| Review by Ben | posted 54 days ago | 777 views | 2 times favorited | 11 comments |  |
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- Forrest Woodworker II
- Brand: Forrest | Category: Saw Blades
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I am admittedly a cheapskate and almost never buy tools at retail price. I usually spend hours shopping online and reading reviews before making a purchase. However, I don’t mind paying more money upfront to save money down the road.
When I first started my hunt for a good sawblade I suffered from a mild case of sticker shock when I read about Forrest blades. That being said, this blade is worth the money; even at retail price.
Purchase
I ordered two of these from an online retailer and saved around 15 bucks a blade compared to the Amazon price. They arrived five days later. The model # is 10407125
Packaging
This blade ships with a durable protective coating on the tips that pulls off easily when you get ready to put it on your saw. I put one blade on my table saw and am saving the other to use when I send this one off to get sharpened. You can reuse the box to ship the blade back for sharpening.
Impressions
This is one slick blade. I really can’t describe how smoothly it cuts. I ran one edge of a piece of red oak through my jointer before i ripped the opposite edge with this blade. In all honesty, the ripped edge was as smooth or smoother than the jointed edge. I love my jointer and I know it is necessary to get one edge square for safe ripping but, this blade completely eliminates the need to joint the other edge. Crosscuts were just as smooth. On top of that, I wasn’t having to switch back and forth between blades for ripping and crosscutting.
Cons
None. Even though this blade costs more upfront, you can have it resharpened with shipping included for around 35 bucks.
Summary
There may be a cheaper blade out there that produces similar results (I haven’t found one yet). I haven’t tried all of the blades on the market and I have read some really good reviews about Freud blades. I can vouch for the fact that this blade is every bit as good as the reviews say. If I had it to do over again I would buy the exact same blade.
You may have noticed I only tend to post positive reviews. I am guilty of purchasing junk but, to avoid headaches and stirring the pot, I shy away from reviewing the junk I have purchased.
11 comments so far
davidroberts
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242 posts in 382 days
posted 54 days ago
I have a WWII, same model, and may have damaged it while cutting a zero clearance insert made out of phenolic material. I’m gonna send it in and see what Forrest says. Just wanted to alert you. There was no smoke and I didn’t rush through the cut. There is some bluish tinge and very small, shallow depressions just behind each tooth. I consider my WWII blade one of the best tools in the shop, so I’m a little bit shocked and awed. It still cuts silky smooth.
-- david roberts, houston area, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but that has never been a problem for me."
Rick Dennington
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326 posts in 90 days
posted 54 days ago
Ben, I bought 2 of the WWII blades awhile back(10×40 T) for the t.s, and a 10×60 T for the RAS. Best blades I have ever owned. I also run Freuds and have for years. They are probably #2 now on my list of blades. Everything you stated in your review is dead-on. I also plan to buy 2 more for backups. But I won’t give up my Freud blades either. For my $$$, two of the best out there.
-- Remember--- one good turn-- gets most of the blanket!!!!
kkickback
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234 posts in 112 days
posted 54 days ago
I can second that one the fred blades and ridgid blades....I havnt needed to get a wwII yet….
-- christoper Blanchard, Michigan
matt garcia
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722 posts in 568 days
posted 54 days ago
I love my WWII’s!! I also own 2 10” for my tablesaw, just because they were on sale. I send mine off in the summer to sharpen when I’m not building. Rockler has them on sale this weekend for $89.99!!
-- Matt, Houston Texas
Scott Bryan
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20716 posts in 718 days
posted 54 days ago
Ben, this is a nice review. And I agree with everything that you said. I have the complete line of Forrest blades and one of them installed on all of my saws. They definately outperform any of the other blades I have tried.
-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.
reggiek
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712 posts in 166 days
posted 53 days ago
I have two Forrest Blades….the WWII in my TS and the Chopmaster in my mitre saw…both of them are EXCELLENT….my mitre saw cuts with hardly any chip out….about 90% of the time there is none…the WWII also is smooth as silk…...I believe your review is right on…
-- Woodworking.....My small slice of heaven!
Dusty56
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3470 posts in 584 days
posted 53 days ago
My Freud blade gives me smoother cuts than my Forrest WWII on my TS and I also have a Freud on my 12”Bosch miter saw. I bought the Forrest at the recommendation of a friend for my TS and then went back to Freud when it was time for my MS blade to be replaced and saved a lot of money with great quality results : )
-- You know you're getting old when you know the difference between you're (you are) and your (belonging to you) AND how to use them in a sentence .
Eric M. Saperstein
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175 posts in 144 days
posted 53 days ago
We use Forrest blades almost exclusively. have them on every machine including two dado sets from them. Worth the extra $ as they cut great and last forever!
-- Eric M. Saperstein, Master Craftsman www.artisansofthevalley.com
ND2ELK
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6209 posts in 670 days
posted 52 days ago
Forrest blades is all I use and am very pleased with them.
-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa
bunkie
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54 posts in 43 days
posted 43 days ago
I’ve had my WWII for 15 years. I can’t imagine being without it. That’s why it was hard to send it back to Forrest for sharpening and to replace three teeth. I’m happy to say that it was returned to me in short order and it cuts as smoothly and cleanly as it did when it was new. That was two weeks and $40 well-spent.
I spent part of the weekend cleaning the oil off the new Forrest Dado King that arrived. I haven’t had time to use it yet, but I am looking forward to having a really first-class dado set.
No matter what tools you are using, nothing is as important as the sharpness of your cutting edges. Sharp chisels, plane blades and saw blades improve satisfaction, results and (last but not least) safety.
-- Life is too short to suffer bad food and lousy speakers
Whitewolf
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7 posts in 31 days
posted 31 days ago
I own a small woodworking business and we use a LOT of saw blades. Funny thing is, we work mostly in cedar, which you’d think would be an easy life for a saw blade, but it isn’t at all. Cedar is very tough on saw blades due to its high amount of silica and tannins. Anyway, Forrest blades are my #1 choice. They hold an edge longer than most other blades, and they are extremely predictable (read: smooth) when cutting. Yes, Freud blades are also great, and I tried a Delta recently and thought it was okay for the money, but they don’t compare to the Forrest.