Convetional brass is still allowed to contain up to 3.5 wt.% lead even though lead is a hazardous metal. However, due to environmental concerns lead-free brasses are becoming increasingly available. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the machinability of a lead-free brass alloy, CuZn21Si3P, as compared to a convetionally used, lead-alloyed alternative, CuZn39Pb3. The attained results show that CuZn21Si3P has a considerably higher strength than the lead-alloyed material resulting in significantly higher cutting forces. This increase in cutting forces was found to result in more rapid deterioration of the cutting tool, raising concerns for higher manufacturing cost if not properly adressed.