Pegas MGT 5 question

[Hawk]

I've decided to try to branch out on my blade selection and give the Pegas a try.

My question is I've noticed on one end of the blade it has a bit of a piece sticking up as compared to the other end. Is this normal? Is so, why?

I've been just nipping them off for use. But wondered why they there.

Edited Sunday at 12:35 AM by Hawk

[Scrappile]

Do not rely on it.  My experience is some have, some do not,  Sometimes it is at the top, sometimes not.   I have it on my favorite blade, the Skip tooth in all these configurations,  I run my finger up the blade to determine which way it should go up. Or maybe I am crazy.

[kmmcrafts]

I'm not sure why they are there.. at one time it was said to be to determine what was the top / bottom of the blade... however they're never consistent with whether they are top or bottom or even have that at all.. It's been my biggest peeve of these blades because they're also not consistent in length.. so for a Hawk or Hegner user where you bottom the blade out in the lower clamp and then pull the upper arm down to the top of the blade and bottom out then it's never consistent blade tension from one blade to the next.. The way Hawk and Hegners are set up you shouldn't ever have to mess with tension unless changing blade sizes but when running the Pegas you need to check it with every blade.. 

[Hawk]

2 hours ago, kmmcrafts said:

however they're never consistent with whether they are top or bottom or even have that at all

I would agree with that. I've found but nipping the piece off my tension is much more consistent on my Hawk

[Scrappile]

When I do determine which way is up. I turn to my grinder and grind a point on the top end.  Makes it easier to feed it up through the hole. Just my way.

[BadBob]

13 hours ago, kmmcrafts said:

The way Hawk and Hegners are set up you shouldn't ever have to mess with tension unless changing blade sizes but when running the Pegas you need to check it with every blade.. 

I use Pegas blades almost exclusively and never check it unless I am having an issue. The way the clamp works, it does not matter if the length changes a bit.

As for the notch, the last time this came up, I went through my stash of blades, and the blades varied from batch to batch.

[kmmcrafts]

1 hour ago, BadBob said:

I use Pegas blades almost exclusively and never check it unless I am having an issue. The way the clamp works, it does not matter if the length changes a bit.

As for the notch, the last time this came up, I went through my stash of blades, and the blades varied from batch to batch.

It doesn't matter at all with a Excalibur or like saw... but the tension changes with the blade length variations on a Hawk or Hegner if you're installing the blades in the clamp properly by bottoming them out in both clamps which if the blades are exactly the same length then you should be able to set the tension and never have to touch it again unless you need another tension for a different size blade. I've had some Pegas blades so short they wouldn't even reach the clamps in the Excalibur.. Hawk and Hegners saws are way more picky about correct blade tension than any other saw I've ever used.. Improper tension almost always results in a broken blade.. But with the short rocker arm saws you could almost forget to apply tension and not break the blade.. sawing experience will make a difference of coarse but the blade doesn't break or slip out of the chuck. 

I do nip the pointed tip off the ends on these blades which does help but it's still something we shouldn't have to do IF the blades were made properly with the same length like all the other blade brands.. 

[Gonzo]

Kevin, you nailed it on the head. I always wondered how or why people would load their blades on the Hegners and Hawks. 
I suppose other brands are not a problem, but, I use strictly Pegas blades and always have. I too nip the blades so the ends are square. It’s become such a habit that I also nip them when using my Excalibur. 

[Denny Knappen]

I notch on the end is a function of manufacturing and does not indicate up or down.