Favorite (and Unfavorite) Brand Saw Blades

DickF

New User
Dick
Well, I've certainly been convinced to add rip and crosscut blades to my inventory and keep the combo blade for miscellaneous small stuff, more tools! :D
 

Willemjm

Willem
Corporate Member
By
Piece of cake on a 7' long jointer!
By chance ripping 8’ boards today, no feather board, just me alone, glue line cut, piece of cake.

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junquecol

Bruce
Senior User
Back on blades, I use either an Oldham, or Delta 40 tooth general purpose blade 90% of the time. For sheet goods, use a H O Schumacher (Letez) blade. Bought two when Letez got rid of these. Most expensive blade is a Forrest WWII. Hit a hidden SKU tag staple and lost several teeth. After Forrest finished raping me for repairs and TWO SHARPENINGS, I was only a couple bucks away from the price I paid for blade new. For ripping thin (1/4") maple nosing strips, I use my Freud 50 tooth combo blade.
 

Matt Furjanic

New User
Matt
Great responses here. Lots of good info.
I agree with using a rip blade to rip and a crosscut blade for cross cuts; however, I usually leave a good combo blade on my saw for most routine cuts. But it is pretty easy to change the blade on my SawStop pro, and I do so frequently when sawing choice material.
I use a lot of exotic (expensive) woods for my inlay business, and rely on the bandsaw for almost all of my cutting. Using a .022” Spectrum supply bandsaw Blade that results in a .040” kerf, really reduces the waste. When you are cutting ebony at $100 per board foot, or some other high-priced exotics, don’t even consider using a table saw.
 

Matt Furjanic

New User
Matt
I have only praise for Spectrum. Their blades are priced right, and they are consistant. What I mean by consistant is: I use a lot of blades by sawing very hard exotic woods, and lots of cuts, both long grain and cross grain cuts. The blades dull over time and have to be replaced. I order ten at a time, and when I change blades, I do not have to adjust the tension, guides, or tracking. My go to blade is their “Kerf Master,” 1/2 x .022 x 3/4T. This provides a very smooth cut with a very narrow, about .040” kerf.
 

Willemjm

Willem
Corporate Member
I have only praise for Spectrum. Their blades are priced right, and they are consistant. What I mean by consistant is: I use a lot of blades by sawing very hard exotic woods, and lots of cuts, both long grain and cross grain cuts. The blades dull over time and have to be replaced. I order ten at a time, and when I change blades, I do not have to adjust the tension, guides, or tracking. My go to blade is their “Kerf Master,” 1/2 x .022 x 3/4T. This provides a very smooth cut with a very narrow, about .040” kerf.
Try Lenox Diemaster II. They will probably cost a bit more, around $50, but you will only need one. It will probably last longer than all the ten together, which you are now using.
 

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
I'll give one a try. I proved what happens when a blade just touches a hidden nail.
 

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
Try Lenox Diemaster II. They will probably cost a bit more, around $50, but you will only need one. It will probably last longer than all the ten together, which you are now using.
But not for a 4 tpi rip. Bi-metal. 10 tpi and up.
 

sawman101

Bruce Swanson
Corporate Member
For ripping, nothing compares to Frued's Glue Line Thin Kerf; the blade rips through almost everything like it was butter, but don't try any crosscutting, it just plain cuts crooked.
 

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
Just got my CMT wide kerf rip. For what I need it for, excellent. Compared ripping 5/4 oak and can tell now much easier my thin kerf Diablo runs. 1 3/4 HP, so may not be noticeable for 3 HP users. Butter vs soft butter. Each will have its use. Quality of cut was comparable.
 

sawman101

Bruce Swanson
Corporate Member
I'm using the Woodcraft Bands, and I endorse them 100%. Best blades I've hung on my band saws yet. John would love to hear from you!
And how would you know?

tried crosscutting a hot dog, like they do with in the Saw Stop demos--it came out crooked, but the saw kept on running.......You had to ask, didn't you Bruce ;) ;) ;) ;):p
I have quite a number of 10" blades I've acquired over the years, including a Forest Woodworker ll, try a rip cut with the Forest, or any other blade you have, then do a rip cut with the Glue Line Rip; the difference of ease of cut, and the quality of the cut edge of the board will be very noticeable. One day I was making a picture frame, and forgot I had the Glue Line Rip blade mounted up; the 45 degree cuts were not 45 degrees nor were they straight--learned quickly rip blades are for rip cuts--only.
 
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Oka

Casey
Corporate Member
THe last sentence you wrote wrong... should be " and may change every 6 months by any bidding fool." :p

Yes they do. Of course, who actually makes what is still up to the normal bidding wars and may change every 6 months for any given tool.
 

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