When is a taper ground blade more useful?

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

I've got a couple of 26" saws I've been meaning to rehab that are pretty much identical, except one has more pronounced taper grind than the other, although I think the plates are similar thickness at the toothline. The less ground of the two is barely noticable, actually. I'm thinking I'll sharpen one rip, one crosscut. I'm thnking the taper grind would be more useful in rip cuts, as depending on the wood, they have more of a tendency to close up on the saw blade. But maybe my reasoning is mistaken - anyone have some input on this?

[Matt Sauber]

I'm thnking the taper grind would be more useful in rip cuts, as depending on the wood, they have more of a tendency to close up on the saw blade.

That has been my experience. If I had to choose I'd pick the more tapered saw for a rip.

[Mike Allen1010]

That has been my experience. If I had to choose I'd pick the more tapered saw for a rip.

+1, plus with more pronounced taper grind in the rip saw you can get away with less set which will make it faster cutting, which I think is more of an advantage in a rip saw - which can be longer cuts than a crosscut.

[Mike Siemsen]

The other way to think of this is that with a cross cut a cleaner more accurate cut is typically desired as end grain is harder to plane. The saw requiring less set will give a cleaner cut and therefore would be the one with more taper. You can put more set in the ripsaw for clearance so it doesn't bind.
Mike

[David Weaver]

I would agree with mike (S). Just from experience of when a saw binds, I would rather have a saw with little set (and more taper) for crosscutting. You're always going to be planing the edge that you rip.

In the end, it won't make a difference much as long as each saw is properly set up.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Good points all around. Now I'm back where I started, guys.

Thanks.

In the end, I'm thinking I'll probably just figure out which saw is more comfortable to me, and make that the rip, since with rip cuts being longer, I'll probably be using them longer during each session.

As it is, I'm less concerned about the finish of the crosscuts, as these saws a little on the coarse side, and I've already got a very nice fine tuned No. 12 for finish cross cuts. But as was mentioned, if I can get away w/o planing a crosscut, i like to, whereas most rips are going to be planed.