Another lesson learned the hard way. My local woodworking supplier convinced me to try their sharpening service so I sent in one of my Tenyru blades for its first sharpening and it is totally trashed. They ground away so much carbide that they ground down into the steel. The cut is so rough it reminds me of the days when we used steel blades before carbide. Prior to sharpening it gave a cut so smooth that sanding wasn't necessary. I'm going back to using Forrest for my sharpening. They have never let me down. 

Paul

I did not know you could sharpen carbide blade tips.  tools steel, sure, but not carbide.  that's the whole point of carbide, it's harder than steel, and will hold its edge longer.  when one of my blades gets too dull, i'll first clean it, and see if some of the gunk is causing the poor cuts (often the case, thus, lesson learned, when i finish a project, i'll pull the saw blade and give it a good cleaning and inspection, if all looks good, back it goes, ready for the next project), and if it has too many chips, it's time for a new blade (about $50, i mostly use 50T combo blades from Diablo).

You can usually get 2 and sometimes three good sharpenings out of a a quality blade like Tenyru or Forrest. The important thing is that they know what they are doing. Forrest's service is excellent. The cost is about one third the price of the blade ( for 12" blades about $125 up to $175). Forrest offers a complete service including replacing chipped teeth etc and also does a test cut to ensure that the blade is performing up to par. They will call you if there are any issues. 

Paul

I get 12-18 months out of a CMT blade, clean it occasionally, and have a diamond fine I use sometimes.  I just get another one out of stock and be done with it.  Cutting the various materials I use it is just more practical.

I tend to use a Freud blade when I am cutting materials like particle board or stuff I am not terribly concerned about the quality of the cut but switch to one of the better blades when I need a smooth finished cut. Tenyru blades will give me a polished edge cut that is hard to achieve even with sanding. On this media room project we are milling black walnut which is really hard on blades and the cuts will burn with the lesser blades. It also dulls the blades a lot quicker and the better blades tend to stay sharper quite a bit longer so economically they make sense for us. 

Paul

That was why I went to sending mine off to be sharpened, the locals were carbide butchers. Forrest is often mentioned as an excellent shop, and some others to consider would be Dynamic Saw, 3Bsawandtool (formerly Bull Sharpening) , and Scott Whiting in Glendale AZ (I don't think he has a website). I've used 3B for a long time, and I have used Dynamis saw a couple of times. They are both full service shopws, that is the sharpen everything; router bits, forstner bits, sawblades, planer knives, and so on. They are both excellent services. I've heard nothing but good about Scott, but I've never used hsis service.

A blade can be sharpened many times. All there doing is putting a sharp edge back on. I won't use a mail sharpening service. There are too many quality sharpeners right here in KC.  These days a lot have moved up to CNC sharpening which puts no by ahead of the game. 

 

Some sharpeners are still doing chainsaws knives, skill saw blades, etc. There not quality sharpening for woodworking blades. 

 

 

27 minutes ago, Masonsailor said:

I tend to use a Freud blade when I am cutting materials like particle board or stuff I am not terribly concerned about the quality of the cut but switch to one of the better blades when I need a smooth finished cut. Tenyru blades will give me a polished edge cut that is hard to achieve even with sanding. On this media room project we are milling black walnut which is really hard on blades and the cuts will burn with the lesser blades. It also dulls the blades a lot quicker and the better blades tend to stay sharper quite a bit longer so economically they make sense for us. 

Paul

If I worked with harder woods more often I would definitely get out the good blades.  

 Black walnut is particularly nasty on blades. If you get the light just right you can see the silica particles glistening in the wood. 
Paul

Hopefully they will compensate for the blade but if it was cutting after you you finished off the cut they may not take it.  How ever if it was messed up before hand I'm sure they could possibly do something unless they are a joke of a company.  I just get cheap saw blades and buy multiples of them so I always have a replacement.  Then I can just throw them out when they dull and not worry about wasting my money.

To clarify sharpening : on more expensive blades the carbide is thicker and can go thru several sharpening. I am not sure that is what causes them to be more costly or is the bade is milled flatter.

 

I have used Scott but he did say there are many quality services close to me. I would say he does quality work,and is contentious about it.

Fortunately, I have a one man shop nearby,  and he has all the equipment needed for providing high quality carbide tool sharpening. He's sharpened my Freud blades twice and  I believe the blades will easily survive a third sharpening. After the first sharpening, I thought the blades performed better than when they were new. No pick up or delivery service. You take em in and pick em up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the big factors in the cost of the more expensive blades is the quality of the carbide and the level at which they are honed. The more expensive blade manufacturers and sharpening services tend to hone to a much higher degree. Forrest carries it a step further and will actually do a test cut to verify that the blade is within specs. Also their quality control is supposedly better. From my end, the user, all I can say is they cut way better and last longer. 
Paul

You’re lucky Al. I had a guy in Ca who was the same but here in Las Vegas there doesn’t seem to be anyone. 
Paul

I’m with Fred on this one.  I’ve used Bull (3B) for the past 3 years and have nothing but praise for them.  

Over the years, I have had blades sharpened by local guys and also sent them back to the manufacturer.

All the sharpened blades were just OK and the one I sent back to WW II was ruined.  I not longer have them sharpened, the cost of getting a superior sharpening is about the same as a new blade, especially if you can get a discount or sale price.

Ron when you say WW II is that Forrest ?

Paul

Yep, sharpen my carbides too, locally. @Masonsailor  do you have any recourse? Or is it even worth it?

52 minutes ago, Masonsailor said:

Ron when you say WW II is that Forrest ?

Paul

Yes, it was more than 10 years ago, it came back with blobs of silver solder on it........sent it back. Came back second time

with a tooth out of line. I wrote back and got a lame excuse about the guy had a rough time at home, they were short handed, etc. Told him I was done with Forrester products. Sad......it was the best I'd ever used.

 

i guess after al these years of getting by with $50 blades, i never saw the sense in thinking about sharpening them, when for a few dollars more i could just get a new one and move on.

 

they work for me.  (shrug).