freud Thin Kerf Saw Blades

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 12:31 pm

You I might be slightly slow but I can't figure out Freud blades.
I have been tempted to buy/order one and I can figure out if it is normal kerf or thin.

At one time Freud blades were clearly marked (should have bought then) but now they aren't.

I remember seeing Freud blades that had a bar chart on them showing it was good for ripping or crosscut, ply or solid wood. The chart was stamped on the blade. Then later with was moved to the packaging and now I can't find it.

I see Freud blades some are red and some aren't some are labeled Avanti and others have no id except just a number.

Can someone tell me how to figure out Freud blades? What is the top of the line, which is thin or normal, which is best for crosscut or rip or combo?

ldh · Post by **ldh** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 1:00 pm

Ed in Tampa wrote:You I might be slightly slow but I can't figure out Freud blades.
I have been tempted to buy/order one and I can figure out if it is normal kerf or thin.

At one time Freud blades were clearly marked (should have bought then) but now they aren't.

I remember seeing Freud blades that had a bar chart on them showing it was good for ripping or crosscut, ply or solid wood. The chart was stamped on the blade. Then later with was moved to the packaging and now I can't find it.

I see Freud blades some are red and some aren't some are labeled Avanti and others have no id except just a number.

Can someone tell me how to figure out Freud blades? What is the top of the line, which is thin or normal, which is best for crosscut or rip or combo?

Ed,
Go to the Freud site and you will get all the info on their blades. I have several thin and regular kerf and they work well in my SS and Delta table saw.

An industry leader for more than 50 years, Freud America, Inc. is a manufacturer of superior carbide cutting tools for the woodworking industry.
http://www.freudtools.com

ldh

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 2:04 pm

ldh wrote:Ed,
Go to the Freud site and you will get all the info on their blades. I have several thin and regular kerf and they work well in my SS and Delta table saw.

An industry leader for more than 50 years, Freud America, Inc. is a manufacturer of superior carbide cutting tools for the woodworking industry.
http://www.freudtools.com

ldh

I see no mention of the Avanti line nor do I see any mention of the Freud saw blades that Lowes and HD carry. All I see at the website is their industrial line. What am I doing wrong?

Edited to say
I did find the Diablo link but again where does this blade fit in the scheme with their other blades? Where is the Avanti line fit.

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 2:15 pm

I share your confusion Ed. I tried to research Freud blades to see which one I wanted, but was frustrated. I ended up going about it the opposite way. Rockler had the Avanti thin kerf combo blade on sale, so I read reviews on that particular blade on Amazon before deciding to buy it. But what makes an Avanti different from a Diablo besides the color is still a mystery to me.

bucksaw · Post by **bucksaw** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 2:26 pm

About Freud blades....

Note: Home Depot Avanti and Avanti Pro blades MAY not by made by Freud. Make sure the blade has the name "Freud" on the blade itself.

From Freud...

In an effort to continue to deliver excellence in the cutting tool market, Freud consistently evaluates its product offering and brand strategy.

Freud has expanded its Freud Industrial Thin Kerf line to the point that it would be a replication for Freud to continue its Avanti line of saw blades. Therefore, Freud has decided to discontinue the Freud Avanti saw blades to streamline our saw blade strategy. We will be transitioning all Avanti saw blades over to Freud Industrial Thin Kerf line due to the significant increase in features and performance.

Freud will no longer manufacture the Avanti brand of saw blades effective June 2009.

Freud will continue to manufacture our premium brands including Freud Industrial & Diablo (premium construction line) from its manufacturing headquarters in Udine, Italy.

Because of this decision to discontinue the Freud Avanti saw blade line, consumers may see discounted Avanti product on the market until the completion of all existing inventory.

All Freud blades are made in our factory in Italy - start to finish. We have a separate carbide foundry (also in Italy) and purchase the steel from Germany.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 2:37 pm

bucksaw wrote:About Freud blades....

Note: Home Depot Avanti and Avanti Pro blades are not made by Freud. Make sure the blade has the name "Freud" on the blade itself.

Okay that may explain some of my confusion.
Now I take it the industrial line is the good stuff and the Diablo is cheap stuff made for rough construction and the home hobbiest, is that correct?
Also is there local availability (HD, Lowes, ACE, TrueValue) to the industrial line or are they only avail through specially store (rockler woodcraft), job shop and internet.

bucksaw · Post by **bucksaw** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 2:57 pm

Ed in Tampa wrote:Okay that may explain some of my confusion.
Now I take it the industrial line is the good stuff and the Diablo is cheap stuff made for rough construction and the home hobbiest, is that correct?
Also is there local availability (HD, Lowes, ACE, TrueValue) to the industrial line or are they only avail through specially store (rockler woodcraft), job shop and internet.

I disagree about the quality statement but I believe you are correct about the marketing channels. Most likely you will find Diablo at HD, Lowes and Industrial at Woodcraft, etc.

Read about Freud Diable...
http://www.diablotools.com/about.html

Read about Freud Industrial...
http://www.freudtools.com/c-8-industrial-blades.aspx