Roubo frame saw - badaxe vs Blackburn

[Stephen Rosenthal]

I’ve already commented that I’ve written off Blackburn due to lack of response. I’ll add one thing: regardless of the quality of your product, ignore your customers and they will eventually ignore you. Business 101.

[Warren Mickley]

I’ve already commented that I’ve written off Blackburn due to lack of response. I’ll add one thing: regardless of the quality of your product, ignore your customers and they will eventually ignore you. Business 101.

Isaac makes a veneer saw that is carefully copied from Andre Roubo's careful measured drawings. When he started making this saw he sought me out as someone with over forty years experience with this type of saw for feedback. He probably sought out others also.

Here is Roubo's drawing of a chisel:

chisel roubo1.jpeg

This is a forged chisel with a tapered blade and a nice tapered tang. And a real bolster. A skilled artisan could copy this chisel, but Lee Valley doesn't make a chisel like this. They spend too much on marketing and customer service. It sounds like you value these things more than the quality of tools

[Thomas Wilson]

I have a Bad Axe frame saw. My 14” Delta bandsaw can only resaw 6”, so I have the frame saw for “big” jobs. I have only used it twice. The first was just to try it out, not for a project. I don’t think the tooth count is much of a liability. It is really sharp and carefully set. I am certainly not an experienced manual resawer, but it cuts 1/2” per stroke

I got an email this week that Mark Harrel has sold Bad Axe to his enployees. Things may change there.

[Stephen Rosenthal]

It sounds like you value these things more than the quality of tools

I won’t dignify that statement other than to say anything except you couldn’t be more incorrect.

[Tom M King]

I wonder how much time the Japanese blacksmiths who make the best tools spend advertising and talking to customers about orders.

[Brian Gouldman]

I have a Bad Axe frame saw. My 14” Delta bandsaw can only resaw 6”, so I have the frame saw for “big” jobs. I have only used it twice. The first was just to try it out, not for a project. I don’t think the tooth count is much of a liability. It is really sharp and carefully set. I am certainly not an experienced manual resawer, but it cuts 1/2” per stroke

I got an email this week that Mark Harrel has sold Bad Axe to his enployees. Things may change there.

Only time will tell for sure but from what I’ve seen following them on IG for years, they’ve been doing the lions share of the work under his tutelage for a couple/few years already. If anything, their customer service response time has only gotten better since the two ladies have taken lead. I say this as someone who has spent several thousand with them and had to wait >9 months for everything to come in. I even ordered an American Kid saw last week that I hope I can convince my 6mo old daughter to us in the shop with me many years from now.