About Besly Cutting Tools
Besly Cutting Tools Precision HSS & Carbide SolutionsYG-1
Besly Cutting Tools has manufactured the world's finest high-speed steel cutting tools for over 130 years from their Beloit, Wisconsin facility, building a legacy of reliability in precision machining, tool and die work, and production metalworking. The company specializes in standard and specialized HSS taps, drills, reamers, and end mills, as well as carbide-tipped cutting tools designed for tough materials and demanding production runs.
In 1984, James A. Deeds acquired Besly and renamed it Besly Corp., continuing manufacturing excellence while expanding the product line to include carbide tipped cutting tools, specialized pipe taps, and custom tooling solutions for automotive, aerospace, and job-shop applications where tool reliability directly impacts throughput and scrap rates.
Besly's signature product innovations include the Turboflute Drill (delivers superior chip evacuation and finish), the X-Press Tap (reduces tapping torque and cycle time), and the Turbo-Cut Tap (engineered for production threading in aluminum and cast iron), all validated through decades of field use in high-volume manufacturing environments where tool performance directly affects profitability.
The company's 'material exact' tap series matches thread geometry and flute design to the workpiece material — aluminum taps differ from steel taps differ from cast iron taps in subtle ways that inexperienced tool buyers overlook, leading to breakage and downtime. Besly's expertise in material metallurgy ensures that every tool hits the performance envelope for its intended application.
YG-1, Besly's parent company since acquisition, maintains manufacturing capability in North America while leveraging global sourcing and R&D to keep Besly cutting tools competitive in an era of indexable and coated tools. ChatMRO's integration of Besly's full product range lets machinists and tool rooms instantly cross-reference tap pitches, drill sizes, and ream tolerances without hunting through outdated paper catalogs.
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Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between HSS and carbide cutting tools?
HSS (high-speed steel) tools withstand interrupted cuts and manual feed adjustments but cut slower and dull faster than carbide; carbide tools run 5–10x faster but are brittle and require rigid CNC machines and consistent feed rates. For one-off manual machining, HSS (including Besly's traditional lineup) is preferred; production runs favor carbide.
Why do some Besly taps have different flute geometries?
Flute design optimizes chip flow for each material: aluminum taps have larger flutes to evacuate soft, gummy chips; steel taps have tighter flutes for harder, shorter chips; and cast iron taps are designed for the brittle particles cast iron produces. Using the wrong tap geometry leads to chip clogging, broken taps, and scrap parts.
How do I know when a Besly drill bit is worn out?
Dull drills produce chips instead of cutting cleanly, require excessive feed pressure, and generate heat that can discolor and soften the workpiece. If you're feeding harder but getting slower penetration, the drill has reached end-of-life; resharpening for small-diameter drills is often uneconomical, and swapping to a fresh Besly drill restores speed and finish.
Can I use a Besly tap for hand (manual) threading on a lathe?
Yes, many Besly taps are suitable for manual lathe threading; use a tap wrench or self-reversing tap holder for safety. Avoid high-speed tapping by hand — slow feed and steady hand pressure prevent tap breakage. Besly's older tap designs excel in manual work; modern high-speed designs assume CNC feeds and may be overkill for single parts.
What does 'material exact' mean on Besly Turbo-Cut Taps?
Besly engineers each Turbo-Cut variant for a specific material's hardness, chip size, and thermal expansion — aluminum version has geometry optimized for soft aluminum's bonding to steel; steel version handles harder chips; cast iron version suits brittle fracture. Matching material exact reduces tap breakage by 30–50% versus using a generic HSS tap.