taper taps.

Bottoming Chamfer—Cut all the way to the bottom of blind holes with taps that have the shortest taper. Since these require the most force to turn, they’re often used to finish holes started by taper- or plug-chamfer taps.

Number of Flutes—Taps with fewer flutes have more space to capture chips, so you won’t have to clear them as often. However, they can be more difficult to keep straight in the hole.

Taps Sold as Sets—Include one tap of each chamfer type.