Observations on blades

[Oldmansbike]

I use mostly #2 blades on quarter inch wood. I have Eberle blades and Pegas blades. I don’t remember where I bought the Eberle blades cause I’ve had them for quite awhile. The Eberle blades start out sharp but they don’t last very long and they seem to stretch more than the Pegas. The Pegas blades seem to last forever. I know it could be the wood which is red oak I’m cutting now but I have used both on cherry too and had the same results. Just thought I would share my experience.

[Scrappile]

Oh my, in all my years of scrolling I have never heard of "Eberle blades".  Or if I have I done forgot!

[OCtoolguy]

It seems like we had a discussion here, some years ago, regarding blades stretching. The general consensus was that they don't stretch. I swore mine were but it turned to be the tension system on my Dewalt was wearing and needed adjusting internally. I've never experienced blade stretch again.

[Wichman]

Available at Cherry Tree Toys.

I just had to check.  

 

[Oldmansbike]

8 hours ago, Wichman said:

Available at Cherry Tree Toys.

I just had to check.  

 

That must be where I got them. I used to buy a lot of stuff from them. 
  Ray I think they are stretching because  after I saw for awhile the tension gets looser on the Eberle blades but when I use the Pegas blades the tension stays pretty much the same.

[kmmcrafts]

8 hours ago, Scrappile said:

Oh my, in all my years of scrolling I have never heard of "Eberle blades".  Or if I have I done forgot!

Pretty sure they're just renamed / rebranded Flying Dutchman blades.

[kmmcrafts]

I've not experienced blade stretching... only have experienced stomach stretch over the years..

I also find that Pegas blades are sharp a great deal longer than most other blades..

Regarding blade stretch... are you sure it's not just slippage in one or both clamps? IF you're losing some tension that can reduce blade life too so it very well could be the reason for a shorter blade life. 

This is what I've found to be a issue of my own and others may experience the same. I somewhat like to cut fast and a Pegas blade is a bit of a aggressive blade so I'm not feeding the wood "pushing" through the wood as fast on longer less detailed cuts such as straight lines or anything where there isn't a great deal of detail. I find that with Flying Dutchman blades I tend to "push through" because the blade isn't as aggressive cutting. FD blades used to be my go to blade I always liked the "Ultra Reverse" and still do use them from time to time. I do think they give a nicer "smoother" cut edge.. Years ago I found many projects I would get some burnt edges in tight turns etc with them and blade life to be short.. well it was normal blade life at that time because once I tried the Pegas Modified Geometry I had significantly longer blade life and no more burnt edges.. I believe this to be because I like cutting at a faster pace and with the less aggressive blades I tend to "push" through too hard thus creating heat and heat really kills blade life. 

I would imagine blades "could" stretch if they are getting hot.. 

This may not be what's happening in your case.. but it was what was happening in mine.. I never knew this until I switched to the Pegas blades.. but I can make a FD blade last a really long time too IF I just slow it down and concentrate on just letting the blade do the work.. The aggressiveness of the Pegas doesn't make me "push" through so the blade is just doing it's cutting..   

[Scrappile]

I've experienced spiral blades stretching.   

[Scrappile]

Okay @OCtoolguy, don't give then that look (confused) look.  Think about it.  They are twisted, you tension one and it unwinds a tiny bit.  I've has to turn the tension knob a little some times to compensate.  I have.  And that's the truth!

[OCtoolguy]

36 minutes ago, Scrappile said:

Okay @OCtoolguy, don't give then that look (confused) look.  Think about it.  They are twisted, you tension one and it unwinds a tiny bit.  I've has to turn the tension knob a little some times to compensate.  I have.  And that's the truth!

I guess they are sort of a spring when you think about it.

 

[Scrappile]

19 minutes ago, OCtoolguy said:

I guess they are sort of a spring when you think about it.

 

Ahhh you are easy!

[Oldmansbike]

11 hours ago, kmmcrafts said:

I've not experienced blade stretching... only have experienced stomach stretch over the years..

I also find that Pegas blades are sharp a great deal longer than most other blades..

Regarding blade stretch... are you sure it's not just slippage in one or both clamps? IF you're losing some tension that can reduce blade life too so it very well could be the reason for a shorter blade life. 

This is what I've found to be a issue of my own and others may experience the same. I somewhat like to cut fast and a Pegas blade is a bit of a aggressive blade so I'm not feeding the wood "pushing" through the wood as fast on longer less detailed cuts such as straight lines or anything where there isn't a great deal of detail. I find that with Flying Dutchman blades I tend to "push through" because the blade isn't as aggressive cutting. FD blades used to be my go to blade I always liked the "Ultra Reverse" and still do use them from time to time. I do think they give a nicer "smoother" cut edge.. Years ago I found many projects I would get some burnt edges in tight turns etc with them and blade life to be short.. well it was normal blade life at that time because once I tried the Pegas Modified Geometry I had significantly longer blade life and no more burnt edges.. I believe this to be because I like cutting at a faster pace and with the less aggressive blades I tend to "push" through too hard thus creating heat and heat really kills blade life. 

I would imagine blades "could" stretch if they are getting hot.. 

This may not be what's happening in your case.. but it was what was happening in mine.. I never knew this until I switched to the Pegas blades.. but I can make a FD blade last a really long time too IF I just slow it down and concentrate on just letting the blade do the work.. The aggressiveness of the Pegas doesn't make me "push" through so the blade is just doing it's cutting..   

I don’t think it is slippage because when I start cutting with a new blade the tension lever on my Hawk is stiff likes it’s supposed to be. The longer I cut the easier it is to flip over and you can tell while you’re cutting that the tension is less. I don’t have that problem with the Pegas blades. I’m going to use up the Eberle blades and I probably won’t buy anymore and stick with Pegas.

[Norm Fengstad]

 I find blade slippage  due to the clamps, The pegas do last  longer, stay sharper longer down side is they are more brittle and if I happen to bend a blade, even slightly during hole entry Pegas will probably break prematurely. 

[BadBob]

I have never had a blade stretch. Recently, I did a test comparing Flying Dutchman blades to Pegas blades. Flying Dutchman blades cut a lot smoother and were less aggressive. In harder woods, the Flying Dutchman blades produced a glossy, smooth cut.

[Wichman]

44 minutes ago, BadBob said:

I have never had a blade stretch. Recently, I did a test comparing Flying Dutchman blades to Pegas blades. Flying Dutchman blades cut a lot smoother and were less aggressive. In harder woods, the Flying Dutchman blades produced a glossy, smooth cut.

Just curious, which blades did you compare? My preference is FD, but  I am curious.

[BadBob]

51 minutes ago, Wichman said:

Just curious, which blades did you compare? My preference is FD, but  I am curious.

All I can say for sure was that the Flying Dutchman blades were #5 skip tooth with reverse teeth. The only reason I know they are Flying Dutchman blades is because FD blades are the only ones I have in test tubes.

[Wichman]

On 11/2/2023 at 8:32 PM, Scrappile said:

Oh my, in all my years of scrolling I have never heard of "Eberle blades".  Or if I have I done forgot!

There was a discussion in 2016 on blades in which the Eberle blades were mentioned,  many of the current posters weighed in, including you.  

[Wichman]

On 11/3/2023 at 5:32 AM, kmmcrafts said:

Pretty sure they're just renamed / rebranded Flying Dutchman blades.

Eberle is a German company that currently specializes in metal cutting band saw blades. I could not get any results for a history of what they manufactured in the past or a timeline for when products started and/or stopped being produced. I noticed that they do manufacture a cobalt alloy band saw blade; I'd give my eyeteeth for some cobalt scroll saw blades, sigh, maybe when I win the lottery.  

Just a note, I tried a google search for who actually manufactures which blades and drew a complete blank

[kmmcrafts]

7 hours ago, BadBob said:

I have never had a blade stretch. Recently, I did a test comparing Flying Dutchman blades to Pegas blades. Flying Dutchman blades cut a lot smoother and were less aggressive. In harder woods, the Flying Dutchman blades produced a glossy, smooth cut.

Nice smooth edges is what I also experience with FD blades... Unfortunately I also find they don't last nearly as long either..  

[BadBob]

57 minutes ago, kmmcrafts said:

Nice smooth edges is what I also experience with FD blades... Unfortunately I also find they don't last nearly as long either..  

Hard to beat Pegas blades for durability. I noticed that the first time I used them.

[Scrappile]

Some time back, soon after Pegas first hit the market, there was a problem with some Pegas blades.  They broke easily.  Some people returned  theirs and got replacements,  I did not, because I had bought some of the identified "bad" ones but I had mixed they in with all the others I had that were not part of that batch.  I can tell the difference by the way they were cut at the top of the blade.  Anyway, it has turned out okay for me. I am just finishing a project that I use that type/size on.  I still appreciate that the blade had some flaw.. I scroll with a "Bad" one and it breaks at the same spot every time I use one of them, but it breaks at just about the time I am thinking I need to change blades because I am loosing some control of the cutting.  With the ones that are not bad, I would probably be changing after close to the same amount of use.  The only down side, is if you have a Hegner, you can appreciate the trauma of a blade breaking event.  I have had the Hegner for quite some time, and yet I still jump and the heart pounds after a blade snaps.  It is still quit stimulating!  Not sure why I posted this, just thought of it because thread is about blades and well I just felt like posting it.   

[Gonzo]

18 minutes ago, Scrappile said:

 if you have a Hegner, you can appreciate the trauma of a blade breaking event.  I have had the Hegner for quite some time, and yet I still jump and the heart pounds after a blade snaps.  It is still quit stimulating!  Not sure why I posted this, just thought of it because thread is about blades and well I just felt like posting it.   

Oh my, isn’t that the truth!  Scares the living crap out of me, and then I chuckle about it. What’ really stinks, is trying to find the bottom blade holder if it goes flying. 

[rjweb]

Talk about a blade breaking, I have sawstop table saw, last week i came to close to the blade and it was like a bomb going off within split seconds the blade goes below the table and and I didn't even get a nick, but had change pants scared the krap out of me, LoL, RJ

[Sycamore67]

Yes, when it goes it makes a bang. Costs a new blade and brake but saves your finger....A good trade off.

[Scrappile]

Yep if I was younger and I didn't love the table saw I have so much I would have a SawStop.  Not only are they a safer saw, but the ones I have looked at are very well build, great saws also.