EN ISO 13997
Resistance to cutting by sharp objects (TDM method)
A test-method standard: a single stroke of a straight blade measures, in newtons, the force needed for cut-through. It yields the A–F letter on glove markings; for blade-blunting materials it is the governing result.
Current edition:
EN ISO 13997:2024 — successor of EN ISO 13997:2023, EN ISO 13997:1999The method was revised in 2023 and again in 2024 (tightened equipment specifications, neoprene calibration material, new blade designs): the 2023 edition replaced the 1999 one and was itself replaced by the 2024 edition. EN 388 uses the method for the glove cut levels A–F.
A test-method standard: it is not (and has never been) independently cited on the harmonised list under Regulation (EU) 2016/425 — the TDM result enters certification through EN 388 as the A–F letter.
What does the standard require?
- Tomodynamometer (TDM): a single pass of a straight blade over the specimen, with a fresh blade after every cut
- Varying loads bracket cut-through at the 20 mm reference blade stroke — the result is a force in newtons
- Eliminates the coupe test’s blade-blunting artefact, making it the governing method for blunting (glass-fibre, steel-fibre) materials
- Covers cutting by sharp edges (knives, sheet metal, swarf, glass); gives no data for chain-mail products or pointed-object penetration
Classes and levels: EN 388 converts the measured force to levels: A = 2 N, B = 5 N, C = 10 N, D = 15 N, E = 22 N, F = 30 N.
Related standards
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Technical content cross-checked against external sources. Last reviewed: 2026-08-14. The authoritative list of harmonised versions is always the EU Official Journal.
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