I am a believer now (Forrest Woodworker II)

[Mike Leung]

I just tuned my saw and put on a new WWII #1 grind. I never used a forrest blade before and was stunned today how smooth the cut can be on my table saw. Wow! The cuts are glass smooth to the touch. I can't see any saw marks at all on white oak and birch. If you are thinking about buying a new combo blade, just buy a forrest blade. I now regret not buying one of these 10 years ago.

[Jim Neeley]

You're dead-on there, Mike.

I bought my first Forrest WWII (thin kerf) for a Ryobi BT-3000 I had back in the early 90's. It was like getting a couple of additional horsepower out of that little saw and the cut was phenomenal.

I now have a 5hp Uni so I don't "need" the thin kerf but a WWII is definitely my go-to blade for other than slashing construction lumber.

Jim in Alaska

[scott spencer]

I felt the same way when I tried my first WWII. Then I tried a Ridge Carbide TS2000, Infinity Super General, Freud Premier, and a Tenryu Gold Medal, and discovered that Forrest isn't alone on the top shelf.

[Michael Kellough]

The cut will actually get smoother after the first dozen rips or so as the residual burr is knocked off.

When my first WW II got dull and I was too lazy to send it in for sharpening I bought a Ridge Carbide blade that Woodpecker's touted as being excellent. The dull WW II (with a tooth missing by then) still out-cut the Ridge. I did have to push the wood harder a lot harder to get through the dull blade.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

So many Forrest haters out there..... Yes, they are not the "best". Yeah, they are over priced, but I like my WWII too. It stays in the saw unless I know there is a lot of ripping, or anytime I use salvaged wood. Got a cheapo BORG Freud for that......

I had that same reaction the first time I used it. Wow.

[Peter Quinn]

I felt the same way when I tried my first WWII. Then I tried a Ridge Carbide TS2000, Infinity Super General, Freud Premier, and a Tenryu Gold Medal, and discovered that Forrest isn't alone on the top shelf.


Ditto here. WWII was the first blade I bought for my cabinet saw, and the only blade I had for some time. It's a fine blade, but when I bought a ridge at show pricing so I could have a back up for sharpening time, I realized there are equals to the Forrest. I haven't used all the other competition, but it's been 35 years or so since Forrest was the only serious player, that's a lot of time for emulation and competition. Not hard to believe others have figured it out and at a lower cost too.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

+1 on the Forrest. Great blades, I wouldn't willingly buy something else.

IMHO, yes, there are other good blades, I have a couple good Felder (Leitz) blades, but I know that Forrest will always send me good product, and I don't necessarily know which other brand is good because I have not tried them, and quite frankly have no reason too. Knowing that a tool will work as well as expected is worth the extra to me. Oh, and it's usually not that much more. Brand loyalty I guess.

[Jeff Monson]

I'm a big Forrest fan also, I have had 2 different Forrest blades, a thin kerf for a Delta contractor saw and one for my PM2000, both were awesome blades. I have a Forrest dado set for my Felder and it performs equally as well. I will be in need of a new standard blade soon, and will look into getting a Forrest for it as well.

[Mike Nguyen]

Hi,
I have never used a Forerest WW2 thin kerf. I usually work with sheet good like baltic birch plywood. How is this Forrest WW2 thin kerf compare to other 80 tooth blades? Will I get a better cut quality using this blade?
Thanks
Mike

[Mike Leung]

I also have an Infinity Super General I haven't used yet. It is supposed to be a great blade but infinity does not have a sharpening service like forrest does. I guess I'll send that one to forrest for sharpening as well. I think ridge carbide offers sharpening too. Without a sharpening service the from the blade manufacturer, will the blades perform the same after a re-sharpening?

[Mark Ashmeade]

I have one (40T TK WWII), but to be fair I was a little underwhelmed by it. It is certainly a nice blade, but for 3x the cost of the blades I had been using (RIDGID Titanium, Freud Diablo), the cut difference is marginal at best, and non-existent at worst. It does have a lot more carbide on the teeth than the other blades, so will take more sharpenings, but overall I am tempted to try another manufacturer the next time I feel the need for a new blade. It's good, but not $100 good. Maybe $50.

[Chris Padilla]

Forrest is great, no doubt, and I have a few myself. However, I bet there's something to be said for your freshly tuned-up TS and a freshly sharp blade. :)

[Chris Padilla]

Hi,
I have never used a Forerest WW2 thin kerf. I usually work with sheet good like baltic birch plywood. How is this Forrest WW2 thin kerf compare to other 80 tooth blades? Will I get a better cut quality using this blade?
Thanks
Mike

I think thin-kerf blades are only meant for underpowered saws. Everything on them is, well, THINNER...and that means "less strong" in my eyes. They can be more prone to warping and tooth breakage if used on a saw that is powerful enough for a normal kerf (1/8") blade.

Also, the WW2 is NOT an 80-tooth blade. It has 40, 30, or 20 teeth. That said, with a properly tuned saw and a freshly sharp blade, a 40 tooth WWII might be all you'll ever need. :)

[Ron Kellison]

I have one (40T TK WWII), but to be fair I was a little underwhelmed by it. It is certainly a nice blade, but for 3x the cost of the blades I had been using (RIDGID Titanium, Freud Diablo), the cut difference is marginal at best, and non-existent at worst. It does have a lot more carbide on the teeth than the other blades, so will take more sharpenings, but overall I am tempted to try another manufacturer the next time I feel the need for a new blade. It's good, but not $100 good. Maybe $50.

What saw are you using? If you don't notice a difference between a Freud Diablo and a WWII I would suspect some sort of alignment or runout problem. I've used both on my Uni but ended up with a Ridge Carbide. Heck of a blade! I use the Freud when I'm cutting salvage or barn wood where I might run into grit or other stuff that is tough on carbide tips.

Ron

[Joe Angrisani]

I just tuned my saw...

This caught my eye and made me pause before reading your whole post. Now that it's tuned, how does the old blade work?

(point of reference: I'm a Forrest fan)

[Mike Leung]

This caught my eye and made me pause before reading your whole post. Now that it's tuned, how does the old blade work?

(point of reference: I'm a Forrest fan)

Good point. I'll put my old blades on and compare the results.

[Peter Hawser]

Not a hater, just being honest! Maybe I got a bad one, but my WWII combo is not that impressive. Seems to burn easy and the quality of cut was never mind blowing, yet my Freuds on the same saw work so much better. I wanted to believe, but...

[scott spencer]

...How is this Forrest WW2 thin kerf compare to other 80 tooth blades? Will I get a better cut quality using this blade?


The laws of physics will prevail every time. As good as the WWII and other premium 40T blades can be for general use, if all else is equal, a good 80T Hi-ATB or ATB blade should leave a cleaner cut in plywood than a 40T (Including's Forrest's 80T blades). However, an 80T blade won't do well in tasks outside of fine crosscuts and sheetgoods like a good 40T general purpose blades can.

[Jim Becker]

I love my WW-II blades! Which reminds me...I need to send them both in for sharpening. I usually stagger that need, but...I forgot. :o

[Mike Leung]

This caught my eye and made me pause before reading your whole post. Now that it's tuned, how does the old blade work?

(point of reference: I'm a Forrest fan)


After reading Joe's message, I made slices with 4 different blades Today. I was curious to see if the tuning of my saw or the blade itself gave me the good results. My fence is kicked out .002". everything else is as square as I can get it.

Forrest WWII #1 grind (new)
Sawstop blade (used with a little bit of pitch but still sharp)
Harbor Freight Lifetime (new)
Infinity Super General (new)


To make this fun try and match up the blade to the cut and add your comments. I'm interested to see what you guys think and if you can guess correctly.

I'll reveal the answers later.

[Dick Mahany]

I know there are several choices out there, and choice / competition is good for all of us. Having said that, I bought my first WWII blade way long ago, and it was a whole new (and wonderful) experience using it. Next, I decided to splurge for their dado set, and got even more hooked. Then I tried the sharpening service and got absolutely excellent results. So when I needed a new blade to give me flat bottom cuts for keyed box joints, guess where I went :rolleyes:? Yep right back to that trusted supplier (for their WWII No. 1 Grind) who has provided me quality and consistency for many years.

There may be equals, and possibly even better alternatives, but the Forrest product is as far as I'll ever have to go for my needs.

[Dick Mahany]

After reading Joe's message, I made slices with 4 different blades Today. I was curious to see if the tuning of my saw or the blade itself gave me the good results. My fence is kicked out .002". everything else is as square as I can get it.

Forrest WWII #1 grind (new)
Sawstop blade (used with a little bit of pitch but still sharp)
Harbor Freight Lifetime (new)
Infinity Super General (new)


To make this fun try and match up the blade to the cut and add your comments. I'm interested to see what you guys think and if you can guess correctly.

I'll reveal the answers later.


Okay, I'll bite :D

1 HF
2 Forrest
3 Infinity
4 SS
5 Where's the Pic?:D

[Mark Ashmeade]

What saw are you using? If you don't notice a difference between a Freud Diablo and a WWII I would suspect some sort of alignment or runout problem. I've used both on my Uni but ended up with a Ridge Carbide. Heck of a blade! I use the Freud when I'm cutting salvage or barn wood where I might run into grit or other stuff that is tough on carbide tips.

Ron

The saw is a Sawstop 3HP PCS. I'm sure it is aligned correctly. I'm not saying I have a problem, just that the WWII doesn't stand out too much from the run of the mill blades I have.

[Mike Leung]

The saw is a Sawstop 3HP PCS. I'm sure it is aligned correctly. I'm not saying I have a problem, just that the WWII doesn't stand out too much from the run of the mill blades I have.
Mark, I am surprised that I am getting such a drastic difference between blades and you are not. I am running a SS ICS so it should be similar to your PCS. What angle did you set your fence? What do you think about the photos I took today?

[Bruce Wrenn]

I own two WWII's. One has never been out of the box, and other was only used one time. I hit a staple used to hold SKU tag on. It was buried in the wood, with another on top holding tag on, which I removed. Lost FIVE teeth (remember this was a staple.) Forest charged with in a couple bucks of a new blade to replace five teeth and sharpen blade. Bought a couple 0f DeWalt / Delta 7657's and so WWII's haven't been back on the saw. Sheet goods are handled by an 80 tooth H O Shumacher and Sons blade from Mike Jackson.

[William C Rogers]

After reading Joe's message, I made slices with 4 different blades Today. I was curious to see if the tuning of my saw or the blade itself gave me the good results. My fence is kicked out .002". everything else is as square as I can get it.

Forrest WWII #1 grind (new)
Sawstop blade (used with a little bit of pitch but still sharp)
Harbor Freight Lifetime (new)
Infinity Super General (new)


To make this fun try and match up the blade to the cut and add your comments. I'm interested to see what you guys think and if you can guess correctly.

I'll reveal the answers later.

When I first got my 3hp cabinet saw I bought a WW II thin kerf, wrong choice for a 3 hp so maybe that is why I was not "overally impressed" for the money. Due to price I use Freud and Infinity and get good results. I doubt i will ever spend the $$ again for a WW II, even full kerf.

Just guessing having not used a SS or HF (and most likely wrong)

1. HF
2. SS
3. Infinity
4. Forest

[Paul McGaha]

I think I'll try Forrest the next time I need a blade. Just from all the good press the blades get here on the creek.

I'm a hobbyist getting close to 10 years in now and to date I've always used Freud blades. Freud Glue Line Rip for Ripping, Ultimate Cut Off for Crosscutting, 8" Freud Super Dado Set. They've all done very well. Very happy with all those products.

Still, I think I will try something from Forrest next time I need a blade.

I understand Forrest has a really good sharpening service too.

PHM

[Joe Angrisani]

1 - Infinity Super General (new)
2 - Forrest WWII #1 grind (new)
3 - Sawstop blade (used with a little bit of pitch but still sharp)
4 - Harbor Freight Lifetime (new)

[Andrew Joiner]

Looks like fir.
If it's fir and a slow consistent feed rate 1 and 4 rough cuts are the blades with 40 teeth. 2 and 3 are 60 tooth cuts.

[Chris Fournier]

Marketing is a powerful device and Forrest knows this. Yes they have a good product. Their market is the hobbiest and smalll shop I would think and amongst these folks they have a fanatical fan base.

Move over to the comercial/industrial market and Forrests marketing has less effect when more sophisticated buyers (no slight to the hobbiest) choose blades from larger nameless to the hobbiest suppliers.

For the price of a 10" Forrest blade I can buy a 12" and almost a 14" blade from my supplier Royce Ayr Carbide. I can tell you that the RAC blade is every bit as good as the Forrest, simple as that!

One thing to remember about TS blades is that the teeth do the cutting - we all know this of course - but the teeth can only cut well when they are held in the proper geometry and plane by the blade plate. Good blades are tensioned to run true at certain RPMs. In days past plates were tensioned by skilled toolmakers and by "hand". My supplier has a computer controlled machine that does this. I bought three 12" blades from another supplier, a shop that has not kept up with the current and expensive manufacturing technology of today. The blades looked good but they sucked. I sent them back and told them they needed to be re-tensioned. They did this by hand and they still worked poorly. Loyal but fed up with the situation I moved to RAC and had them re-tension the three blades. The result? Three blades that make gorgeous cuts. They did this for me for free. They make absolutely beautiful shaper cutters and router bits too. The RAC shaper cutters put a Felder cutter that I have to shame for quality of finish.

I may never be able to cut a better dovetail than I can today, there may be no improvement in my technique in the years to come but I can be sure that I will continue to find suppliers who have improved and superior products to the ones that I use today. And as a bonus, the cost of these improved tools and tooling is often less when you stray from the consumer distribution channels.

[David Kumm]

I'm a Forrest fan because I'm a lazy hobby guy and like my kerfs to match as much as possible with each other and the scorer but when you get to the Royce Ayr, Leitz, Leuco world the blades are purpose engineered and on a different level. Woodworkers Tool Works has great blades too.

Any runout , misalignment, or vibration no matter how slight will affect the cut quality. I think blades are sometimes blamed for shortcomings in the machines. Dave

[Chris Fournier]

I'm a Forrest fan because I'm a lazy hobby guy and like my kerfs to match as much as possible with each other and the scorer but when you get to the Royce Ayr, Leitz, Leuco world the blades are purpose engineered and on a different level. Woodworkers Tool Works has great blades too.

Any runout , misalignment, or vibration no matter how slight will affect the cut quality. I think blades are sometimes blamed for shortcomings in the machines. Dave

I would agree David. It would be unfair to put any good blade on a contractor saw or cheap import cabinet saw and then diss the blade entirely for the cut quality. Heavy vibration damping cast iron castings get very little credit for their contribution to cut quality.

[scott spencer]

I'm a Forrest fan because I'm a lazy hobby guy and like my kerfs to match as much as possible with each other and the scorer but when you get to the Royce Ayr, Leitz, Leuco world the blades are purpose engineered and on a different level. Woodworkers Tool Works has great blades too.

Any runout , misalignment, or vibration no matter how slight will affect the cut quality. I think blades are sometimes blamed for shortcomings in the machines. Dave


I would agree David. It would be unfair to put any good blade on a contractor saw or cheap import cabinet saw and then diss the blade entirely for the cut quality. Heavy vibration damping cast iron castings get very little credit for their contribution to cut quality.

I definitely agree! The blade is just one element in the cutting system....it's an important one, but it is just one variable. Arbor runout, flange runout, bearings, belts, throat insert, technique, material flatness, table flatness, blade alignment, splitter alignment, etc., are just some of the others.

[Mike Leung]

Alright fellas. Here are the answers for the four mystery photos. Thanks for participating.

1. Sawstop
2. Infinity Super General
3. Woodworker II
4. Harbor Freight

Choosing a good blade does matter. Even with the same saw setup we can see a huge difference in quality. I also noticed the WWII and Infinity cuts the wood with a soft and even feedback. The other 2 felt more erratic and vibrated more. I could try other blades in the future but the Infinity and Forrest are excellent so there is really no need.

[Joe Angrisani]

Looks like fir.
If it's fir and a slow consistent feed rate 1 and 4 rough cuts are the blades with 40 teeth. 2 and 3 are 60 tooth cuts.

Turned out to be exactly opposite....

[Andrew Joiner]

Yes, Rub it in Joe! I have a couple of cheap 60 tooth blades that rip smooth on 3/4" fir, but rougher on thick rips in hardwoods. I guessed with that in mind.

[Darius Ferlas]

So the test didn't really compare 4 blades.
It compared two pairs of blades. In each of the two categories (40T and 60T) the blades don't seem to be that far apart.

[Joe Angrisani]

Yes, Rub it in Joe!....

I was only pointing it out as an oddity. Was not bustin' yer chops. :D



So the test didn't really compare 4 blades. It compared two pairs of blades. In each of the two categories (40T and 60T) the blades don't seem to be that far apart.

Good point. Says a lot about the Infinity (and my experience with that brand, even NEW, was poor).

[Don Morris]

As others have said, my WWII stays in unless there is a lot of rough ripping of old wood to do.

[marty shultz]

Which Royal Ayr blade do you recommend for a great general purpose blade? Where do you order it from in the US? I live in AZ and apparently there isn't a local distributor in business.