# Quality/Precision Canadian saw blades?



## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

A question for my esteemed neighbors from Canada:
*** What precision/quality panel saw blades are made in Canada?

I just got some blades in. I "really" like them. They were rebranded... and imported from a saw blade manufacturer from Canada.

Why am I curious to know?
- Wondering if they would be any cheaper direct from them. (My new finish dado set shipping direct from them.) 
- Wondering about their other offerings.


----------



## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Hey Monkey-Lips, why don't you check with Lee-Valley? They are top-notch in my opinion and anyone making good Canadian blades would be wise to do business with Lee Valley.

Good Luck
Otis


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Lee Valley sells Forrest which are supposed to made in the states and have the reputation of being the best. I'm not sure who is manufacturing saw blades in Canada except for sawmill type applications and the only one of those I can bring to mind is Pacific Hoe. What outfit are you referring to Mike?

I bought a bunch of Onsrud miter saw blades and a 24 tooth dado set off ebay at fire sale prices. I pity anyone who didn't get in on this. They are the sharpest blades I have ever used or seen used. I don't know how Forrest could be better. The cuts are so smooth they look like they have been planed.


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

"Monkey-Lips"...?!
Dare we ask?


----------



## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Yes Dan, you should hear what he calls me (on the phone).


----------



## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Thinking I don't want to do anything that might want to affect my service and support from my recent purchase so I won't make this searchable... see the attached pic's.

Monkey Lips? LOL. I don't know. He started calling me that a time back. Having had an extended stay in the southeast while I was in the service (Ft. Benning, GA.), I just figured that was a southern thing. LOL. Isn't that a southern delicacy? What was funny is that some think of Mint Juleps... which no-one really drinks anywhere (atrocious!).


----------



## thrinfo (Jan 21, 2012)

Dimar is easily equal or more as Freud.


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Mike; are you saying the LAGUNA blades are Cdn. made? If they are, I've never seen them on display anywhere...or at least I don't remember them.
As Normand said, try the Dimar; they're German made, or the CMT from Italy, of German steel.


----------



## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

DaninVan said:


> Mike; are you saying the LAGUNA blades are Cdn. made? If they are, I've never seen them on display anywhere...or at least I don't remember them.
> As Normand said, try the Dimar; they're German made, or the CMT from Italy, of German steel.


Yes, they are Imported from Canada.

I was also thinking Dimar Canada LTD... Ontario. As they use the same font on some of their other products. They have the same TM logo as Dimar LTD, but add the maple leaf added. Some say they are made in Germany, but as Dimar puts it: "Our manufacturing facilities are based across Europe..." The company itself is from Israel.

I looked at their catalog. They look similar. The packaging looks the same, although Laguna's is all white w/ a label. (no printing).

EDIT-- Okay. Lost. I didn't see where there is pricing anywhere. Does others sell their products or themselves? Dimar mentions that there is a US partner somewhere on the eastcoast, but they don't say who that might be???


----------



## Dmeadows (Jun 28, 2011)

Mike, then there is this... although I can,t find any connection elsewhere...

New Dimar Guhdo Gmaxx Saw Blades Review by Woodworkers Journal - YouTube

Update: well here we go...

http://dimar-canada.com/products.php?m=56&idp=13

http://dimar-canada.com/products.php?m=56&idp=181

Looks like Guhdo are the same blades, or at least Dimar owned, some of those are available from Amazon... don't know about for your saw though, Mike


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Never thought about Dimar. I have 1 router bit and I've bought either jointer or planer blades from them. Very good quality, not cheap. I bought from the Tool Place in Kelowna, BC. I see that they have a retailer here in Peace River, AB. Dimar Canada Ltd - Concord, ON - 45 Tandem Rd | Canpages This only shows me Alberta locations. Maybe you would have a different result.


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

KMS sells (some) DIMAR blades...
Dimar 10" 80T Finishing Blade [DIM-WP1080A] - $78.99 : KMS Tools & Equipment from Vancouver BC, Largest selection of tools in Canada
The write-up says `Made in Germany`


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Charles; their (KMS TOOLS) online sales are really efficient, although I have to admit I hate the catalogue function.
I often just phone their toll-free no. and just do the transaction that way.


----------



## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

HOLY @#$^&*!?! Wow!

Like I said, I looked at Dimar's online store... Lot's of info, but not pricing, right? So I went to the site contact and sent them a message saying I was interested in their Dimar adjustable scoring blades and the replacement blades for that, but that there was no pricing- how much and where to buy?

Background. My saw uses a Split scoring blade set, where you set the width of cut by shimming between the 2 blade halves. The one I was interested in from Dimar has a dial type adjustment, where you set the width by that dial type of control... Sort of like the Frued adjustable dado stack.

Well a day later, I got 2 emails from Sharpo.ca about some Dimar sales... There was some blades that were 50% off, spiral router bit sale and a countersink sale... but nothing was mentioned about what I inquired about. It seemed more like just a some kind of canned response. I was wondering what was up with that and if I should just give up on that avenue.

A day after that, I got an email from a rep at Sharpco.ca asking if I was still interested in buying scoring blades... If so, to call him.

I did. He said "Didn't I email you that me info and prices on that?" He then aplogized for not doing that. He refered me to info on the Dimar site. I told him I'd seen that, but that there was no pricing there. He said the price for the Dimar adjustable scoring set is $369 and the replacement blade set was $225... Then there's probably a duty, shipping, etc... And if I decide I want to order, I need to call him.

I didn't expect that. That is much more than the Frued adjustable dado and there is "more" to that mechanism. In fact, I get industrial/commercial grade scoring sets from $85 to $145 including shipping. So even in the long run, I'm not saving any money by going that way. As for the dial style adjust instead of having to shim, I think for over 300% less cost, I can continue to shim my scoring blades.


----------



## Dmeadows (Jun 28, 2011)

MAFoElffen said:


> HOLY @#$^&*!?! Wow!
> 
> Like I said, I looked at Dimar's online store... Lot's of info, but not pricing, right? So I went to the site contact and sent them a message saying I was interested in their Dimar adjustable scoring blades and the replacement blades for that, but that there was no pricing- how much and where to buy?
> 
> ...


Think I'll keep my Grizzly!


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Never heard of Sharpco.ca; I'll have to check it out.


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Is it one of these...I'm guessing not?
Split Scoring Blade - Sharpco Canada Ltd.


----------



## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Ones like those (120-2-20SCOR) are the scoring blades I'm currently using... Those come as a set with the blade halves and a set of shims. 

No I was looking at these (120-ADJ-20SCOR):
http://dimar-canada.com/pdf/ScoringBlades1.pdf

I was figuring that by their pricing on their standard split scoring blades that their adjustable would probably be $200 to $250), with their replacement blades being $70-$100. My guess-ta-ment was a bit off. The replacement blades would be just the blades halves... Not the arbor adapter.

That would have made sense to me. That would have gave "someone" the ability to set the width of those 2 blades by turning the outside knob on the hub of the adapter instead of removing the outside blade and shimming between them. Then if the blades were dull and were no longer sharpenable, replacing just the blade halves.

I have to say that using that adjustable adapter is only good for scoring with single blades... I have a dado shim set to score while cutting dado's, but that require using the split scoring blade set. But for standard blade sets, it just seemed like a good idea, until I heard the price.


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

"...it just seemed like a good idea, until I heard the price."
Funny, doesn't stop people from having kidlets.


----------



## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

ROTFLMAO!!!! (Ouch that was good!)

So True.


----------



## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

DaninVan said:


> "...it just seemed like a good idea, until I heard the price."
> Funny, doesn't stop people from having kidlets.


Yes, and it's a bill that you are NEVER NEVER NEVER done paying for!!


----------



## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

So I was talking wit my rep today asking where part of my order was. Specifically my finish dado set. He had said it wouldn't be long as it was coming from Canada... Seems they waited until they had enough for a full order and didn't send the order off until last week. (Sat on it for 3 weeks?)

Anyways, I told him I really liked those blades and slipped in asking who made their blades...

They have 2 manufacterers they use, but mostly from "Royce/Ayr":
Home » Royce//Ayr

Now I know.


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Never heard of them, seen them at a show, read about them in any magazine, never been to a store that sells their product, etc.
Apparently they are one of our best kept secrets.


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Ditto Charles. I wonder if they prefer it that way?


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Ah, from the .pdf catalogue..."*INDUSTRIAL* CUTTING TOOLS IN HSS, CARBIDE AND DIAMOND"

By intent then.


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

DaninVan said:


> Ah, from the .pdf catalogue..."*INDUSTRIAL* CUTTING TOOLS IN HSS, CARBIDE AND DIAMOND"
> 
> By intent then.


I looked at the router bit pdf and they have a fairly comprehensive line of bits including architectural molding bits which most industrial users wouldn't bother with. Most would probably use a molding head to make profiles like that. Anyway, even outfits that cater to industrial sales still have to get the word out somehow. Unless they are only worried about Ontario?


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

"Unless they are only worried about Ontario?"
*Zips lips*


----------



## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

DaninVan said:


> "Unless they are only worried about Ontario?"
> *Zips lips*


Must be a locale thing, I don't understand that one.

I went to their "Distributors" Link... For Canada, they have some in BC. For me, they have one 45 minutes away... But they do custom tooling. I'm thinking that the blades that Laguna orders fall under that category, as special ordered custom tooling, with their own branding... But nice to know. 

Maybe next time I go to the VA, I'll have to visit that Distributor and look around.


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

*Surprise!*
Neat: my sharpening guys carry them, Mike. I did not know that. Thanks for the heads up!
Quality Saw & Knife Ltd.


----------

