I have long been an advocate of Forrest blades, recommending them to
all of my woodworker friends who had not yet discovered them. I
actually own 10 of them which is a fair amount for a non-professional.

Now it seems that every time I send one or two of them to Forrest for
resharpening I get really terrible service. First off, they get
$20.00 bucks for sharpening a 10" blade. Then they almost always find
something wrong with the blade (chipped tooth that I did notice when
it sent it to them or a blade they claim is not running true) and they
charge additionally for that. Moreover, one usually spends $20.00 on
shipping charges for each sharpening. When you are through you
usually end up spending more than $30.00 per blade. That's pretty
stiff but if their service was prompt I could probably live with it.
This time I sent them my blades three weeks ago and am still waiting
for them to arrive even though they told them they would be shipped 10
days ago.

I'm really about to reach the point where I start looking for a
substitute. Which brings me to the real reason for this post. Are
there any woodworkers out there who are former users of Forrest
blades? If so, what did you switch to? Are there any other blades
which are close to Forrest and what do they go for?

JOe

In article ,
Joe Bleau wrote:

[schnipperage]

I'm really about to reach the point where I start looking for a
substitute. Which brings me to the real reason for this post. Are
there any woodworkers out there who are former users of Forrest
blades? If so, what did you switch to? Are there any other blades
which are close to Forrest and what do they go for?

JOe


The Forrest blades I tried and used were a definite improvement over the
Freuds and Oldhams etc that I had been using. Then I had a Royce/Ayr
specialist sit down with me and give me a serious education about saw
blades. After all was said and done, one thing that stood out like a
dog's balls, was the fact that there is no such blade as one that does
it all. He immediatly put the ripping category aside as nothing will rip
like a blade that is made to rip.
Next he demonstrated some of his more exotic blades like negative hook
100 tooth ATB's and 5-degree TCG on several materials. Then the
wide-spectrum blades that will cut almost anything but nothing
particularly well. The blade he suggested for melamine just blew the
Forrest away.... it was, of course, more money than the Forrest.
Like every other issue in this game, you get what you pay for.
They also solved my solid surface requirements nicely with a blade that
runs on something as small as 1.5 HP for 75 bucks a blade...cut ply with
that blade and you get smoke... go figgur.

http://www.royceayr.com/Distributors.shtml
They are all over the US and Kanuckistan and I am very happy with the
service and products.

0?0

Rob---who is having a bout of insomnia. Not fun.

"Joe Bleau" wrote in message
...


Now it seems that every time I send one or two of them to Forrest for
resharpening I get really terrible service. First off, they get
$20.00 bucks for sharpening a 10" blade. Then they almost always find
something wrong with the blade (chipped tooth that I did notice when
it sent it to them or a blade they claim is not running true) and they
charge additionally for that. Moreover, one usually spends $20.00 on
shipping charges for each sharpening. When you are through you
usually end up spending more than $30.00 per blade. That's pretty
stiff but if their service was prompt I could probably live with it.
This time I sent them my blades three weeks ago and am still waiting
for them to arrive even though they told them they would be shipped 10
days ago.

I fail to see where the poor sercive comes in. IIRC Forrest only does what
you authorize them to do. $20 is higher than most but you knew this going
in, right? S & H is not really a money maker for Forrest and would it
really be any cheaper shipping to some one else? And, I think you are
getting a deal if the blade costs $20 for shipping, $20 for sharpening and
only being charged $30 or more. Lastly, you complain about them finding a
problem with a blade tha you admid had a chipped tooth?

Now what is the problem again?

On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 14:53:33 GMT, "Leon"

I fail to see where the poor sercive comes in. IIRC Forrest only does what
you authorize them to do. $20 is higher than most but you knew this going
in, right? S & H is not really a money maker for Forrest and would it
really be any cheaper shipping to some one else? And, I think you are
getting a deal if the blade costs $20 for shipping, $20 for sharpening and
only being charged $30 or more. Lastly, you complain about them finding a
problem with a blade tha you admid had a chipped tooth?

Now what is the problem again?


Saying that there was a chipped tooth was my typo. What I meant to
say was that I had noted NO chipped teeth. Of course, there are
things in these blades that professionals can see that the user might
miss and I am willing to give Forrest the benefit of the doubt on
things like chipped teeth.

Your quasi attack on me and your spirited defense of Forrest seems
rather curious since I wasn't attacking Forrest but just seeking a
solution to my problems in dealing with them. Fact is that when you
send a blade off to Forrest for sharpening it most always seems to
cost from $30 to $50 each. If I could find a blade that was almost as
good as a Forrest for $60 or $70 I would probably switch and just
forget resharpening as there is not only the shipping charges and the
Forrest charges but there is the time I have to spend packaging them
up and getting them to UPS. That way I could become a full-fledged
member of this disposable society we have created. Just throw the dull
one out and replace it with a brand new one. Keep a lot of people
employed that way.

The reason for my posting was to ask my fellow woodworkers what sort
of experiences they had had and what solutions they had found. The
first responder, Robatoy, gave a very helpful and well thought-out
response in the true spirit of this group which I thought was a place
where woodworkers shared ideas and solutions to problems they
encountered (for the most part that is exactly what occurs here) and
not a site for one individual to try to ridicule or deprecate
another..

Now, what exactly is your problem?

Joe

Joe, I use a local sharpening service. Most modern services use the same
machinery to sharpen.

I agree with Rob when it come to the notion of one blade for all occasions.
I have a few Forrest blades and they work fine. Almost as good as a custom
blade from my local service.

Dave


"Joe Bleau" wrote in message
...
I have long been an advocate of Forrest blades, recommending them to
all of my woodworker friends who had not yet discovered them. I
actually own 10 of them which is a fair amount for a non-professional.

Now it seems that every time I send one or two of them to Forrest for
resharpening I get really terrible service. First off, they get
$20.00 bucks for sharpening a 10" blade. Then they almost always find
something wrong with the blade (chipped tooth that I did notice when
it sent it to them or a blade they claim is not running true) and they
charge additionally for that. Moreover, one usually spends $20.00 on
shipping charges for each sharpening. When you are through you
usually end up spending more than $30.00 per blade. That's pretty
stiff but if their service was prompt I could probably live with it.
This time I sent them my blades three weeks ago and am still waiting
for them to arrive even though they told them they would be shipped 10
days ago.

I'm really about to reach the point where I start looking for a
substitute. Which brings me to the real reason for this post. Are
there any woodworkers out there who are former users of Forrest
blades? If so, what did you switch to? Are there any other blades
which are close to Forrest and what do they go for?

JOe



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I used to use Forrest sharpening service. I figured that they made the blade
I valued most, they should maintain it. While talking to my local sharpening
guy I brought up the Forrest and the sharpening. He told me he spent
$100,000 buying a machine to sharpen Forrest type blades. He sharpenend mine
and it was every bit as good as the factory. So, maybe you need a special
machine to sharpen these blades and locals without the machine can not do as
well?
max

Joe, I use a local sharpening service. Most modern services use the same
machinery to sharpen.

I agree with Rob when it come to the notion of one blade for all occasions.
I have a few Forrest blades and they work fine. Almost as good as a custom
blade from my local service.

Dave


"Joe Bleau" wrote in message
...
I have long been an advocate of Forrest blades, recommending them to
all of my woodworker friends who had not yet discovered them. I
actually own 10 of them which is a fair amount for a non-professional.

Now it seems that every time I send one or two of them to Forrest for
resharpening I get really terrible service. First off, they get
$20.00 bucks for sharpening a 10" blade. Then they almost always find
something wrong with the blade (chipped tooth that I did notice when
it sent it to them or a blade they claim is not running true) and they
charge additionally for that. Moreover, one usually spends $20.00 on
shipping charges for each sharpening. When you are through you
usually end up spending more than $30.00 per blade. That's pretty
stiff but if their service was prompt I could probably live with it.
This time I sent them my blades three weeks ago and am still waiting
for them to arrive even though they told them they would be shipped 10
days ago.

I'm really about to reach the point where I start looking for a
substitute. Which brings me to the real reason for this post. Are
there any woodworkers out there who are former users of Forrest
blades? If so, what did you switch to? Are there any other blades
which are close to Forrest and what do they go for?

JOe



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"Joe Bleau" wrote in message

Saying that there was a chipped tooth was my typo. What I meant to
say was that I had noted NO chipped teeth.

Your quasi attack on me and your spirited defense of Forrest seems
rather curious since I wasn't attacking Forrest but just seeking a
solution to my problems in dealing with them.

Well, since you admitted to a "typo", and stated that you meant to say
something other than what you said, your paranoia about a "quasi attack"
appears to be just that.

While I've only sent two blades to Forrest to be sharpened, one which was
bent due to some dummy not taking out the zero clearance insert before
cranking in some tilt, and the other just to be sharpened, I've not
experienced any of the issues you were talking about, including your
allusion to price gouging by performing unnecessary operations.

Could it be because I actually followed their _specific_ instructions on
their sharpening service and told them, in writing, what I wanted done, and
took literally, their following warning?

"Blades received without written instruction will be sharpened and have
chipped teeth replaced."

Now, once again, tell us exactly what is the problem?

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 11/06/04

Its not so special, any modern sharpening shop can do them. I suppose a
"Forrest type" blade means a carbide tipped saw blade.

Dave

"max" wrote in message
...
I used to use Forrest sharpening service. I figured that they made the
blade
I valued most, they should maintain it. While talking to my local
sharpening
guy I brought up the Forrest and the sharpening. He told me he spent
$100,000 buying a machine to sharpen Forrest type blades. He sharpenend
mine
and it was every bit as good as the factory. So, maybe you need a special
machine to sharpen these blades and locals without the machine can not do
as
well?
max

Joe, I use a local sharpening service. Most modern services use the same
machinery to sharpen.

I agree with Rob when it come to the notion of one blade for all
occasions.
I have a few Forrest blades and they work fine. Almost as good as a
custom
blade from my local service.

Dave


"Joe Bleau" wrote in message
...
I have long been an advocate of Forrest blades, recommending them to
all of my woodworker friends who had not yet discovered them. I
actually own 10 of them which is a fair amount for a non-professional.

Now it seems that every time I send one or two of them to Forrest for
resharpening I get really terrible service. First off, they get
$20.00 bucks for sharpening a 10" blade. Then they almost always find
something wrong with the blade (chipped tooth that I did notice when
it sent it to them or a blade they claim is not running true) and they
charge additionally for that. Moreover, one usually spends $20.00 on
shipping charges for each sharpening. When you are through you
usually end up spending more than $30.00 per blade. That's pretty
stiff but if their service was prompt I could probably live with it.
This time I sent them my blades three weeks ago and am still waiting
for them to arrive even though they told them they would be shipped 10
days ago.

I'm really about to reach the point where I start looking for a
substitute. Which brings me to the real reason for this post. Are
there any woodworkers out there who are former users of Forrest
blades? If so, what did you switch to? Are there any other blades
which are close to Forrest and what do they go for?

JOe



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"Joe Bleau" wrote in message
...

Saying that there was a chipped tooth was my typo. What I meant to
say was that I had noted NO chipped teeth.


The best way to guard against this is to simply mark each tooth with a
permanent marker. If you have an obvious chipped tooth you will see it and
who ever sharpens the tooth will also notice that each tooth has been
inspected and marked.

Of course, there are
things in these blades that professionals can see that the user might
miss and I am willing to give Forrest the benefit of the doubt on
things like chipped teeth.

And, you did not seem to have a complaint with the quality of work.

Your quasi attack on me and your spirited defense of Forrest seems
rather curious since I wasn't attacking Forrest but just seeking a
solution to my problems in dealing with them.

I was not so much attacking you as much as trying to understand what your
true complaint was. You stated,
"Now it seems that every time I send one or two of them to Forrest for
resharpening I get really terrible service. "
That sounded more like a attack on Forrest.

Fact is that when you send a blade off to Forrest for sharpening it most
always seems to
cost from $30 to $50 each.

Have you sent any blades UPS to any one else and compared total cost?
Unless you personally make the delivery the S&H is going to cost $10 to 15.


If I could find a blade that was almost as good as a Forrest for $60 or $70
I would probably switch and just
forget resharpening as there is not only the shipping charges and the
Forrest charges but there is the time I have to spend packaging them
up and getting them to UPS.

Seems to me that even if you did find a blade as good as a Forrest for $60
to $70 it would still be more expensive. $60 to $70 for a one use blade vs.
a $30 to $50 sharpening is till way more expensive. And if you feel your
time is more valuable than that to send a blade out for resharpening then
your interpretation of Forrest Service is not what is at issue here.

Snip

The reason for my posting was to ask my fellow woodworkers what sort
of experiences they had had and what solutions they had found. The
first responder, Robatoy, gave a very helpful and well thought-out
response in the true spirit of this group which I thought was a place
where woodworkers shared ideas and solutions to problems they
encountered (

IIRC Robatoy makes his living selling and installing counter tops. His
experience with a blade manufacturer that may target his industry may not be
the same as one that targets and services the woodworking industry. I will
agree that Robatoy makes generous contributions to this group.

for the most part that is exactly what occurs here) and
not a site for one individual to try to ridicule or deprecate
another..

I agree but again when you post starts off with

"Now it seems that every time I send one or two of them to Forrest for
resharpening I get really terrible service. "

You may be complaining to me about your own way of posting.

You never told us what kind of terrible service you received and only
complained about Forrest charging more than you want to pay and selling you
repairs that they felt that your blades needed.

Now if you are simply looking for a cheaper service and do not really have a
problem with the Forrest sharpenings that you get may I tell you that up
until the summer of 2003 I always used a local sharpening service in
Houston. I have used this service since the late 80's. Their equipment is
computer operated and state of the art. The machines will recognize your
blade if it has been in their shop and it knows what kind of grind to put on
that particular blade. Plus IIRC they offer grinding up to 600 grit. I
took my Forrest for the first time to them and let them have a go at
resharpening it. I will admit in the past that I have been very pleased
with their work and the Forrest blade did come back much sharper as it
required much less effort to cut wood but the quality of cut was worse than
before they sharpened the blade. I was going to live with it for a while as
I had $24 invested in the resharpening. As luck would have it I tried to
tilt the blade on my saw with the blade raised through a zero clearance
insert. Then the blade really had a bad quality cut. I immediately ordered
a new Forrest AND sent this one to Forrest for another sharpening and a
"Tune up". I did pay Forrest $42 for straightening, sharpening, test
cutting and return shipping in addition to me shipping the blade to them.
When I got the blade back 3 week later it cut as good as the new blade.
Forrest brought the blade back to like new cutting condition.

"max" wrote in message
...
I used to use Forrest sharpening service. I figured that they made the
blade
I valued most, they should maintain it. While talking to my local
sharpening
guy I brought up the Forrest and the sharpening. He told me he spent
$100,000 buying a machine to sharpen Forrest type blades. He sharpenend
mine
and it was every bit as good as the factory. So, maybe you need a special
machine to sharpen these blades and locals without the machine can not do
as
well?
max

My local service has the trick machinery that cost as much as a house also.
I think what most locals do not offer is to straighten a blade. My Forrest
came back nice and sharp from the local shop also but the quality of cut was
inferior to a new blade. If you have a blade that no longer runs true your
local service may not be able to fix all of you problems.

Leon:
My local service has the trick machinery that cost as much as a house
also. I think what most locals do not offer is to straighten a blade. My
Forrest came back nice and sharp from the local shop also but the quality
of cut was inferior to a new blade. If you have a blade that no longer
runs true your local service may not be able to fix all of you problems.

I'd try a new service. The first thing my local shop does is true the blade
then sharpen it. What good is a sharp blade that does not run true?
Frankly, I find it a bit dubious that Forrest charges extra to true a blade.
How do you sharpen a blade that has excessive runout?

Dave



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Not taking out tilt with a zero clearance insert? Did you send that
same dummy to work in my shop a couple, three years ago?

"Charlie Self" wrote in message
Not taking out tilt with a zero clearance insert? Did you send that
same dummy to work in my shop a couple, three years ago?

Was he tall, dark and handsome ... or used to be? Couldn't be the same one,
that dummy's still working in mine ... at least he's only pulled that stunt
once, so far.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 11/06/04

"Charlie Self" wrote in message
oups.com...
Not taking out tilt with a zero clearance insert? Did you send that
same dummy to work in my shop a couple, three years ago?


Geez Charley Is this something we all do ONE time? And Only One time I
hope.

I was wondering why the bevel wheel was getting so tight. LOL

"TeamCasa" wrote in message
...
Leon:
My local service has the trick machinery that cost as much as a house
also. I think what most locals do not offer is to straighten a blade.
My Forrest came back nice and sharp from the local shop also but the
quality of cut was inferior to a new blade. If you have a blade that no
longer runs true your local service may not be able to fix all of you
problems.

I'd try a new service. The first thing my local shop does is true the
blade then sharpen it.

Yeah I switched to Forrest. Oddly the old sharpening company does a LOT of
business and I do not know of one that does flatten blades that are local.

What good is a sharp blade that does not run true?
Exactly but not all flatten the blades.


Frankly, I find it a bit dubious that Forrest charges extra to true a
blade. How do you sharpen a blade that has excessive runout?

I suspect certain tooth tips get ground a bit more than necessary.

"Charlie Self" wrote in message
oups.com...


Not taking out tilt with a zero clearance insert? Did you send that
same dummy to work in my shop a couple, three years ago?

Only if "he" is me... I did it last nite. [ Grrrrr! ]
Thankfully not to a Forrest...

"Leon" wrote in message

"Charlie Self" wrote in message
Not taking out tilt with a zero clearance insert? Did you send that
same dummy to work in my shop a couple, three years ago?

Geez Charley Is this something we all do ONE time? And Only One time I
hope.

I don't know about that ... stand-by and I'll let you know.

I was wondering why the bevel wheel was getting so tight. LOL

Yep ... my first thought, with replays of the threads on what gear lube to
use, was that it was time to clean the damn sawdust out of the gear teeth.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 11/06/04

In article ,
"Leon" wrote:

{snipperectomy]

IIRC Robatoy makes his living selling and installing counter tops. His
experience with a blade manufacturer that may target his industry may not be
the same as one that targets and services the woodworking industry. I will
agree that Robatoy makes generous contributions to this group.

*coughs*......

*wipes tear*

First of all, I want to thank the Academy

*swallows*


............for the kind words.

G

Leon recalls it, mostly correct, that I sell, fabricate and install
counter tops. I do all my own solid surface fabrication and have since
1988. I farm out the eStone (Silestone etc) and granite to some
excellent suppliers.
However, I got into the full swing of woodworking 30 years ago.
Loudspeaker boxes. Nice ones, veneered etc. A LOT of speaker boxes.
Accuracy becomes important when you make the same operation 100 times.
You screw up one tweeter hole, you screw up 100. I have built a lot of
jigs. You get fish-eyes in your finish on one box due to silicone
contamination, *I*'d be sanding till the wee hours... after a few years
the shine went off mass production and I started doing more custom work.
Wall units, that kinda thing.
It feels weird making a potato bin out of pine on a 12" SCM/Altendorf
sliding table saw. That 5 HP 600 volt 3-phase motor justa bored stiff.
Then residential and commercial cabinetry, kitchens, displays etc.
Edgebanders, that kinda stuff. Then in 1988 I added Corian to the
line-up. Just another addition to a vast array of 'multi-mediums'.
Many of you here know what I mean. Aluminum, steel, glass, neon,
plastics, HPL, laminated metals and so on. (*Tips hat to Mr. Watson on
that great video posted here some time back.) Every day a new challenge.

Statistics, (which are wrong 50% of the time) say that only 5% of the
working population truly love their job. I can safely say that I am and
have been a lucky man. There were some times when I wished I had done
something else, like when locked-up at 5PM on a Friday to do renovation
work at a bank...locked up till Sunday morning... yup..5 of us..I though
I had a good idea...get the job done. Running out of a certain fastener
at 4 AM really sucks. (Worked out fine, btw)
Or starting a gig at 3:00 AM at a Casino that HAD to be done before 8:AM
When I semi-retired (f*ucked up knees (arthritis)) in Sept 2003, I sold
and left all of the cabinet stuff behind, but kept the solid surface
clients.

***music****

The cortisone shots have really worked nicely. I am so amazed and
grateful.

(***music is getting louder****)

Sooooo...maybe a small cabinet for the hallway? I promised my wife a
head board... I like the mission style. (oops.. a double entendre??)
So even though I am a casual woodworker now, I have made a lot of
mistakes in my life that I am more than happy to share. You know, silly
****, like not taking out a zero clearance insert....G

0¿0

Rob

"max" wrote in message
...
I used to use Forrest sharpening service. I figured that they made the
blade
I valued most, they should maintain it. While talking to my local
sharpening
guy I brought up the Forrest and the sharpening. He told me he spent
$100,000 buying a machine to sharpen Forrest type blades. He sharpenend
mine
and it was every bit as good as the factory. So, maybe you need a special
machine to sharpen these blades and locals without the machine can not do
as
well?
max

Damn, that is expensive. $100,000 at 6% for five years is $1933 per month.
Typical 20 day, 8 hour work day, the machine is costing him $12 an hour just
to sit on the floor. Add $20 an hour for labor, at least $20 for overhead,
he has to grind a lot of blades to make a profit.

Today I called Forrest to find out what happened to the blades I sent
them on January 20 and which I was told would be shipped no later than
Monday, Jan. 30. I complained about the service and was put through
to a guy named "Jim." Jim turned out to be Jim Forrest, the owner.
Couldn't ask for a nicer guy. He said he would check into it and get
back to me. He did call back to say my blades were shipped today and
that he was waiving all but the sharpening charges because he felt
that I had received "poor" service and he wanted to make up for it.

Now, as I said in my very first post, I have long been a booster of
Forrest blades--for at least the past 10 years. I am a booster
because I have simply never found another blade that cuts as well.
However, I was growing disenchanted with the service I was receiving
and I had every right to be.

But what can you about them--they still make the best blade I've ever
used and they still sharpen them better than any other service I've
tried. And with the owner fielding complaints and taking corrective
action what more could one ask for. Wish there more companies like
that in our good ole US of A.

Interestingly enough no one suggested another blade they felt could
really compete with Forrest other than the highly specialized blades
Robatoy kindly suggested. Still, spending $40-$50 bucks to get a
blade sharpened is a lot of money when one sees what the Freuds and
Oldhams are going for at the discounters.

Joe

Good for you and Forrest Joe, I am glad that your current problem has been
resolved with Forrest.

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message newsHdQd.30523
Damn, that is expensive. $100,000 at 6% for five years is $1933 per
month. Typical 20 day, 8 hour work day, the machine is costing him $12 an
hour just to sit on the floor. Add $20 an hour for labor, at least $20
for overhead, he has to grind a lot of blades to make a profit.


Well, the machines do last for a long time, and he does get to depreciate
the equipment. But that said, my local sharpener said that when he bough 3
computer controlled sharpeners that he needed 3 just to keep up. He
solicits business from all the local builders in the Houston area. I
suspect that there are 50 to 75 housing developments steady building homes
at any given time.

"Leon" wrote in
om:

Good for you and Forrest Joe, I am glad that your current problem has
been resolved with Forrest.


And it's nice to see that Jim Forrest takes a personal interest in the
reputation of his company. A key indicator of success in a highly
competitive business.

Patriarch

Swingman posts:

I was wondering why the bevel wheel was getting so tight. LOL


Yep ... my first thought, with replays of the threads on what gear lube
to
use, was that it was time to clean the damn sawdust out of the gear
teeth.

Same thought thundered through my mind as I got irked at the delay.
Sigh.

"Joe Bleau" wrote in message
...
Now it seems that every time I send one or two of them to Forrest for
resharpening I get really terrible service. First off, they get
$20.00 bucks for sharpening a 10" blade. Then they almost always find

Since I don't own a Forrest blade, I don't have any experience with having
one sharpened. Is it really necessary to send them back to Forrest or can
one use a decent local sharpening service?

Hello there,

I have had two Forrests, a Ridge Carbide, Oldham, Freud, etc., the blade I
leave in my saw now is a CMT 40 tooth "General" blade. It is not that
expensive and I am really happy with it.

David.


"Joe Bleau" wrote in message
...
I have long been an advocate of Forrest blades, recommending them to
all of my woodworker friends who had not yet discovered them. I
actually own 10 of them which is a fair amount for a non-professional.

Now it seems that every time I send one or two of them to Forrest for
resharpening I get really terrible service. First off, they get
$20.00 bucks for sharpening a 10" blade. Then they almost always find
something wrong with the blade (chipped tooth that I did notice when
it sent it to them or a blade they claim is not running true) and they
charge additionally for that. Moreover, one usually spends $20.00 on
shipping charges for each sharpening. When you are through you
usually end up spending more than $30.00 per blade. That's pretty
stiff but if their service was prompt I could probably live with it.
This time I sent them my blades three weeks ago and am still waiting
for them to arrive even though they told them they would be shipped 10
days ago.

I'm really about to reach the point where I start looking for a
substitute. Which brings me to the real reason for this post. Are
there any woodworkers out there who are former users of Forrest
blades? If so, what did you switch to? Are there any other blades
which are close to Forrest and what do they go for?

JOe

That's how they became and will continue to be sucessful.
Dave


"Joe Bleau" wrote in message
...
Today I called Forrest to find out what happened to the blades I sent
them on January 20 and which I was told would be shipped no later than
Monday, Jan. 30. I complained about the service and was put through
to a guy named "Jim." Jim turned out to be Jim Forrest, the owner.
Couldn't ask for a nicer guy. He said he would check into it and get
back to me. He did call back to say my blades were shipped today and
that he was waiving all but the sharpening charges because he felt
that I had received "poor" service and he wanted to make up for it.

Now, as I said in my very first post, I have long been a booster of
Forrest blades--for at least the past 10 years. I am a booster
because I have simply never found another blade that cuts as well.
However, I was growing disenchanted with the service I was receiving
and I had every right to be.

But what can you about them--they still make the best blade I've ever
used and they still sharpen them better than any other service I've
tried. And with the owner fielding complaints and taking corrective
action what more could one ask for. Wish there more companies like
that in our good ole US of A.

Interestingly enough no one suggested another blade they felt could
really compete with Forrest other than the highly specialized blades
Robatoy kindly suggested. Still, spending $40-$50 bucks to get a
blade sharpened is a lot of money when one sees what the Freuds and
Oldhams are going for at the discounters.

Joe



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That's how they became and will continue to be sucessful.
Dave


"Joe Bleau" wrote in message
...
Today I called Forrest to find out what happened to the blades I sent
them on January 20 and which I was told would be shipped no later than
Monday, Jan. 30. I complained about the service and was put through
to a guy named "Jim." Jim turned out to be Jim Forrest, the owner.
Couldn't ask for a nicer guy. He said he would check into it and get
back to me. He did call back to say my blades were shipped today and
that he was waiving all but the sharpening charges because he felt
that I had received "poor" service and he wanted to make up for it.

Now, as I said in my very first post, I have long been a booster of
Forrest blades--for at least the past 10 years. I am a booster
because I have simply never found another blade that cuts as well.
However, I was growing disenchanted with the service I was receiving
and I had every right to be.

But what can you about them--they still make the best blade I've ever
used and they still sharpen them better than any other service I've
tried. And with the owner fielding complaints and taking corrective
action what more could one ask for. Wish there more companies like
that in our good ole US of A.

Interestingly enough no one suggested another blade they felt could
really compete with Forrest other than the highly specialized blades
Robatoy kindly suggested. Still, spending $40-$50 bucks to get a
blade sharpened is a lot of money when one sees what the Freuds and
Oldhams are going for at the discounters.

Joe



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----------------------------------------------------------
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----------------------------------------------------------
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"David F. Eisan" wrote in
:

Hello there,

I have had two Forrests, a Ridge Carbide, Oldham, Freud, etc., the
blade I leave in my saw now is a CMT 40 tooth "General" blade. It is
not that expensive and I am really happy with it.

David.

So, David, has the cabinet saw herd been thinned at all? Last I remember,
you had three classic Uni's...

Patriarch

In article ,
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote:

"max" wrote in message
...
I used to use Forrest sharpening service. I figured that they made the
blade
I valued most, they should maintain it. While talking to my local
sharpening
guy I brought up the Forrest and the sharpening. He told me he spent
$100,000 buying a machine to sharpen Forrest type blades. He sharpenend
mine
and it was every bit as good as the factory. So, maybe you need a special
machine to sharpen these blades and locals without the machine can not do
as
well?
max

Damn, that is expensive. $100,000 at 6% for five years is $1933 per month.
Typical 20 day, 8 hour work day, the machine is costing him $12 an hour just
to sit on the floor. Add $20 an hour for labor, at least $20 for overhead,
he has to grind a lot of blades to make a profit.



running two shifts?

G

[...snip...]

Yeah I switched to Forrest. Oddly the old sharpening company does a LOT of
business and I do not know of one that does flatten blades that are local.


[...snip...]

If they don't flatten the blade, they can't really be sure they will
accurately sharpen it. The deal with a Forrest blade, by all accounts,
is to start with an exceptionally flat blade. But a good sharpener
will flatten the blade as well.

Local saw shop. Twelve bucks to sharpen my Forrest blade. Five more bucks
to fix a tooth.

There are also tons of mail order places that will do just as good work as
Forrest for less money. Forrest ain't doing anything special to that blade.


"Joe Bleau" wrote in message
...
I have long been an advocate of Forrest blades, recommending them to
all of my woodworker friends who had not yet discovered them. I
actually own 10 of them which is a fair amount for a non-professional.

Now it seems that every time I send one or two of them to Forrest for
resharpening I get really terrible service. First off, they get
$20.00 bucks for sharpening a 10" blade. Then they almost always find
something wrong with the blade (chipped tooth that I did notice when
it sent it to them or a blade they claim is not running true) and they
charge additionally for that. Moreover, one usually spends $20.00 on
shipping charges for each sharpening. When you are through you
usually end up spending more than $30.00 per blade. That's pretty
stiff but if their service was prompt I could probably live with it.
This time I sent them my blades three weeks ago and am still waiting
for them to arrive even though they told them they would be shipped 10
days ago.

I'm really about to reach the point where I start looking for a
substitute. Which brings me to the real reason for this post. Are
there any woodworkers out there who are former users of Forrest
blades? If so, what did you switch to? Are there any other blades
which are close to Forrest and what do they go for?

JOe

"Joe Bleau" wrote in message
...
Today I called Forrest to find out what happened to the blades I sent
them on January 20 and which I was told would be shipped no later than
Monday, Jan. 30. I complained about the service and was put through

Interesting... I sent a WWII to them about the same date and had it back in
about a week... Guess they like me better then you. ;-)

Anyhow I've had that blade for over three years and it was still cutting
well. I sent it back because I knocked a carbide off on a real hard knot and
figured a repair was in order. The blade came back with the carbide
replaced, and sharpened, and it cuts like new again. I had a good experience
with them.

John

On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 14:17:23 -0600, "Swingman"
vaguely proposed a theory
.......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

You're a one-man operation, right?
Was he tall, dark and handsome ... or used to be? Couldn't be the same one,
that dummy's still working in mine ... at least he's only pulled that stunt
once, so far.

"OldNick" wrote in message
On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 14:17:23 -0600, "Swingman"
vaguely proposed a theory

Was he tall, dark and handsome ... or used to be? Couldn't be the same
one,
that dummy's still working in mine ... at least he's only pulled that
stunt
once, so far.

......and in reply I say!:

You're a one-man operation, right?

A committee actually ... it's those voices, ya know.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 11/06/04