TS Blade Sharpener Opinions. Local Company?

[Eric Garner]

I have a Forrest WWII table saw blade that needs sharpening. This is the first blade that I've had that warrants a sharpening.

Forrest's sharpening prices seem a bit pricey, but I guess you get what you pay for.

Do you recommend sending to Forrest for sharpening or could I get another company who could do just as good of a job?

I live in Atlanta, GA. So, if anyone knows a good shop local to this area, I'd love to know about them.

Thanks.

[Dave Falkenstein]

If I were in your situation, I would seek out the opinion of some local professional woodworking shops, and determine where they take their blades. I use a local sharpening shop (Edit - Scott Whiting) that does a lot of pro shop sharpening, and get excellent results on my Forrest blades.

[CPeter James]

Sharpening blades like Forrest and Ridge Carbide locally is a crap shoot. Only problem is that it is a $100 roll of the dice. Some people can do it and some can ruin one. I send mine back where they came from (I have both) and get them back in as good or betty than new condition. It costs a little more, but then so the blades cost more, too.

CPeter

[Jim Becker]

I somewhat agree with CPeter. The Forrest, Ridge Carbide and similar blades, with their harder carbide and grinds that need to be right for best performance are sometimes not handled well by "average" local sharpeners. I send mine to Forrest and have always been pleased with the results, but if I lived out west, I'd use Scott Whiting in the Phoenix area.

That reminds me...it's time to switch to my backup blade and send the one I've been using in for sharpening. I've been running a lot of sheet goods lately and that's harder on a blade than most solid stock.

[Gary Keedwell]

I have heard wonderful stories about Forrest's sharpening service. People send non-Forrest blades there....and they come back better then new.
Gary

[Jim Becker]

I have heard wonderful stories about Forrest's sharpening service. People send non-Forrest blades there....and they come back better then new.
I've experienced that with a Freud blade a few years ago.

[Earl Reid]

I have been using a local shop the past 10 yr. Cost about 13.00 and 1 week turnaround. Mostly forest blades. They do mostly commercial work. I am very satisfided.
Earl

[Eric Garner]

After reading their web site they say I need to be specific... Is a test cut a waste of money?

Should I just put sharpen only?

[Tom Walz]

B.H. Payne in East Point, Ga. Has a sensational reputation in the industry.

Call them and see is they do it. Nice folks and dead honest.

Tom

[Ben Cadotte]

When I lived in MA I didn't have that good of luck with a local lumber yard that had a guy pick them up and bring them back. Some were good some were just ok. Blades were Dewalts and Sears and the like so nothing of extreme quality in the first place.

Lately I have been using cheap throw away china blades for general cutting. When I want a good clean cut, I will put in my good Freuds. I have had really good luck with the cheap blades. They are cheaper than getting one sharpened. Their quality seem to be the same of a good blade with about 1/3 to 1/2 less teeth. In other words my 80 tooth cheap blade has about the same finish as a good 40-60 tooth blade. Their carbides are small so not even going to try and have them sharpened. Although I have not tossed them yet. 1 did make one into a shop clock though.

[Pat Germain]

I think the bottom line is to go with a reputable sharpener, be they local or distant. If you take your blades to a place which sends them out to a third party, you just don't know. Such third party sharpeners are often mass-work shops where they hire anyone and teach them basic sharpening skills. This is probably fine for lawn mower blades. It's not a good option for a Forrest table saw blade.

[Bill White]

Since you're in Atl., call Highland and ask if they have a service that they would recomend.
Bill

[Matt Meiser]

I've used Scott a few times now and he does a great job. Most recently I sent him my WWII and it came back as good as new. He's pretty quick too, even with the blade travelling cross country twice. The shipping is probably 2/3 the cost of the whole thing when you figure your cost to ship it to him and what it costs him to send it back, so if you can send him more than one item, you are better off.