Do Pointed Drill Bits Work Better?

A good question. Seems intuitive. Drill bits for wood come to a point. Knives work better when they’re sharp; Scissors too.

Why don’t we sell glass drill bits that are pointed and sharp? We do recommend pointed drill bits, but they’re for special uses, such as reaming out the clogged holes in beads.

Pointed bits are easy to use for one or two holes, or maybe only half of a hole. But as soon as the point wears out, they stop drilling.

The real problem with pointed drill bits is… the point. The point goes in first and the rest of the drill bit follows. The point is the smallest and narrowest part of the drill bit: that means fewer diamonds.  There’s just less room at the point. The point will wear out first.

Remember those yellow number 2 pencils in school? The point of those pencils always wore out first.  If the point of your pencil wore out or was broken it really didn’t matter how much lead was in the rest of the pencil. Like those pencils, when the point wears, the rest of the drill bit won’t matter either.

For drilling holes in glass, stone and tile, we suggest that you use a diamond drill bit with a round end or a diamond core bit — neither of which is pointed or sharp.

The point is: always use a diamond core bit or a round end bit. You’ll get a lot more holes drilled for your money.

For more on drilling, read our guide, “How to Drill Glass, Tile and Stone.” Click here for your FREE copy.