Welcome Jie Quan

[Old Mooner Member - Level 2 Find all posts View Profile Close Old Mooner]

I'd like to welcome you to the forum and hope to hear from you often. Your analysis of blade manufacturers is very similar to one I used to have my stufents do in economics class concerning gasoline brand names. We have a tendency to be "brand-name loyal" in this country and, in many cases. it makes no (or little) sense. Most gasoline in a local area comes from one "distributor" who delivers the same gasoline to several "brand-name" stations. Same gasoline, different names. Kinda like buying from Sears. They sell stuff made by "brand-name" manufacturers, but with their name attached. Anyway, welcome once again and thanks for the info.
Moon

[jiequan Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jiequan]

I'd like to welcome you to the forum and hope to hear from you often. Your analysis of blade manufacturers is very similar to one I used to have my stufents do in economics class concerning gasoline brand names. We have a tendency to be "brand-name loyal" in this country and, in many cases. it makes no (or little) sense. Most gasoline in a local area comes from one "distributor" who delivers the same gasoline to several "brand-name" stations. Same gasoline, different names. Kinda like buying from Sears. They sell stuff made by "brand-name" manufacturers, but with their name attached. Anyway, welcome once again and thanks for the info.
Moon

Moon,

I greatly appreciate the welcome. Your analogy with the gasoline distributors is precisely my point. Obviously if one those off different brand gas stations that has the same gas as the name brand it might be a better choice if the gas is cheaper. However, if the off brand or the name brand station has water leaked into the ground tanks neither is a good choice. Blades are the same way, obviously 99% of it boils down to personal preference. What I'm really tired of hearing is one type of blade isn't any good, while another type of blade is far superior when both blades came out of the same plant and probably the same machine. That gets old quick. People in the scroll saw community need to take a step back and realize what they are saying.

Jie Quan

[Woodbutcher68 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Woodbutcher68]

Just because two items may come from the same manufacturer, it doesn't mean that the quality is the same. In the case of gasolines, there are a few distribution centers in my area. You'll see trucks from different brand names loading at the same rack. As they put the gas in the trucks, different additives are added at the same time. Remember leaded gas? Tetraethyl Lead was added to increase the octane. Mobil adds more detergents to clean your engine while you drive. The actual gas in the tanks may come from a number of different refineries and different brands, but after the additives are put in, it becomes that particular brand. I knew guys that worked in the Amoco refinery here. They'd tell stories about seeing oil cans being filled with labels from every brand of oil on the market. Again, each brand had its own additives.
I used to work in a forging shop in Chicago, making automobile parts. Most of the Big Three, Ford, Chrysler and GM and other customers, including Harley Davidson, allowed tolerences of +/-.030, while Toyota allowed +/-.5mm, sometimes +.5mm/-0mm. (.5mm = about .020) Toyota was also a lot more stringent on the chemistry of the steel. The parts came off of the same presses in the same plant, but had different quality standards.
Scrollsaw blade companies probably do the same thing. The blades may come off the same production line and look identical, but be made of different steel which will definately affect the life and performance.
When you make something from two different types of steel, the lower quality steel can be sold at a lower cost, but the performance levels will also be lower. However, some companies will use the lowest cost materials they can and sell them at a premium price. That's when we get ripped off.
My opinion is to use a product that you feel comfortable with and have faith in and don't knock the other products.

[Old Mooner Member - Level 2 Find all posts View Profile Close Old Mooner]

While I agree generally with your comments WB. Just because it comes from the same manufacturer does not mean it is the "same" product. Because of our competitive economy, products have to be "differentiated" and labeled differently in order to give you and me a reason for picking one over the other. Most of the time the differences are cosmetic. However, I beg to differ with you about not knocking "other products". That is one of our fundamental freedoms. If I drive a Ford, I reserve the right to "run down" Chevy and vice versa. I think there is too much "acceptance" and "political correctness" in our society already. Just because I knock a product doesn't mean you can't love it or swear by it. More power to you. Many Americans are extremely gullible and naive when it comes to our market system. They don't realize, and refuse to believe, that many of the brand names out there are not really competitors at all, but made and sold by the same company. Many of us feel we should "buy American" so the Japanese and Koreans have learned to give their products American names. Buy the blades you want, for whatever reason. That is your right. If I think it is a dumb choice, I will tell you so.
Moon

[Woodbutcher68 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Woodbutcher68]

No knocking somebody else's opinion has nothing to do with "political correctness", it has to do with preventing arguements and fights before they start. If you prefer one product over another, that's fine. You can state that and even your reasons why you do. Just don't knock others for their preferences or opinions. Simply agree to disagree.

[Old Mooner Member - Level 2 Find all posts View Profile Close Old Mooner]

Here, here WB. Fortunately, I do not think the good folks on this forum have ever gone so far as to knock each other personally for anything, especially something so minor as choice of blade. We certainly disagree generally about most things--blades, saws, wood use, staining, backing, to tilt or not to tilt, foot switches, standing or sitting, etc, etc, but I thing we all have agreed to disagree. We listen to the wisdom of the others and then "press on". Some of us (me included) are a little dogmatic and combative at times, but isn't it good to "stir the pot" once in awhile? I notice some poor unsuspecting soul has asked, once again, "which blade is best." Lordy, Lordy.
Moon