# Saw blade sharpening service?



## goodwood (Dec 15, 2012)

I live in southern Illinois and used to have all my saw blades, hand saws as well as table and circular saw blades, sharpened by a local man who returned the blades in better cutting condition than when they were new! He was highly skilled. Now that he has died, I no of no one, anywhere, who does this. I have some expensive blades that have a lot of life left, and I do not want to discard them and buy new. 

Is anyone aware of a skilled, mail-in sharpening service?


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## JohnK007 (Nov 14, 2009)

Daren, a moderator here used to do it. Shoot him a PM to see if he still does. He lives in Central Illinois around Decatur. Super guy, if he doesn't do it anymore, I bet he knows someone who does. Here's his website: http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/


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## Greg in Maryland (Jan 6, 2011)

I left my freud 60 tooth cross cut blade with these Ridgid Carbide Tools at the Woodworking Show in Baltimore. 

I should get it back in a week and I'll let you know how it turned out.

Greg


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

This thread has several links to sharpening services.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/blade-knife-sharpening-46019/


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## Bill White 2 (Jun 23, 2012)

Google Forrest saw blades.
They will sharpen well and reasonably priced.
Bill


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## JMartel (Nov 30, 2011)

I know of a local guy to me here in Seattle. If you're interested, I can give you contact info.


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## triplechip (Jun 8, 2009)

Dear Goodwood,

I have a sharpening shop in St. Louis, Mo. www.quinnsaw.com

We get blades sent to us from all over the country. Since you are from southern Illinois, It should only be 1 day shipping to us.

Here's a sample of some of our equipment.





 
Thank You,
Bill Zickel
President


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## Midlandbob (Sep 5, 2011)

Have you checked you local big box store. The one one near me has a service for contractors etc. they send blades out weekly and you get them back the next week.

I would be interested in the price of the service mentioned above. How much for a 40 or 60 tooth blade with no issues. D you do planer blades? How much for 3 --15 inch blades?


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## triplechip (Jun 8, 2009)

Midlandbob

40 tooth blade $10.00
60 tooth blade $15.00
80 tooth blade $20.00

$3.00 per tip if it needs replacement

All blades are ultrasonically cleaned, inspected for any tip damage, polished and checked for straightness. We will straighten out any blade that needs it. NO EXTRA CHARGE.

This will be our 110th year in the sharpening business. I am 4th generation family business


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## jraksdhs (Oct 19, 2008)

Hey TripleChip. Whats your turn around like? I'd be shipping from delaware. Do you also do planer and jointer knives? How about router bits? I appreciate the info.

Jason


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## triplechip (Jun 8, 2009)

jraksdhs,

We only do circular saw blades in house. Knives and router bits are subcontracted out to another local shop that specializes in planer knives and cutters.

Turnaround time for circular saw blades is 1-2 days. Router bits and planer/jointer knives is 1 week.

Thanks


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## Getting better (Dec 3, 2009)

I tried several local guys and was allways dissapointed. Since then I only use Forrest and they do a great job


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

For hand saws, it's not that hard to do yourself. There are some good videos and instructional sites. Last time I did my rip saw, I think it took about 15 minutes. It didn't need to be re-set, of course, but that shouldn't add too much time.

For power tool blades, I'd send them out. But for hand saws, I'd advocate for picking one that's not your favorite and giving it a try.


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## nblasa (Nov 29, 2011)

Goodwood, if I'm hijacking this thread let me know and I'll open a new one. I apologize in advance if that's what it seems like, but you got me thinking about a question that I'd like answered. I have a very old dado set for a 12" antique radial arm saw that is rusty and dull. Used by my great grandpa at least probably at least 40 years ago. Are these worth sharpening if I clean the rust off first? Or would they dull so quickly again that I'd be better off buying a new set? Again, if this was discourteous let me know and I'll remove the post


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*fast answer. not worth it*



nblasa said:


> Goodwood, if I'm hijacking this thread let me know and I'll open a new one. I apologize in advance if that's what it seems like, but you got me thinking about a question that I'd like answered. I have a very old dado set for a 12" antique radial arm saw that is rusty and dull. Used by my great grandpa at least probably at least 40 years ago. Are these worth sharpening if I clean the rust off first? Or would they dull so quickly again that I'd be better off buying a new set? Again, if this was discourteous let me know and I'll remove the post


Probably made of HHS which is sharp initially but dulls quickly. Rust won't help. New Carbide dados are reasonable Try ww.Holbren.com. Also look on E Bay.


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## Thalweg (Mar 7, 2008)

Triplechip
What's the processess for sending you blades (payment and shipping). I can't find it on your website.

Thanks


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## tito5 (Apr 5, 2011)

goodwood, where in southern Illinois are you? or are you close to Champaign? In Champaign there is a wood shop called CU woodshop that you can drop off your blades to and they have them back to you in a week or two. 
I have not used this service yet but all my other dealings with them have been great.


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## triplechip (Jun 8, 2009)

Thalweg,

People send us blades by UPS,FedEx or U.S. mail. We will call you with the cost before we do the work. Visa, MasterCard, American Express all excepted. 
Thanks, Bill

W.D. Quinn Saw Co.
1111 Belgrove Dr.
St. Louis, Mo. 63137


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

Anyone here ever have W.D. Quinn saw sharpen any blades?


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## mikeswoods (May 18, 2009)

triplechip said:


> Dear Goodwood,
> 
> I have a sharpening shop in St. Louis, Mo. www.quinnsaw.com
> 
> ...


Bill, I've been looking for a mail order saw sharpener for a while now--Darren used to do my blades---

Your website needs some help---I could not find any info on shipping--costs for sharpening or any thing that would help me to do business with your company---Just a friendly heads up---

A bit more about your sharpening services and how to buy them from you would be helpful.


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## mikeswoods (May 18, 2009)

Good grief---I didn't realize that the thread was so old-------------I'm in northern Illinois--and need a sharpening service-------


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## triplechip (Jun 8, 2009)

mikeswoods,

It's been about 12 years since we changed anything on our web site. And we have a new site almost ready to put online.

Our new web site will have our complete sharpening price list. And a few more videos to show our sharpening process.

Thanks for the heads up. Our old web site did need some work.


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## johnep (Apr 12, 2007)

So what happened to Daren Nelson? I used to love his posts and videos.
johnep


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## mako1 (Jan 25, 2014)

mikeswoods said:


> Good grief---I didn't realize that the thread was so old-------------I'm in northern Illinois--and need a sharpening service-------


 When I owned my custom cabinet shop I always used Bull Sharp in Oak Park.
Good service and quality.


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## mikeswoods (May 18, 2009)

THANK YOU-- I'll look them up---That would be a long drive for me---I think I'll give the Quinn company a call---I don't have a problem with mail order sharpening---


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## johnep (Apr 12, 2007)

Nice to hear Darren Nelson mentioned. Along with Texas Timbers he was one of my favourite posters.
johnep


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## Bob Bengal (Jan 2, 2021)

I don't have immediate need but have been wondering about this topic. This link Ridge Carbide Tool still works. What other sharpening services do people like now? Ridge didn't mention Forstner bits, but as many other things they sharpen seems like they'd do those too. What about brad point drill bits, is it ever worth having those sharpened?

@johnep you haven't aged a day since 2014.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

You have to find out what your sharpener charges to determine whether to resharper or buy new.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

I have a couple Forrest blades and have used Forrest to sharpen them. They do a good job. Forrest sharpens non-Forrest blades, although I have never used them for that. Forrest is more expensive than others.

According to several friends and some of the people here, one of the things that makes Forrest blades special is the quality of their sharpening. They say that if you have someone else sharpen your Forrest blade, you will have an ordinary good blade. I took them at their word and use Forrest for sharpening the Forrest blades.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Tool Agnostic said:


> I have a couple Forrest blades and have used Forrest to sharpen them. They do a good job. Forrest sharpens non-Forrest blades, although I have never used them for that. Forrest is more expensive than others.
> 
> According to several friends and some of the people here, one of the things that makes Forrest blades special is the quality of their sharpening. They say that if you have someone else sharpen your Forrest blade, you will have an ordinary good blade. I took them at their word and use Forrest for sharpening the Forrest blades.


I believe Forrest was using a CNC to sharpen their blades. Many here in KC are now using CNC machines. 

I belive Fastenal is sharpening with a CNC. There expensive.

There's no advantage anymore on sharpening..


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

I have posted this link here many times before. The company is owned by a member here. They will do mail order sharpening and the quality is great:




__





Quinn Saw | Circular Saw Blade Manufacturing, Sharpening, and Repair


W.D. Quinn Saw Co. provides fast, precise circular saw blade sharpening and repair services using advanced technology. Design your blade online.




quinnsaw.com


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Here's what im pay


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## B Coll (Nov 2, 2019)

goodwood said:


> I live in southern Illinois and used to have all my saw blades, hand saws as well as table and circular saw blades, sharpened by a local man who returned the blades in better cutting condition than when they were new! He was highly skilled. Now that he has died, I no of no one, anywhere, who does this. I have some expensive blades that have a lot of life left, and I do not want to discard them and buy new.
> 
> Is anyone aware of a skilled, mail-in sharpening service?


If you have excellent blades I would recommend sending them to Forrest Manufacturing. They manufacture high end blades, I use them on all my saws. They also flatten sharpen blades, flatten plates, and braze new teeth when needed. I purchased a brand new Freud stacked dado a few years back and out of the box it was horrible in my opinion. I sent them the blade and told them to set it to their specs. Came back excellent and I still use it today. Their blades are top of the line and I use them on all my machines. Forrest Saw Blades: Quality Saw Blades & Dados


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## DrRobert (Apr 27, 2015)

If I had to send them off, I’d use either Ridge or Forrest.


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## B Coll (Nov 2, 2019)

Bill White 2 said:


> Google Forrest saw blades.
> They will sharpen well and reasonably priced.
> Bill


Yup, I run Forrest Blades on all my saws. I grew up in the city they are located in. Good people there.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

I have a Forrest Woodworker II table saw blade that needs sharpening. In the past, I have used Forrest's sharpening service. Shipping blades to and from Forrest costs almost as much as the sharpening itself. I could save on shipping by sharpening several blades at once, but I am not a commercial factory so it does not work for me.

@NoThankyou recommended Farr's, a local sharpener. Farr's and several other local small businesses are now part of Kairos Tooling. It isn't clear how that happened - Merged? Bought the business and tooling? Bought the brand name? Something else?

Kairos Tooling is near me in Santa Fe Springs and they use CNC machines. I could save on shipping through drop-off and pick-up:
https://kairostooling.com
https://kairostooling.com/capabilities/

Forrest says, "Our heavy-duty precision machines (with super fine diamond wheels) produce a sharpened edge unequaled by most sharpening services. ..."
https://www.forrestblades.com/forrest-factory-carbide-saw-blade-sharpening/

*-> Would you trust Kairos to sharpen my Woodworker II blade? ... or would you pay the extra shipping cost and use Forrest?*

Honorable Mention:
@triplechip also runs a CNC-based saw blade sharpening service. They are are not local to me, but recommended by others here. They use the same CNC equipment as Kairos:
https://quinnsaw.com


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## Bob Bengal (Jan 2, 2021)

I don't know, but the way I'd think about it: How often do you need to have the blade sharpened? The more often it is, the more it is worth trying Kairos because that means you will save more on shipping, and if they do a bad job or their resharpening isn't as durable then it won't be long until you can send it to Forrest.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

Thanks for responding. Yeah, I thought about the "Give 'em a try" option, but the real point of my question was:

-> Do all CNC blade sharpening services yield the same quality, or is there a way that they differentiate themselves one from another? Are there differences between them on the technical sharpening aspects?

Kairos Tooling and WD Quiin Saw both have Vollmer sharpening equipment, and I don't know what Forrest uses.

(P.S. I hate to give away the answer before I see more responses, but my plan was to give Kairos a try and see what happens.)


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

You guys do know this was originally posted in Jan. 2013?

It really doesn't matter because this topic is timeless and so, I will chime in too.
I used to use Memphis Machinery in Memphis, Tn. I haven't needed a blade sharpening in a while. I remember that the turn-around time was good and the service was excellent especially when it comes to dado blades. I have been using them since the Mid-1980's. and will continue to do so as long as I keep buying expensive blades. As my shop is just a hobby now a days, I dont suspect I will need them very often though
To me, it is worth $16 - $20 + Shipping to keep a $100 blade in as good or better than new condition.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

woodnthings said:


> I have posted this link here many times before. The company is owned by a member here. They will do mail order sharpening and the quality is great:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You can either go with a local company in which case that research is on you, OR you can go with a mail order company that is highly recommended like the W.D. Quinn I posted above. After watching the detailed video, and how Quinn's company takes the time and has the proper machines, I don't see how there is any room left to speculate. probably several humdered thousand dollars of machinery in that shop AND they manufacture specialty blades as well. What more is there to know, except pricing? Bill has posted his pricing schedule here a few times:


https://quinnsaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Quinn-Saw-Price-List-2014-CT.pdf



I haven't used the WD Quinn sharpening service myself, but others here have. My local service is about 15 miles down the road and is located behind my favorite diner, so I can get a good meal and drop off or pick up my blades, depending ....
It's called the Cutting Edge Sharpening Service, in Dryden, Michigan. They do a fine job and have a gruff, but "harmless" shop dog:





Cutting Edge Sharpening Service The in Dryden , MI


Rated 3 stars on YP. Share your own tips, photos and more- tell us what you think of this business!




www.yellowpages.com


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## SonnyAgain (Dec 5, 2020)

In the Lafayette, La. area, I recommend Professional Saw & Tool Sharpening. Phil Arabie has a diverse shop and is very helpful. He's commented on and able to detect saw blade balance & warpage issues (and why it happens) with regard to some brands of saw blades and can correct those sorts of issues when possible. He really knows his business. 

$12 for 10" saw blades & jointer blades, replaces broken teeth, reasonable prices for bandsaw blades (custom made to length), upholstery sheers (but not household scissors), carving tools..... services I've needed.

Sonny


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

Tony B said:


> You guys do know this was originally posted in Jan. 2013? [...]


Yes, I knew it was an old thread, but it matched my question best. I looked at four different threads before choosing this one.

My question was, "Do CNC-based blade sharpening companies yield comparable results to each other?"

I did some more research, and now I believe that the answer is yes, they do, as long as they maintain their equipment properly. My conclusion is that through the use of CNC-based sharpening equipment, the high-end independent sharpening services have caught up to the manufacturers in blade sharpening quality.


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