In many cases, the cause of explosions of dangerous concentrations of dust-methane-air mixtures in coal mines is the frictional contact of the ends with the destroyed mountain massif. In this regard, many scientists are conducting studies on the explosiveness of the use of cutters in mines, but they are mainly aimed not at establishing the causes of methane ignition, but at improving the systems for the pressure of methane flares. The probability of methane ignition, along with other factors, depends on the reinforcement material of the mining tool, which is one of the controversial issues of Russian and foreign researchers. In this regard, studies were carried out aimed at establishing the influence of various materials reinforcing cutters on the likelihood of methane ignition during rock cutting, for which a special stand was made. The results of the experiments showed that the explosions of the methane-air mixture are determined not by the intensity of sparking of the cutter material when it wears out, but by the accumulation of thermal energy, when the critical level of which is reached, the mixture explodes. Moreover, critical energy is achieved faster when cutting rock with harder reinforcing materials.