Question on a Forrest ww 2 saw balde

[Rick Dennington]

Hey all:
I'm looking at buying a couple of the Forrest Woodworking 2 saw blades. I've read a little on them, but not much. They are a little pricey(money's no object-- yea right), but I'd just spend it somewhere else!!

I use Freud, CMT, and Delta(Delta being the weakest)
If anyone out there uses these blades, I'd like some feedback on them--good or bad. All info appreciated. Thanks. Rick Dennington from Arkansas.

I don't make misstakes--- I have happy accidents!!!!!!!!!:cool:

[glenn bradley]

Search results here at the Creek on this subject: http://www.google.com/search?q=WWII&sitesearch=www.sawmillcreek.org

[Danny Burns]

Freud Fusion has produced some nice posts here, without the sticker shock, unless the 'cash for clunkers' applies to woodworking tools, I would consider the Fusion.

Don't forget that the WW II uses blade stiffeners $$$, while the Freud does not.

I have some WW II blades, but when it comes time to get new ones, I will be looking for a less expensive blade that performs just as well.

I'm not sure how many times you can sharpen a Freud Fusion?

[Dan Friedrichs]

They're nice blades, but there is probably better value to be found with other brands. Some people swear by them, but most find that while they are a very nice blades, other very nice blades can be bought for about half the price of a WWII.

Personally, I can't tell the difference between my $75 WWII and a $30 Freud blade.

[Matt Meiser]

I have a WWII. Unless I'm ripping a lot of heavy stock, cutting plywood and need the absolute best cut*, or cutting dados, its always on the saw. When I had to send my WWII in for sharpening I tried to find a cheaper comparable blade and tried quite a few. An Amana Prestige, 40T blade for <$40 came pretty close and is a good value. The Fusion was similar to the Amana but pricier.. Some were pretty poor (a Delta that was relabeled from a DeWalt that used to get good reviews.) It was so bad I tried a second, then a third from a different store thinking that the first and second were bad ones from the same batch. The main difference I saw was scoring. Where the Forrest didn't, the others did to one degree or another. I tried them all on both my saw and a friends to take that out of the equation.

* In this case I use a Forrest plywood blade. Even pricier.

[Rick Dennington]

Sounds so far like there are pros and cons to the WW11. I'm still listening, tho. I agree with what you guys are saying. I really like my Freuds and CMT's, and won't s.c. them by no means.

[Brian Penning]

Don't forget that the WW II uses blade stiffeners $$$, while the Freud does not.



1st time I've heard of this and I've been using mine for a few years.
Where does it say to use stiffeners?


Bit of a hassle to send them back to Forrest and their turn around time isn't exactly speedy(on 3 day week now) but they sure cut well.
They've always been at the top of reviews.

[Matt Meiser]

I do use a stiffener on my thin kerf WWII, but they aren't required according to the salesman who sold me mine. He recommended it since I was buying a TK blade, but it really wasn't needed with a full kerf. It helps with my TK Freud rip blade too.

[Bill Huber]

I have a Forest and a Freud, I used the Forest for awhile and then put on the Freud Fusion and have never looked back.

What I saw was the cuts were cleaner and easier with the Freud in purple heart and hard maple. Both blades are really good blades but I think I will just stick with the Freud.

[Phil Thien]

I have a Forest and a Freud, I used the Forest for awhile and then put on the Freud Fusion and have never looked back.

What I saw was the cuts were cleaner and easier with the Freud in purple heart and hard maple. Both blades are really good blades but I think I will just stick with the Freud.

Want my shipping address for your WWII? :D

[Bill Huber]

Want my shipping address for your WWII? :D

To late, I sold it to a friend ..... cheap.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Forrest isn't the only place that can sharpen a WWII. Ridge, Dynamic Saw, Scott Whiting (sp?) to name a few. I have two WWIIs. Just had to have them. It was a bad case of Forrest Fever. One hasn't ever been used , and probably won't. The other hit one of those staples that holds a SKU tag on, and lost FIVE TEETH. Having Forrest replace teeth, and charge me for TWO sharpenings, along with freight, I had almost as much in sharpening as I paid for the blade. I picked up a bunch of the DeWalt / Delta 7657's from Lowes when they got rid of them. That is what is on my saw almost every day.

[Leigh Betsch]

I think there must be an interaction with the saw you use and how it's set up. I have four WWIIs, two 12" and two 10", and four Freuds 1 thin kerf cross cut, 2 combos, and one rip. In all cases the WWII give a much better cut than the Freuds. If I compare the WWII ripping to the Freud rip the WWII is better, if I compare the WWII to the Freud crosscut the WWII is better, in all cases the Freuds are much louder. The chip out is non-existent with the WWII's and the finish is better that even my jointer. I'm using these blades on my MiniMax slider which is set up for the cross cut wagon to tail away from the blade, and the rip fence is also set up to tail away from the blade. I'm thinking because the saw is set so the blade never drags on the back side maybe the WWII works better and maybe the Freud is a bit more forgiving if your saw tends to drag a bit on the back side. Just a thought because I seem to have better luck than most with my WWIIs and my Freuds really don't come close.

[Rick Dennington]

Thanks guys for all the do's and dont's of the WW11. I've about decided I'm gonna try a couple just out of curiosity-lol. The pros and cons were helpful. But I won't give up my Freuds and CMT blades. I like them too much, and have used them for years, so I know what they will do. Rick D.

I don't make misstakes-- I have happy accidents.

[Tom Welch]

Add another vote for the Wood worker 2, It is the best blade I have used. On my Jet 10" Deluxe Xacta saw, I can even cut plywood with no splintering and that is without a zero clearance plate. No saw marks or burns. O yea, I use no stiffner on the blade either.

[glenn bradley]

1st time I've heard of this and I've been using mine for a few years.
Where does it say to use stiffeners?

From their website:

"We strongly recommend a dampener-stiffener (http://www.forrestblades.com/dampner.htm)against the outside of the blade for the smoothest, quietest, cuts. Dampener should be 1/2 the diameter of the saw blade ."

[glenn bradley]

1st time I've heard of this and I've been using mine for a few years.
Where does it say to use stiffeners?

From their website:

"We strongly recommend a dampener-stiffener (http://www.forrestblades.com/dampner.htm)against the outside of the blade for the smoothest, quietest, cuts. Dampener should be 1/2 the diameter of the saw blade ."

FWIW, once I did a recent re-alignment of my saw, I stopped using stabilizers even on TK blades. My thanks to the folks on this and other forums for the education that eventually led me to the point where I could accomplish a setup worthy of the tool.

[Josh Brouse]

I don't make misstakes-- I have happy accidents.


Was that just a Bob Ross "Joy of Painting" reference. Sweet

[george wilson]

I like my WWII just fine. The blade is just as thick as others,and seems to run quite true,so I've never used stiffeners on it. In my case,I have to machine out anything that goes on my old Dewalt to 3/4". So it isn't just a matter of slipping on a new product.

[Cliff Holmes]

From their website:

"We strongly recommend ...

Well of course they recommend what they sell :p

I use a WWII without a dampener and get the most beautiful cuts I've ever seen in my life. Maybe the dampener makes it quieter, but I don't see how it could make the cuts better. But hey, it's only few bucks, I think I'll get one and see.

[Rick Dennington]

Yes Josh, that is a Bob Ross saying. I like it. I see you watch Joy of Painting, too!!!! The guy sure can paint. So I take the same attitude.

[Leigh Betsch]

I bought a blade stiffener when I ordered my first two WWII full kerf blades. I don't see any difference, just like a couple people here told me. I also own one thin kerf WWII and one think kerf Freud, I use it with them.

[Rick Fisher]

I have a WWII 40 tooth full kerf and recently bought a Tenryu Gold line 40 tooth..

The Tenryu is quieter.. both cut really well.. If I could only keep one, I would keep the Tenryu...

I have 4 Freud blades.. 2 x ultimate cut off blades (60 and 80), a 50 tooth combination and a Glue line rip .. They are fine blades, but I dont think they are in the league of "great blades".. I really dont plan on buying anymore Freud..

I warped a Freud rip blade about 2 years ago. I warped so bad it nicked the tablesaw insert. Since then, I just use full kerf blades, regardless of brand.

Saw is 5hp.

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/P1140666.jpg

[Brian Penning]

Another reason I like my WW II is it's survived 2 SawStop brake impacts....lol...I need all the help I can get.

[Brian Penning]

I have a WWII 40 tooth full kerf and recently bought a Tenryu Gold line 40 tooth..

The Tenryu is quieter.. both cut really well.. If I could only keep one, I would keep the Tenryu...

I have 4 Freud blades.. 2 x ultimate cut off blades (60 and 80), a 50 tooth combination and a Glue line rip .. They are fine blades, but I dont think they are in the league of "great blades".. I really dont plan on buying anymore Freud..

I warped a Freud rip blade about 2 years ago. I warped so bad it nicked the tablesaw insert. Since then, I just use full kerf blades, regardless of brand.

Saw is 5hp.




Interesting the difference in the depths of the gullets.

[scott spencer]

Note that there can be big differences in the design and geometry of blades with a similar classification of "40T General Purpose" blade, so it's worth identifying your needs even for a "GP" blade. I've tried several. The only other blade I know of that has a similar configuration as the Fusion is the Infinity Super General, which is the cleanest cutting of any of the general purpose blades I’ve tried. Both are Hi-ATB grinds with a dual side grind and very low side clearance that results in outstanding ply and crosscuts, plus leave a very polished edge. The WWII will likely rip a bit more efficiently than the Fusion or Super General, but it’s not likely that you’ll get cleaner cuts with one. The WWII does come in a 30T configuration that’s otherwise identical to the 40T version, and it’s darn difficult to tell the cuts aparts, but the 30T is a noticeably more efficient ripper….that one fills a niche that very few blades do. They all tend to run ~$90-$110 unless on sale.

The Ridge Carbide TS2000 is very similar to the WWII 40T but has thicker carbide. Plus, like the Forrest, it’s available in full and thin kerf, and is made in the USA. Holbren sells for ~ $81 shipped with a 10% discount code “SMC10” to SMC members.

The Infinity Combomax is about the best 50T ATB/R blade I’ve tried to date. It happens to have a remarkably similar configuration to the CMT 10×50T, which I have not tried....both are made in Italy AFAIK. The CMT 40T GP blade (213.040.10) has a configuration more similar to the 40T WWII…ironically, that’s one of the few blades that I've issues with and returned it for something else…a DW7640 IIRC, which I like very much. Infinity has two higher tooth count Hi-ATB designs. The 60T (010-060) is outstanding IMO, but I haven’t tried the 80T (010-080)...no reason to think it won’t be near world class.

The Tenryu Gold Medal GM25540 is another standard 40T ATB blade that’s similar to the WWII, but is only available in one mid kerf width of 0.111”, and is made in Japan. Their RS25550 Rapid Series ATB/R 50T (made in China) is fairly comparable to the Freud LU84R011 (made in Italy)…very nice blade at ~ $45 from Holbren.

The Amana Tool line is their best line AFAIK (hard to tell sometimes...the Prestige line made in Germany is supposedly very good too, but haven't tried one). Made in Israel, heavy duty carbide tips, industrial kerf widths, etc. I’ve tried the 20T RB1020, the 50T ATB/R 610604, and the 60T ATB 610600. All excellent blades, usually available at a good price. None necessarily eclipses the comparable Infinity, Ridge Carbide, and Forrest versions, etc., but they’re very close, can be resharpened a bunch, and are often less expensive.

The old DeWalt series 60 DW7657 had a similar configuration to the WWII, and sold at a bargain price of ~ $50. I believe that blade has morphed into the current Delta Industrial 35-7657…not sure it’s exactly the same anymore because it’s country of origin switched from the UK to the USA. I tried the DW7657 a couple of years ago and was impressed with it’s value. I just put a Delta 35-7657 on the saw Saturday, but have only made one cut so far...it shows promise. The DW7640 50T ATB/R (rated #1 by PW a while back w/consideration for price) is also a terrific all around blade that has become the Delta 35-7640, and also switched from being made in the UK to the USA since B&D bought Pentair. Both the old series 60 DWs and current Delta line have been selling real cheap on Ebay lately….nice opportunity for someone looking for near top shelf performance at a bargain price.

Speaking of bargains, the Oshlun line (formerly Avenger, now made in China) is surprisingly well made, and is available with the above mentioned Holbren discount for the grand total of ~ $25 to your door….not quite WWII caliber, but good enough for most general purpose work.

Stiffeners shouldn't be needed if the saw and blade run true, especially with a full kerf blade...it's usually a bandaid for another issue if needed. Theoretically, the stiffeners are more right than wrong and can be a cheap improvement to a bigger issue. They're an excellent profit item for the manufacturer, but I've never noticed a difference with or without....a statement that I've seen repeated many times from others.

HTH…

[Rob Price]

I have a $40 freud 40T combo, a 24T Freud glue-line rip, and a 40T WWII full kerf. The WWII is hands down the better blade. By a lot? Maybe not. But it rips better than my ripping blade, and the crosscuts are beautiful with littler tearout. I did just fine with my freud 40T blade, before I had the WWII. So do you NEED one? No. Will it cut (a little) better- probably so. The cost:benefit ratio is very individual though. I go straight from ripping on the table saw to clamps with my WWII when making panels, if you use a jointer, than it probably doesn't matter what you use.

Wood Mag. did a fairly good review on combo blades last year. Freud Fusion and WWII were top of the heap, but followed VERY closely by other less expensive blades.

There are subtle differences, whether or not you find them significant is "in the eye of the beholder."

[scott spencer]

Freud Fusion and WWII were top of the heap, but followed VERY closely by other less expensive blades.

There are subtle differences, whether or not you find them significant is "in the eye of the beholder."

You forgot one... The Infinity Super General, Freud Fusion, and WWII were top of the heap...

...Actually now that I've refreshed my memory, they created enough categories so that darn near everyone got a "Participants" award! :rolleyes:

Full-kerf blades
priced $97 or more:
You’ll be happy with the cuts you get
with any of these premium blades. The
Freud P410 and Infinity 010-044 scored
slightly better than the others, earning
Top Tool honors. Both of those blades
owe some of their success to their highly
beveled, 30˚ teeth that cut crisp edges
but will dull faster than the 20˚ beveled
teeth on the Forrest WW10407125 and
15˚ beveled teeth on the Ridge Carbide TS21040.
So we’re also recommending the Forrest blade for
work in solid stock, though if used without a
zero-clearance insert it will produce more tearout
or chip-out in plywood or melamine than
the Freud or Infinity blades.

Full-kerf blades priced $62 or less:
The Amana 610400 and Systimatic 51821 scored
best, earning Top Value recognition. Both
blades produced some chip- or tear-out on the
bottom face of sheet goods, and will do better if
you use a zero-clearance insert and feed the
material slowly.

Thin-kerf blades
priced $90 or more:
Top Tool honor goes to the Tenryu GM-25540. It
costs less and performs slightly better than the
other two blades in this group. But, if kerf thinness
is paramount, note that the Forrest
WW10407100 and Ridge Carbide TS21040TK are
slightly thinner than the Tenryu.

Thin-kerf blades priced $40–$65:
The Craftsman 32808 had higher grades overall
than the other blades in this category and price
range. Here, too, a zero-clearance insert will
noticeably improve your results on the bottom
side of sheet goods.

Thin-kerf blades priced $35 or less:
The Freud D1040X was the best value in the test,
scoring within an eyelash of the Craftsman
32808. If you’re on a budget, here’s a blade that
earns an A or B grade in every cut except sheet
goods where you’ll need a zero-clearance insert
for improved bottom-Tenryu GM-25540 Freud D1040X side results. ¿