Tried my first FD blades tonight

[dale]

I had listened (or read) how any of you talk about the flying dutchman blades so I ordered some and I got some #3 reversed teeth blades.. boy are they ever agressive comparied to what i have been using.
But I think i llike them pretty well already

To you all thanks for the information

dale

[bronco]

Dale,
When I first tried F.D. blades I like you found them to be real agressive and it took a while for me to get use to the way they cut. I love the way they cut now, so give yourself a little time and I think you will also like them.
Merry Christmas,
Bill

[Minnesota scroller]

The same thing happened to me the first time I tried Pegas blades. Pegas blades are incredibly sharp and they stay sharp. The first attempt with them had me wishing they would eventually get dull. It did take getting used to. I just had to slow everything down.

[chrispuzzle]

I also have been enjoying - or running scared of - FD puzzle blades the last few days. Ian (puzzledmoose) deserves kudos and public praise for sending me a few to try out.

I immediately ordered a load more from Mike. They are great but they do need a correspondingly lighter touch than the other Niqua blades I have been using (Niqua Yellow Label) which are very civilised and last quite well, but don't have the same bite.

Chris

[PuzzledMoose]

Glad you like the FD blades, Chris.

I agree they do need a light touch -especially in the first few minutes when they're at their sharpest .. I tend to slow the saw down a little at first when I start with a new blade, especially if I've been scrolling something with a bigger blade previously ..

[workin for wood]

According to folklore, the Flying Dutchman is a ghost ship that can never go home, but is doomed to sail "the seven seas" forever. The Flying Dutchman is usually spotted from afar, sometimes glowing with ghostly light. If she is hailed by another ship, her crew will often try to send messages to land, to people long since dead. The sight of this phantom ship is reckoned by seafarers to be a portent of doom.

found that on wikipedia...doesn't exacty relate, but it's interesting...kinda imply's that you shouldn't use flying dutchman...but I"m not saying not to or that you should...but I think that I do use them.

[William Young (SE BC)]

Yes , I totally agree with what Mike said about the Pegas blades that so many seem to be switching to. I also found them sharper than any other brand and last longer but the nicest part is that they track on the line more acurately than any others I have used.
Once a person gets used to how sharp they are they enjoy all the rest of the benefits.

Jeff;
Interesting folklore on the Flying Dutchman ship..

Here is some folklore on Pegas and how they got their name.

W.Y.

[Gill]

Is that folklore or is it the Pegas publicity machine ? Sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference. I just hope nobody thinks we're advocating any particular brand over another - some blades suit some scrollers, others suit other scrollers. All you can do is try them all and decide which you prefer.

Gill

[Minnesota scroller]

Amen to what Gill said. Ignore advertising and ignore solicitations and ignore personal opinions. Try them all for yourself and see what works best for your applications and your own personal style. Different strokes for different folks.

[William Young (SE BC)]

I totally agree Gill.
Many topics get started on many sites that appear to be on one certain brand as a means of a *publicity machine* as you described it.
Kinda strange we never see those topics appear or get started as a publicity machine for any other brand .
But they can be interesting because it gives others a chance to follow up on the reasons why they like their favorite brand when it has already been stated previously the reasons some prefer the the brand in the original topic.

You are absoloutly right. Try a few different brands and decide for yourself which ones are best for your purposes.
The folklore was also quite interesting.
W.Y.

[Jediscroller]

I thought the winged horse's name was Pegasus? I pulled this information off of Encyclopedia Mythica.

"In Greek mythology, Pegasus is the winged horse that was fathered by Poseidon with Medusa. When her head was cut off by the Greek hero Perseus, the horse sprang forth from her pregnant body. His galloping created the well Hippocrene on the Helicon (a mountain in Boeotia).

When the horse was drinking from the well Pirene on the Acrocotinth, Bellerophon's fortress, the Corinthian hero was able to capture the horse by using a golden bridle, a gift from Athena. The gods then gave him Pegasus for killing the monster Chimera but when he attempted to mount the horse it threw him off and rose to the heavens, where it became a constellation (north of the ecliptic).

In another version, Bellerophon killed the Chimera while riding on Pegasus, and when he later attempted to ride to the summit of Mount Olympus, Zeus sent a gadfly to sting the horse, and it threw Bellerophon off its back."

Oh, and all I know about the Flying Dutchman I learned from Sponge Bob.

Not sure what this has to do with blades, but I'm a mythology fan (even have a Pegasus tatoo on my arm, hehehehe).

Oh, and I agree with Gill and Mike, try different blades for yourself and decide which you prefer. Every manufacturer claims their blades are the best and every salesman for every manufacturer claims they're the best blades they ever used. Some folks have personal issues with other folks and claim one blade is better than another. They're all about $20 - $30 a gross so it's a matter of personal preference as to which you prefer. Myself, I prefer FD's and Olsons. Olson's are not as agressive as the FD's and have their place with certain cuttings and all of my portrait type stuff is cut with FD #1 and #3 SR's.

[workin for wood]

I never heard of pegas as a creature either, only pegasus. I typed pegas into wikipedia, and the computer said I was nuts ! but I already know that...

[William Young (SE BC)]

That is very intersting Kevin . I know very little about Greek mythology and apparently there are various versions of it. Thanks for pointing out the version you found. It all makes for interesting reading.

And for sure . . . use the blades you like best. It is nice we have choices and can use what works best for us.

Something like GM, Ford and Chrysler as well as all the overseas auto makers . We all have our favorites and like to explain why . . . but then that is for an automobile related forum and is just mentioned as a comparison..

W.Y.

[BobD (Archive)]

And then you get people like me who can't tell the difference between them when using them <grin>

I use them all (FD, Pegus, Olson, Tru Cut, Hawk). I'd use trained termites if they could be trusted <GRIN>

As for carving tools...I have to go with Ashley Iles, though...love the thickness of their tools--no flex there at all!

Bob

[workin for wood]

trained termites, now your talking my language, thats funny!!