03-06-2018, 07:44 AM
(03-05-2018, 05:26 PM)Strokes77 Wrote: New question then:Are you a hand tool guy? Here is an analogy.
What is more important? The quality of the blade to begin with, or the quality of the sharpening?
You can put a high quality sharp iron in a warped and rusty old plane and you will get shavings.
You can put a cheap quality but well sharpened blade iron in a well tuned planebody and get shavings. At least for a little while.
Or you can put a quality and sharp blade in a a well tuned plane and it will make music doing its thing in the wood.
They all make shavings of one sort or another. The commonality is the irons need to be sharp enough to cut those shavings.
You choose the time, effort, and $$ you want to put in for your level of workability and satisfaction needed.
Saw blades are the same. They need to be sharp and well tuned to do a good job.
Most of the sharpness and tuning are built into the saw blade and out of your control.
But do not forget about the ones in your control like storing it somewhere safe, keeping it sharpened by someone who knows how, and keeping it clean of built up pitch.
BTW, The two people I personally know who are into the Forrest blades swear by them and send them back to Forrest for sharpening on the factory equipment.
I am personally not a Forrest user. Tried one once but was not blown away by the difference to other quality blades and it tended to burn easily. I sold that saw blade to a fellow woodneter but this was at least 8 years ago.
Proud maker of large quantities of sawdust......oh, and the occasional project!