Forrest Chopmaster vs Freud, Tenryu, Amana, etc?

[Jeff Weight]

I'm looking for a 12" finish blade for my new CMS. It seems that the Forrest Chopmaster receives a lot of praise. I'm curious why an 80 tooth blade receives so much praise, when other manufactures offer 96 & 100 tooth offerings. Logically it seems more teeth would offer a smoother cut. So why aren't more of you recommending brands like Freud, Tenryu, Amana, & others? Have you tried these other brands, or has Forrest marketing convinced you to buy their blade? What makes theirs so special? I can't believe that their sharpening process is superior to the top tier blades from other brands.

In talking with local sharpening services, none of them recommend Forrest, and none of there customers use Forrest. Tenryu, Amana & FS Tool seem to be king among the production shops.

Why is it you have to return your blade to Forrest for sharpening?

I'm going to compare this to my other hobby, Home Theater and speakers. Bose is widely know and many associate it with quality, they've done a great job marketing their product. Unfortunately Bose isn't up to the same sound standards as other brands, even those costing less. But to the untrained ear, they sell millions on reputation alone.

I look forward to your thoughts and comments.

Thanks,

JP

[Jim Becker]

If your local sharpening shop isn't recommending Forrest...it's more likely because they are considered a competitor. Forrest has a knack of putting a better sharpening on even non-Forrest blades for some reason. The other blades brands you mention are very good, too, so if you prefer them as well as your local sharpening outfit, no problem. That said, when I put the ChopMaster on my CMS, it literally made it into a different saw than it was with the competing products I had already tried (one on your list and one not)...noticeable different in cut quality. This isn't a "Bose" situation as you describe, at least in my experience.

[Dave Falkenstein]

...Why is it you have to return your blade to Forrest for sharpening?...JP

I have three Forrest blades, and I don't send them to Forrest for sharpening. I use our local sharpening wizard, Scott Whiting, at Scott's Sharpening Service. The blades sharpened by Scott cut just as well as when they were new. And I save on the shipping. I just had my 10" WWII done by Scott for $12. I believe Forrest charges $20 plus shipping. Scott also does mail orders, and I have no affiliation with Scott other than as a friend and customer.

I have tried lots of other blades, including Freud and Amana, over a period of about 30 years as a home woodworker on my table saw, circular saw and SCMS. I get an excellent cut with Forrest, and have decided I don't need to waste my time or money any longer searching for the best blade for my money - it is Forrest for me. I still have and use a Freud Super Dado, a Freud F40 (predecessor to the F410) as the backup to my WWII, a Freud rip blade and an Amana melamine blade. All of these blades are excellent, but if and when I need a new blade, I'll buy another from Forrest - no experimenting needed, IMHO.

[Todd Solomon]

The quality of cut that you get from Forrest is not just hype- it's been verified by tool test after tool test, where Forrest comes in near or usually at the top of the heap.

The number of teeth is not the only factor that determines cut quality. The shape of the teeth, the straightness of the blade, and I'm sure a lot of other factors only blade engineers know about, all add up.

As an example, I have a 78 tooth Guhdo that does not cut as nicely as my previous 40 tooth Forrest WWII. I sold the Forrest with my previous saw, and miss it. The Guhdo is a good blade, but will burn on thicker rip cuts. The Forrest could do most all cuts without issues. And the Forrest was much quieter than the Guhdo.

I have the Chopmaster in my CMS- one sweet blade. Beautiful cuts.

I also recommend the Duraline HI A/T, for veneer plywood and melamine.

[scott spencer]

More teeth equalling smoother cut is a rule of thumb, that assumes all else is equal....it's often not. Alot of things go into the cut quality of a blade besides the number of teeth. Cut quality is only one aspect too. Feedrate, longevity, number of sharpenings, sharpening turn around time, and cost are just some.

The Forrest blades are excellent by most people's standards, but they're not the cheapest by any means, and certainly aren't the only choice. The level of performance that's acceptable is subjective and varies with the application. In many cases, the Forrest is overkill, and an added expense....which is a bigger concern for a pro shop than it is for a hobbyist who might get a good 2 years of service between sharpenings vs 2 months. The others you mentioned are probably all capable of acceptable results, but few will eclipse the cut quality of the Forrest, so in many ways, it's a safe bet, especially for someone not familiar with the dozens of choices and for whom the Forrest is a one time additional expense of maybe $20-$30, and nets them great performance. Since many blades will result in an acceptable edge, I'd guess many pro shops don't see a need to spend more for a blade that will get sharpened in a month...blades are more of a disposable commodity for them, and their purchasing habits will reflect that....it's a matter of economics from the initial cost, sharpening cost, and turn around time....Forrest isn't the most economical or convenient choice for any of those aspects in many cases.

Also, sharpeners (or any retailer) likes to recommend what they make money on....sharpeners don't sell Forrest as a rule.

Forrest blades can be sharpened by any competent sharpener, but Forrest has a similar reputation for sharpening as they do for the quality of their blades, so again, it's a safe bet for a Forrest owner. Many send their other blades to Forrest too.

This is not a good reference to Bose IMO. Bose's popularity is a result of great marketing, much like McDonald's, and Budweiser...they fetch a premium but the quality of the product is mainly secondary. Forrest is not the most heavily marketed blade by a long shot, and they've achieved their popularity largely because the product is excellent and has been recognized as such by users and experts in repeated comparisons. Bose and Budweiser are not even in the same league of other highend competitors the way Forrest is......plenty of subjective opinion here of coure, but Bose and Polk were largely considered "four letter words" in the highend audio industry, and are considered "mid-fi", like Boston, Infinity, Advent, etc...not highend, whereas Forrest definitely at least commands some respect with others dabbling on the "cutting edge" of the industry (pardon the pun :D). Their performance is demonstrateable....cutting performance is alot more tangeable than speaker performance for the average Joe.

[John Buzzurro]

I have both a Freud 80T finish blade and the Chopmaster (10"). IMHO, the end result is a glass-smooth surface with both blades. I do find however that the Chopmaster cuts much more easily than the Freud. On woods that will bog down the Freud, the Chopmaster glides right through, and no burning. IIRC, I paid only $15 more for the Chopmaster, on sale at Amazon. For that kind of difference, I would certainly pick the Chopmaster.

[Mike Cutler]

Jeff.

Like you, I have always been a little skeptical of the "hype" associated with Forrest blades. I also had read more than a few posts about teeth cracking and coming off of their blades, and that added to my skepticism. That was, untill recently.
I purchased a new Forrest WWII 40 tooth combo blade from Charles Grosjean, here on the board. I also purchased two slightly used CMT blades from at the same time. I really only wanted the CMT's, but I had to find out about the Forrest blade. The deal was good, so I went for the Forrest to find out.
That Forrest blade literally "sings" as it cuts wood. It emits a ring tone that none of my other blades do. It cuts beautifully, no burning, and no blade scribe marks. This is also a thin kerf blade.
Time will tell how long it keeps it's edge, but I'll give Forrest theh first crack at resharpening. If they made the blade, they should be able to maintain the blade in my opinion.
I can't speak too much to the other blades mentioned in your post. I have read favorable writeups here on the board about them though. I'm certain that they are excellent blades also. I had settled on CMT's a few years back,and until the Forrest they were the only blades I was using. I still like them too.
Until proven otherwise, the Forrest's have lived up to the internet rep I have encountered. I don't rely on magazines or hype. I listen to the guys/gals here on the board that are spending their own cash, using the blade in their own shops, on their own tools, and setup by themselves. It's a little more "real world" for me.

[JayStPeter]

I have a Forrest Chopmaster on my saw that I like. That said, I had an Amana on my old 10" that I liked just as well. I do have 2 WWIIs and bought the Chopmaster because I knew it would be good. Anything else is a maybe to me.

[CPeter James]

Another blade to consider is the Ridge Carbide RS1000. It is not cheap, but is as good or better than the Forrest. I have one and it really cuts smooth.

CPeter