High end table saw blade - which one to buy?

[Nick Mazzino]

Hi all,

I have a 2003 Unisaw I just recently bought and am finalizing setting up my first wood shop.
And a porter cable 10" non-sliding miter saw. I would like to upgrade the miter saw in the future.

I have been going back and forth on which blade to buy for my Unisaw. I originally was going to get a rip and a cross cut blade. But, talking to someone that has been doing woodworking for some time recommended just getting the Forrest Woodworker II 40T all purpose blade. I would really like to have an all purpose blade instead of 2 blades.

I was thinking of getting a top of the line all purpose for my table saw and then a fairly good crosscut blade for my miter saw (around 50-70$).

Anyone have any inputs on the Woodworker II or miter saw cross cut recommendations?

Thanks all!

[Scott Bernstein]

I've got a SawStop PCS with 120V 1-3/4 hp motor. I have used Freud, Forrest WoodWorker II and Ridge Carbide (in New Jersey) blades. I think people rave about the Forrest blades, and my WWII combination blade is indeed excellent. However the Ridge carbide is one step above that. I've got their TS2000 Ultra Blade and the 24-tooth Rip Blade - both full kerf. They are both truly excellent blades - nice, thick steel plate and really big carbide teeth so they can be sharpened many times. When I purchased them I thought they were expensive - now I think the price is pretty fair. Totally worth it.

[Carlos Alvarez]

I have a Freud miter saw blade in my 12" SCMS, but I can't remember which specific model. I *think* it's the 96 tooth. I mostly keep a high-end multi-purpose blade in the Unisaw. I have a few brands of those, and don't have a specific preference. Also some of my blades are now unmarked due to re-sharpening, and I don't know what they actually are.

[Philipp Jaindl]

What Blade you buy depends on what Materials you plan to work with, if its just solid wood its not that much of an issue however when you work Sheetgoods you really want/need a dedicated blade for some of them. Cant commend on the Forrest Blades almost all I've worked with are Leitz which are excellent blades though some of them can get very very expensive.

Personally id recommend getting Dedicated blades for the increase in cut quality and speed but you're going to need 2 Blades anyways unless you have the equipment to sharpen your own blades which most dont.

For Miters and very accurate Crosscuts id go with at least a 90 tooth Blade.

[Charles Coolidge]

I've got a SawStop PCS with 120V 1-3/4 hp motor. I have used Freud, Forrest WoodWorker II and Ridge Carbide (in New Jersey) blades. I think people rave about the Forrest blades, and my WWII combination blade is indeed excellent. However the Ridge carbide is one step above that. I've got their TS2000 Ultra Blade and the 24-tooth Rip Blade - both full kerf. They are both truly excellent blades - nice, thick steel plate and really big carbide teeth so they can be sharpened many times. When I purchased them I thought they were expensive - now I think the price is pretty fair. Totally worth it.

LOL pretty much exactly what Scott said. Forest Woodworker II been there done that, currently using Ridge Carbide blades. The last Forest blade I purchased was so warped I had to return it so I gave ridge Carbide a shot and been using their blades ever since. I also have the TS1000 Ultra standard kerf 12 inch. As for price Forest vs Ridge Carbide the Forest are more expensive.

[Carlos Alvarez]

That Ridge Carbide Ultimate looks SOOO impressive. Hmm. Could it truly be the one blade on my Unisaw forever? Seems like a miracle, and I don't believe in miracles.

[Rod Sheridan]

Nick, an "all purpose" blade is a figment of everyone's imagination. I would love one, however physics still has some sway in the world:D

A combination blade works OK for material up to approximately 1 inch thick.

If you want good results you're going to need 3 blades, a rip such as a 24 tooth FTG, a 60 or 80 tooth ATB crosscut and a blade for sheet goods ( possibly an 80 tooth TCG).

I would also want a $40 blade for when the kid across the street comes over with his prized piece of plywood he found in a ditch. That would be my "combo" blade, maybe a 40 tooth ATB for non critical stuff.

I normally buy FS Tools blades..............Regards, Rod.

[Ben Rivel]

Forrest Woodworker II and ChopMaster are my two go to blades. LOVE em!

[Simon MacGowen]

FW April 2018 says (tool test about combination blades):

Best overall - WWII, Ridge Carbide TS2000 and Freud P410. The Freud is also rated as the best value ($88).

So, if I had to pick one to try, the Freud would be my choice.

I have been using WWII on SawStop ICS and PCS all these years, mostly on hardwood, sometimes on engineered boards.

Simon

[Mike Cutler]

I have CMT, Freud, and Forrest, blades for my TS. To be brutally honest, I don't see much of a difference. Clean and sharp, they all cut well. Emphasis on clean. You would be surprised at how much pitch buildup effects cut quality.
My 12" Miter saw has a Freud on it right now.
A quality combo blade can cover a lot of different cuts, but you will eventually want dedicated blades.

Oh yeah, I doubt you'll go wrong buying a WWII combo, They're nice blades to have around, not matter what. ;)

[Carlos Alvarez]

Sigh, $20/year contributed to the forum is NOTHING compared to what you make me buy. Ridge Carbide Ultra on order...

[Patrick Irish]

My used 1999 Unisaw came with a combo Everlast blade. I had it sharpened locally and wow does that thing cut and leave a great finish.

Lots of makes of blades that don't advertise to hobbyists; Everlast and Skarpaz are two I know of.

[Jim Becker]

I pretty much only use Forrest blades and have been very satisfied with them. I now buy from Silvers Mill because the pricing is more attractive than buying direct.

[Jason Lester]

The only time the Ridge Carbide blade comes off for me is for dadoes and really heavy ripping.

[Tom Bain]

Lots of solid options and I don’t have anything to add on brands, but I will say that I really prefer a combo blade that has a raker in the tooth configuration. That way you can use it cut flat bottomed groves and don’t get the ridge left by a pure ATB design.

[Carlos Alvarez]

The only time the Ridge Carbide blade comes off for me is for dadoes and really heavy ripping.

And that's exactly where I'd like to be, thanks for the feedback. I hate/forget changing blades.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I find Forest blades to be over, as in over rated, and over priced. Never seen a commercial shop running one. Before plunking a Ben Franklin, plus some friends for a WWII, check out the Delta 7657 from Cripe Distributing for around $20 plus shipping. Amazing blade for the price. Own several, along with two WWII's. The WWII's reside in their boxes, with one having never been on the saw.

[Andrew Hughes]

I like Forrest blades they are not your best bang for the buck. For fine wood working that's as good as it gets.
This is the blade on my vintage Davis and Wells tablesaw is a great ripper and cross cut wood only! 12 inch

[Mike Kees]

I really like the Dimar blades that I have. 50 tooth combination (4atb with flat raker) and a 24 tooth full kerf rip. FS tool also makes great blades. These two are Canadian companies so not sure how available in the states. Lee valley sells the Dimar. There are tons of good blades to choose from, but a good sharpening service is just as or even more important in my experience, good luck, Mike.

[Lisa Starr]

I usually run a Freud "Thin Kerf, Combination Blade" on my TS. I do have a good rip blade that I put on for certain heavy ripping, but find that for most day-to-day work having the combo blade on does a good job. Keeping it clean and sharp are the 2 requirements to having it work well.

[glenn bradley]

Looks like we scared Nick away. These conversations have way of doing that. One of the values of the forum is that folks share their experiences. Folks in the "all purpose" camp wonder why you would ever change blades, others of us use specific blades for specific purposes.

As usual "it depends". In this case it depends on what you use a tablesaw for. In a lot of shops a tablesaw just rips and crosscuts. Others use it for a wide array of joinery. Your needs and satisfaction level with a given blade or blades will vary with what you use the tools for.

Fortunately once you get to the $100 area for a 10" blade, there are many high quality cutters; it's hard to go wrong. In the area of combo blades, my Freud's and Amana's ran cleaner than my Forrest WWII (which I eventually gave away).

Take comfort in the fact that this is hardly the last blade you will buy and that your own use and experience will direct you to your own favorites. I have been hooked on Carbide Processors Cermet II tipped blades for the last several years. The cutting life is like A2 steel versus PM-V11 for hand tools.

[Frank Pratt]

For a combination blade, the Freud Premier Fusion (P410) is an excellent blade. By far the best combination blade I've ever used. Great finish, good cutting speed. The down side is that because of the high angle grind, it does not do well with say, a hidden brad in a piece of wood :mad:

[John Sincerbeaux]

The term “High-End” has a very broad interpretation. Most of the brands mentioned here are quite capable. But there is a world of “high end” blades, that no one has mentioned yet.

[lowell holmes]

I find Forest blades to be over, as in over rated, and over priced. Never seen a commercial shop running one. Before plunking a Ben Franklin, plus some friends for a WWII, check out the Delta 7657 from Cripe Distributing for around $20 plus shipping. Amazing blade for the price. Own several, along with two WWII's. The WWII's reside in their boxes, with one having never been on the saw.

I only use a Woodworker II in my 10" Jet contactors saw and I have for 10-15 years. I have never had any issues with it. Why would I use anything else.:)

[Robert Engel]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I've never used a Forrest.

I really like CMT blades.

[Patrick Irish]

The term “High-End” has a very broad interpretation. Most of the brands mentioned here are quite capable. But there is a world of “high end” blades, that no one has mentioned yet.

Wanna enlighten us on those ‘high end’ blades?

[Prashun Patel]

I use Freud Glue line ripping blades (30T) these day for everything.

YMMV, but i haven't figured out the need for anything cleaner on the cross cuts.

[Andrew Hughes]

Wanna enlighten us on those ‘high end’ blades?How about a high end pedestal tablesaw blade :)

[Nick Mazzino]

Hi Everyone,

Thank you much for all of the detailed replies. I have been looking up some of those other less popular brands I have not heard of yet. As I mentioned I am new to woodworking and just in the process of setting up my first shop. You did not scare me away no worries!

I talked with a local wood working store and they recommended the Freud Premier Fusion (P410) as well as they think Forrest is over priced for what it is and can get the Freud cheaper and has the same quality.

I think I will go with the Freud.
They recommended a Diablo for cross-cut miter saw blade. I am looking for a good 10" miter saw blade around 50-60$. Any thoughts on these?

[Alan Schwabacher]

The Freud fusion is an excellent blade. I am of the opinion that it's a good idea to have a dedicated rip blade for use either with thick stock, or simply when you have a lot of ripping to do. A 2 HP contractor saw with a rip blade will feel as if it has more power than a 3 HP cabinet saw with a combo blade.

If you buy good blades, much of what you pay for is enough carbide to resharpen them multiple times, so plan on it. You will need another blade to use while your good one is out for sharpening. If you buy a good combo blade and a rip blade, a third blade that is either crosscut or combo will make sure you can send any blade out for sharpening without loss of capability. If your current miter saw takes a 10" blade and you are thinking of someday upgrading to a larger saw, note that a high quality blade for this miter saw can also be used for crosscutting on the tablesaw.

If you are looking for deals on sawblades, you can check out Cripe distributing on the bay. The $20 Delta blade mentioned above can be found there. While it definitely is not as smooth cutting as the P410, it's not bad and makes a fine backup. That's the argument for lesser blades. But top quality blades are new every time they are sharpened, so as well as the better cut you should compare their prices as spread over much longer lifetimes. They can wind up cheaper than cheap blades.

[John Sincerbeaux]

Wanna enlighten us on those ‘high end’ blades?


Most of the pro’s on this sight seem to swear by Kanefusa blades. They are made in Japan and they cost around $200.

At the stratosphere of “High End”, for the price of apx. 5 Forrest WW2 blades, you can buy an AKE “Super Silent” diamond coated blade. It is super thin (requires a super thin riving knife), super quite, and will stay sharp 20 times longer than conventional blades.
I got mine from Martin. Felder also sells them under a slightly different name.... “Silent Power”. Check them out on YouTube.

[John Sincerbeaux]

Here’s a few pics:

383563383564

[Mike Cutler]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I've never used a Forrest.

I really like CMT blades.

Robert
I like them too. Never had any issues with them.
I've been using the CMT's for many years now, at least twenty. I think I have four of them in various configurations.
It is time to send them out for sharpening though.

[Joe Calhoon]

Most of the pro’s on this sight seem to swear by Kanefusa blades. They are made in Japan and they cost around $200.

At the stratosphere of “High End”, for the price of apx. 5 Forrest WW2 blades, you can buy an AKE “Super Silent” diamond coated blade. It is super thin (requires a super thin riving knife), super quite, and will stay sharp 20 times longer than conventional blades.
I got mine from Martin. Felder also sells them under a slightly different name.... “Silent Power”. Check them out on YouTube.

John, good to know those are rebadged AKE. I had an AKE crosscut blade on my old Martin T75 and still use it on the T72. It may have one more sharpening in it, 30 years old now. Best crosscut blade I have used although I have not tried a Kanafusa crosscut blade. I run Kanafusa on the slider for both crosscuting and ripping solid wood. Nice not to change blades all the time. It is good for most joinery operations we do on the saw.

[scott spencer]

Any of the general purpose combo blades have limitations with ripping efficiently in thicker materials and quality of cut in ply/fine crosscuts. Decent separates will outperform at both ends of the spectrum. So my question is why pay a premium for performance with such limitations? The Delta Industrial 35-7657 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Delta-35-7657-10-x-40-Tooth-Gen-Purpose-Carbide-Saw-Blade-USA/332594469844?epid=1700549021&hash=item4d702cdbd4:g:pWMAAMXQiM5Q~VWQ) is on closeout for ~ $30 shipped, and will give remarkably similar results as a top grade 40T WWII, Gold Medal, or TS2000, while leaving funds for a decent rip and crosscut/ply blade.

[David Kumm]

How well the saw is tuned has as much impact on the cut as what quality blade is used. True up the arbor and flanges and eliminate the vibration and you will see an improvement in any blade. I've ripped 4.5" Oak with a combo blade and while not ideal, one run over the jointer and life is good. It is very seldom that I need to change blades to increase the quality of the cut. Dave

[lowell holmes]

I have a 10" fifteen year old Forrest Woodworker II in my 10" Delta contractors saw. They are both going strong.
For what it's worth, I run my saw on a 220 volt circuit.

[Jim Andrew]

I have a Forrest ww2 blade and it is not my favorite. Found a deal on a pair of blades, CMT a rip blade and a 60 tooth crosscut blade set at Menards for 29$, took the blades home, they worked so well, I went back and bought 2 more sets. They were on sale, regular price is 49$. Down side is you have to change blades whenever you go from ripping to crosscutting.

[Mike Cutler]

Down side is you have to change blades whenever you go from ripping to crosscutting.

Nah, no need to change blades, you just need a second table saw.:D

[Mike Null]

I had a WWII and it was the best blade I ever used. I did have a Freud 80 tooth laminate blade which worked well for specialty item but the Forrest is the one I'd buy again.

[Cary Falk]

I have CMT, Forrest, Onsurud, etc. I have a stack of the Delta/Dewalt blades that were mentioned several times from Cripe. The Dewalt/Delta blade is on my saw most of the time. I used to use a combo blade for everything. I now swap between combo, rip and crosscut.

[Osvaldo Cristo]

Hi all,

I have a 2003 Unisaw I just recently bought and am finalizing setting up my first wood shop.
And a porter cable 10" non-sliding miter saw. I would like to upgrade the miter saw in the future.

I have been going back and forth on which blade to buy for my Unisaw. I originally was going to get a rip and a cross cut blade. But, talking to someone that has been doing woodworking for some time recommended just getting the Forrest Woodworker II 40T all purpose blade. I would really like to have an all purpose blade instead of 2 blades.

I was thinking of getting a top of the line all purpose for my table saw and then a fairly good crosscut blade for my miter saw (around 50-70$).

Anyone have any inputs on the Woodworker II or miter saw cross cut recommendations?

Thanks all!

Although I am at woodworking for three decades I was using only popular blades in my table saw... I am familiar with brands like Irwin, DeWalt, Makita and Bosch - the two last ones usually are the best ones... up to last years when after some research I decided to try Freud Professional 10-inch blades. It is night to day comparison. I will not have intention to look back, actually I have purchased two more blades from them for my table saw and went to Diablo series for my portable DeWalt saw.

For me they allowed me to reach the nirvana! I am plenty happy with them - IMO the best trade off cost by benefit.

All the best.

[Rich Engelhardt]

They recommended a Diablo for cross-cut miter saw blade. I am looking for a good 10" miter saw blade around 50-60$. Any thoughts on these?
I run a Freud D1040X Diablo 10" 40T ATB General Purpose blade in my 10" DeWalt non-slider CMS. It's been giving me glass smooth cuts for the last 4 plus years- about $30 give or take @ the Brog..

[Mike Shields]

Forrest woodworker.

When someone who sharpens blades for a living tells you your blade is "a great blade", well then I'm convinced even more.

[lee cox]

I have an old Unisaw with a 3hp newer motor. I use a Freud Industrial Cabinetmakers crosscut blade and a Freud Industrial 24T Rip blade. It is easy to change blades. This seems to do what I need. It even cuts plywood nicely. The rip blade goes as fast as you can push it ripping.

I had a Freud combo blade in a Delta Contractor saw before my Unisaw which I did not like. It made a funny noise running.

I ordered one of the Detla blades listed. I thought I would use it for untrusted wood which might have nails in it. And a back up blade.

[Steve Demuth]

Most of the pro’s on this sight seem to swear by Kanefusa blades. They are made in Japan and they cost around $200.

At the stratosphere of “High End”, for the price of apx. 5 Forrest WW2 blades, you can buy an AKE “Super Silent” diamond coated blade. It is super thin (requires a super thin riving knife), super quite, and will stay sharp 20 times longer than conventional blades.
I got mine from Martin. Felder also sells them under a slightly different name.... “Silent Power”. Check them out on YouTube.

Unfortunately, they are only available, at least as far as I have ever been able to find, in 12" / 300 mm format.

Don't imagine we'll see a SawStop version any time soon, even if a 10" becomes available- nowhere near aggressive enough to bury itself in aluminum- probably just slice through it coasting on armature momentum.

But, what an awesome blade.

[Ken Grant]

Trying to figure out which blade is "best" can be incredibly confusing, especially on these forums, where you have so many different options and opinions to wade through.

First of all, understanding what the different tooth grinds/configurations are, and what they do, will take some of the mystery out of blade shopping. I am sure most of you already know all this, but I will write it out anyway.

Here is a chart that gives a basic overview.

https://www.hardwaresales.com/media/image/reviews/tenryu-tooth-geometry.jpg
Rip blades usually have fewer teeth, and most of them have the flat top grind. The glue line rip blades have less side clearance and some kind of side grind, so they shouldn't leave as deep of saw blade marks, but they seem to burn easier for me. I joint everything before edge gluing anyway, so I opt for the standard rip blade.

The high atb blades will cut really nice and clean on both sides of plywood, but they will not stay sharp as long. These also work pretty good for ripping solid wood that is less then 1" thick.

Crosscut blades-These will generally be an ATB design, but the biggest thing to be aware of here is the difference between blades designed for a table saw/sliding able saw and blades for a chop saw.

The table saw blades should always have a positive rake angle, as it helps keep the wood pulled down against the table during the cut.

Chop saws, on the other hand, can sometimes try to 'lift' narrower pieces if the blade has a higher degree positive rake angle. For this reason, a lot of the chop saw blades designed for cutting crosscuts/miters have somewhere around a 0° rake angle. Blades for sliding miter saws and radial arm saws generally have around a 5° negative rake angle, and this is to keep the blade from pulling itself into the cut.

This is all pretty logical if you take a little time to look at your blade teeth and what is happening when it contacts the material you are cutting.

TCG Blades These are usually used for cutting things like double sided melamine, where you need a clean cut on both sides. I would not bother with these blades unless you have a specific application that requires it.

Thin kerf The kerf is just the width of the cut. Thin kerf blades take less power to run then full kerf, but at the expense of being less stable. They are also usually cheaper to buy then their full kerf counterparts. I like them in saws 3hp and under, especially when ripping thicker stock.
I like thicker blades in my miter saw, because I have found the thin kerf ones more prone to 'walking,' especially when cutting miters in wide, hard material.

There is more to saw blades then what is written above, but this should get you started.

Which brand to buy? I am not even going to touch that one!
If you pick the correct tooth design for your application, and buy from a reputable manufacturer, chances are you will be happy with your purchase.

[Matt Tebo]

I’ve been using Royce-Ayr saw blades for several years now. They are excellent blades, and their customer support is second to none. I’ve also tried the Freud premier fusion blade, it is a great blade too.

[Derek Cohen]

There is a recent FWW review of combination blades here (I suspect that you need to be an online member): http://www.finewoodworking.com/2018/02/07/tool-test-tablesaw-combination-blades. The Freud Premier Fusion, Forrest Woodworker II, and Ridge Carbide came out on top. Tenryu did not place.

Without re-reading through the recommendations in this thread, I do not recall anyone commenting on the importance of setting up the tablesaw. A blade is only as good as the alignment of the tablesaw/fence.

On my newish Hammer K3, I have Leuca 24-tooth rip and Leuca 96-tooth crosscut blades. I am very happy with them. I cannot say how they compare with other blades on this tablesaw.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Dave Sabo]

My experience is similar to a few others here.

Ridge Carbide
Frued Fusion
WWII *

Are all top notch blades. The asterisk on the wwII is because I’ve dropped them from my rotation. Thirty years ago and beyond ; they were the gold standard. Today, their quality control has deteriorated , or they’ve cut corners and the blades they send today just don’t measure up. I’ve had two in the last ten years that are unacceptable to me, so no more. Ditto on their sharpening service. Used to be fantastic. Today it’s a crap shoot or worse. Which equals a big waste of time and money.

I suppose it’s possible that the the others have simply surpassed them and have moved the goalpost, but I doubt it. If your coming from a BORG blade, or a decent blade - the WWII will look awesome. Compared head to head against other premium blades is another story.

Which makes me scratch my head at the magazine test ? Does Forrest send them a “special” blade , or one out of the pile headed for a dealer? The ones you and I get. Those just don’t yield the same results I see in the advertorials.

Ridge for for me if the cut really counts, but the Fusion is hard to beat for value when I pick them up for $60. And what goes on if I don’t know the material’s provenance. I’ve beggered up a Fusion on hidden pin also.

[Carlos Alvarez]

I just swapped in my re-sharpened red Freud rip blade and did a bunch of 1" Wenge. It is SOOOO clean, so quiet, and smooth.

[Curt Harms]

My used 1999 Unisaw came with a combo Everlast blade. I had it sharpened locally and wow does that thing cut and leave a great finish.

Lots of makes of blades that don't advertise to hobbyists; Everlast and Skarpaz are two I know of.

If I were in the market for another T.S. blade - I'm not, have 2 Freud F40s, predecessor to the P410 - I'd also look at Infinity tools. Carbide processors sells Oshlun, Tenryu and other brands. They appear to sell to industry and have a money back guarantee. The owner (?) used to post here, haven't seen him recently.

Edit: here's another thought. A flat tooth grind rip blade is handy for making cuts where the kerf bottom needs to be truly square. Most blades are either ATB or Triple Chip and don't produce a truly square kerf. There are times such as cutting a kerf to reinforcing a miter when ATB or TC blade kerfs just don't make it.

[Nick Mazzino]

I ended up picking up the Tenryu gold medal combo blade about 2 weeks ago and have been using it daily in my shop. It was 94$ and I have been extremely happy with it. It leaves a beautiful smooth finish on both rip and crosscut of some cherry, maple, and walnut I have been cutting.

Keep in mind, I am very new to woodworking and this is the only high end blade I have ever bought so my opinion could be skewed. But, I am very happy with it.
I also picked up Tenryu's cross cut miter blade and have been very happy with that as well.

I do have some thicker maple and hickory I will be ripping this summer. I may pick up a dedicated rip blade for that.

Thanks for all of your help!

[Nick Decker]

I've been tempted by that Tenryu blade, myself. I've heard good things about it, but was curious about how it didn't figure into Fine Woodworking's ratings. Maybe they don't advertise with FWW?

[Rod Sheridan]

I've been tempted by that Tenryu blade, myself. I've heard good things about it, but was curious about how it didn't figure into Fine Woodworking's ratings. Maybe they don't advertise with FWW?

Lots of blades didn't make it into their testing, FS Tools is another.............Regards, Rod.

[Morey St. Denis]

Regarding the recent FWW April 2018 issue review of 10" combination blades, be aware that sadly it was arbitrarily limited to exactly 40 tooth, uniformly spaced, full 1/8" wide kerf, carbide tipped blades only. The Irwin Marples (made in Italy) product, which I find to be a very fine value in a combination blade, was not included because they employ 50 teeth for the same cost or less than the competition. Irwin also boasts the "Blue Armor" low friction coating that really holds up to extended wear, actually remains affixed to the blade and fully effective over a long life, as does the identical Blue Armor coating on all their recent Marples hand saws. The Marples is configured with 4 ATB teeth and a Raker (non-uniformly pitched, 4ATB+R) preceded by ten deep gullets for enhanced chip removal and smooth 0.105" kerf ripping. I'm convinced, had it been included in the testing, it likely would have fared especially well against their "Best Overall" Freud Premier Fusion, Ridge TS2000 & Forrest WW II, likely also earning a "Best Value" ranking.

[Terry Kelly]

I’ve used Delta,Dewalt,H.O. Schumacher....I’ve read some really good things about Ridge Carbide blades and Woodpeckers has some on sale so I figured I’ll try one.....

[Warren Lake]

Every company has a number of blades, at least one have blades made in different countries. If they a blade that shines at one operation it doesnt mean their other blades for different operations shine, another manufacturer might make a better blade for that function. They make one blade that is outstanding for ripping and another brand has a better combination blade than they make.

Rod pointed out the most important thing, having different blades, different blades for different functions. I can rip oak with a combination blade by the best manufacturer then change and put on a Crapmaster rip blade and be better off with less resistance than the combination blade. If I leave the combination blade it will likely dull down faster. The one blade concept is fairy tale stuff at least if you do custom work. Changing blades is no big deal and there is hardly any other aspect of this craft that is that easy.

[Lenny Howard]

I keep a Forrest Woodworker II on my Grizzly 690 for 95% of my cuts. I have a Freud rip blade and 50 tooth combination as well. On my slide compound I use the Freud 80 tooth.

[Julie Moriarty]

Anyone have any inputs on the Woodworker II or miter saw cross cut recommendations?
I have a couple of WWII blades and it's been a love/not-so-much love relationship. I'm an advocate of using the right tool for the job and struggled with the concept of using a multi-purpose blade. I have blades for plywood, melamine, general ripping, glue line ripping and crosscutting, in both standard and thin kerf. Changing the blades never bothered me.

I recently sent out several TS blades for sharpening and have fallen back in love with the newly sharpened WWII. Maybe serious like is a better description. Most often the TS is used for plywood and ripping. And for ripping, the WWII does a great job, though not quite as good as a glue line rip blade of the same sharpness. But the difference between Forrest and Freud or CMT is, it seems, the Forrest blades hold their edge a bit longer. No scientific proof, just a general sense from thinking back over the years.

[lowell holmes]

I agree with Julie. I had my Forrest re-sharpened.