Tuff blades seller in EU?

[tibi]

Hello,

Next month or in two months, I am going to buy a bandsaw. Everyone here is mentioning only Tuff blades for band saws as the best choice. I have looked at their website and they are well-priced as well. However, I cannot find any distributor in continental Europe and they do not mention that they export the blades outside UK (there is also no shipping option to EU on their website).

Do you know of any EU distributor who sells them or can you recommend and alternative EU brand (and product line) that is as good as Tuff saws?

Thank you.

 

[Jacob]

Hello,

Next month or in two months, I am going to buy a bandsaw. Everyone here is mentioning only Tuff blades for band saws as the best choice. I have looked at their website and they are well-priced as well. However, I cannot find any distributor in continental Europe and they do not mention that they export the blades outside UK (there is also no shipping option to EU on their website).

Do you know of any EU distributor who sells them or can you recommend and alternative EU brand (and product line) that is as good as Tuff saws?

Thank you.

Tuff Saws is a supplier of excellent blades. As far as I know they don't make them, beyond cutting and welding to a size. I could be wrong.
There are bound to be many other suppliers of the same quality - it's just a question of identifying the specification and asking around.

 

[tibi]

Tuff Saws is a supplier of excellent blades. As far as I know they don't make them, beyond cutting and welding to a size. I could be wrong.
There are bound to be many other suppliers of the same quality - it's just a question of identifying the specification and asking around.

I am going to buy a record power SABRE 350 bandsaw. I read that the stock blade is of poor quality and people change them for Tuff Saws. That is why I am asking.

 

[Jacob]

I am going to buy a record power SABRE 350 bandsaw. I read that the stock blade is of poor quality and people change them for Tuff Saws. That is why I am asking.

Well yes. In fact it's a puzzle that normal suppliers don't have the same Tuff Saw quality - they are definitely very good.
Maybe they will send you an order and when you need to replace them you could look around nearer to home for someone to match the quality?

 

[MikeK]

I think I was one of Ian's last EU customers because he didn't want to be bothered by the extra paperwork and handling, as well as collecting the various VAT amounts required for international export (I don't blame him). For example, I paid the 20-percent UK VAT instead of the 16-percent German VAT at the time (now 19 percent). Tuff Saws is a small UK business and I would be surprised if Ian would be interested in setting up European distributors. He recommended that I find someone in the UK to forward any blades that I want to buy from him in the future.

In my opinion, the well-deserved reputation of Tuff Saws is not the material, but the service, knowledge, and willingness to help customers select and buy the best blades for their machines and applications.

Here is one source in Germany that sells custom length blades to private customers, but they don't list Slovakia as one of the countries the support. I'm sure there are more, but some of the vendors I found will only sell to businesses.

https://www.saegeband-manufaktur.de/gb/
As a comparison, I paid £29.50 for a 1/2-inch 3TPI M42 blade from Tuff Saws (not including shipping). The same blade from the vendor above is €23.67 (not including shipping).

 

[tibi]

Well yes. In fact it's a puzzle that normal suppliers don't have the same Tuff Saw quality - they are definitely very good.
Maybe they will send you an order and when you need to replace them you could look around nearer to home for someone to match the quality?

I think that this is my only option. To try various brands and buy the best quality I find.

What makes a blade to be a good quality blade? surface finish, lack of drifting, durability? What attributes should I observe during the cut?

 

[tibi]

Thank you Mike,

we also have here some blade manufacturers (e.g. trimmers and welders). I will try our blades and see which one I like the best. What sizes do you recommend for Sabre 350? I would probably buy 3 blades - for ripping, resawing and curve cutting. But I think that I will rip and resaw 95% of the time. Should I have two separate blades for this or just 1/2 inch 3TPI?

I think I was one of Ian's last EU customers because he didn't want to be bothered by the extra paperwork and handling, as well as collecting the various VAT amounts required for international export (I don't blame him). For example, I paid the 20-percent UK VAT instead of the 16-percent German VAT at the time (now 19 percent). Tuff Saws is a small UK business and I would be surprised if Ian would be interested in setting up European distributors. He recommended that I find someone in the UK to forward any blades that I want to buy from him in the future.

In my opinion, the well-deserved reputation of Tuff Saws is not the material, but the service, knowledge, and willingness to help customers select and buy the best blades for their machines and applications.

Here is one source in Germany that sells custom length blades to private customers, but they don't list Slovakia as one of the countries the support. I'm sure there are more, but some of the vendors I found will only sell to businesses.

https://www.saegeband-manufaktur.de/gb/
As a comparison, I paid £29.50 for a 1/2-inch 3TPI M42 blade from Tuff Saws (not including shipping). The same blade from the vendor above is €23.67 (not including shipping).

 

[MikeK]

Here is the list Ian recommended for my Record Power BS350S when I asked for resawing and general purpose blades. I bought two of each knowing this would likely be my only chance to buy directly from him. All blades are 2630mm long.

M42 1/4-inch 6TPI
M42 1/4-inch 10/14 Vari-Tooth
M42 3/8-inch 4TPI
M42 3/8-inch 8TPI
M42 1/2-inch 3TPI
SuperTuff Sabrecut 5/8-inch 3TPI Extra Set
SuperTuff Sabrecut 3/4-inch 3TPI Extra Set

The M42 blades require more tension than carbon steel blades, so the 1/2-inch is the widest M42 blade my saw can handle without breaking or bending something. In practice, this blade has performed perfectly while resawing oak, beech, cherry, and walnut at the maximum thickness I can push through my saw.

 

[AJB Temple]

Ian is great. He does not make the blades though: I believe he gets them on the reel, cuts to length and welds. Among the last men standing who makes the blades that are sold to distributors is Bandsaw Blade Manufacturer | Made in the UK | Dakin-Flathers Ltd. There is also a firm called Ernest Bennet that supply blades by the reel to industry. I am no expert on this, but my brother used to go through a lot industrially and they bought by the reel and welded their own.

There are several EU manufacturers who supply to re-sellers. A few in Germany and one well known one in Sweden.

 

[tibi]

Here is the list Ian recommended for my Record Power BS350S when I asked for resawing and general purpose blades. I bought two of each knowing this would likely be my only chance to buy directly from him. All blades are 2630mm long.

M42 1/4-inch 6TPI
M42 1/4-inch 10/14 Vari-Tooth
M42 3/8-inch 4TPI
M42 3/8-inch 8TPI
M42 1/2-inch 3TPI
SuperTuff Sabrecut 5/8-inch 3TPI Extra Set
SuperTuff Sabrecut 3/4-inch 3TPI Extra Set

The M42 blades require more tension than carbon steel blades, so the 1/2-inch is the widest M42 blade my saw can handle without breaking or bending something. In practice, this blade has performed perfectly while resawing oak, beech, cherry, and walnut at the maximum thickness I can push through my saw.

Thank you Mike,

good information. I will buy just one or two blades (if I find a good local supplier) and then buy other blades as needed. But according to your info, I will go no wider than 1/2 inch so that I do not bend my saw.

 

[fezman]

Here is the list Ian recommended for my Record Power BS350S when I asked for resawing and general purpose blades. I bought two of each knowing this would likely be my only chance to buy directly from him. All blades are 2630mm long.

Just check your blade length there @tibi The BS350 @ 103.5" (2630mm) is what MikeK has, the Sabre 350 are longer 111" or 2820mm

 

[MikeK]

Yes, the Sabre350 goes to 11.

 

[tibi]

Here is the list Ian recommended for my Record Power BS350S when I asked for resawing and general purpose blades. I bought two of each knowing this would likely be my only chance to buy directly from him. All blades are 2630mm long.

M42 1/4-inch 6TPI
M42 1/4-inch 10/14 Vari-Tooth
M42 3/8-inch 4TPI
M42 3/8-inch 8TPI
M42 1/2-inch 3TPI
SuperTuff Sabrecut 5/8-inch 3TPI Extra Set
SuperTuff Sabrecut 3/4-inch 3TPI Extra Set

The M42 blades require more tension than carbon steel blades, so the 1/2-inch is the widest M42 blade my saw can handle without breaking or bending something. In practice, this blade has performed perfectly while resawing oak, beech, cherry, and walnut at the maximum thickness I can push through my saw.

Thank you Mike,

good information. I will buy just one or two blades (if I find a good local supplier) and then buy other blades as needed. But according to your info, I will go no wider than 1/2 inch so that I do not bend my saw.

Just check your blade length there @tibi The BS350 @ 103.5" (2630mm) is what MikeK has, the Sabre 350 are longer 111" or 2820mm

Yes, I have already checked it online. so I know the length.

 

[Jorny]

Kapab in Östersund sell Dakin Flathers blades. Sågblad och klingor för alla | Kapab Their site is in Swedish but they state that they distribute blades to Poland among other countries. You can always ask if they would ship to Slovakia. Just email them at [email protected] and ask. Their prices are good as well.

 

[Ttrees]

Not sure if I'm right on this, so perhaps others can clarify, but a lot of the Tuffsaw blades touted here by many, are of thinner gauge than what you can get in most places,
which lends itself to the hoards of folks on the UK forums using the old Startrite's, and likewise those with hobby machines,
Obviously the blades are welded up straight, which is near the biggest part of the excellent service,
as well as quick in person responses, which could be handy at times for some.
Perhaps some other suppliers will specify the gauge thickness being sold.
I would be un-easy to buy unknown thickness blades for anything under a 20"/500 @ 200kg machine.

That's not to say thin blades are strictly for small machines though,
see Mario Martins videos with the Sicar 7.
They do leave a thin kerf which is very nice, the bit I'm not a hundred percent on, is whether the
blade stock is originally intended for "meat and fish"
as one can see on one of St. Charlesworth's youtubes, installed on his old Robinson machine.

Might be worth seeing if that might come up with some hits, should you be seeking an undersized machine for a primarily ripping and resawing tool, with no other machines to
process those big sawn planks you can get your hands on.
Well, that's the impression I've gotten from your previous postings anyway.

 

[BucksDad]

@tibi / @MikeK i am happy to purchase tuffsaw blades and then ship them to you as long as PayPal works to transfer money to me. PM if you’d like.

A small way to give back after loving Slovakia when I spent a few weeks working there and because Mike volunteers his time to run this place

 

[MikeK]

Not sure if I'm right on this, so perhaps others can clarify, but a lot of the Tuffsaw blades touted here by many, are of thinner gauge than what you can get in most places, which lends itself to the hoards of folks on the UK forums using the old Startrite's, and likewise those with hobby machines,

I measured a few of my Tuff Saws blades with calipers, and the M42 blades are 0.65mm thick. The 3/4-inch SabreCut blade is 0.70mm thick.

Perhaps some other suppliers will specify the gauge thickness being sold.
I would be un-easy to buy unknown thickness blades for anything under a 20"/500 @ 200kg machine.

The German, and I suspect all European, vendors usually have a selection of thicknesses, which also affects the TPI choices of the blade.

They do leave a thin kerf which is very nice, the bit I'm not a hundred percent on, is whether the
blade stock is originally intended for "meat and fish" as one can see on one of St. Charlesworth's youtubes, installed on his old Robinson machine.

He told me he uses the meat and fish blade because it gave him the smoothest cut with the narrowest kerf when cutting dovetails.

 

[MikeK]

@tibi / @MikeK i am happy to purchase tuffsaw blades and then ship them to you as long as PayPal works to transfer money to me. PM if you’d like.

A small way to give back after loving Slovakia when I spent a few weeks working there and because Mike volunteers his time to run this place

Thank you for the offer! I'm not bashful about asking for help.

 

[pgrbff]

Hello,

Next month or in two months, I am going to buy a bandsaw. Everyone here is mentioning only Tuff blades for band saws as the best choice. I have looked at their website and they are well-priced as well. However, I cannot find any distributor in continental Europe and they do not mention that they export the blades outside UK (there is also no shipping option to EU on their website).

Do you know of any EU distributor who sells them or can you recommend and alternative EU brand (and product line) that is as good as Tuff saws?

Thank you.

I buy from tuffsaws but I have them posted to Italy by a relative. Two times VAT and shipping but worth it. I bought one blade from Germany recently, a Swedish brand, awful finish when used but maybe I chose tge wrong blade. Tuffsaws explain much on their website and give thicknesses too.

 

[tibi]

@tibi / @MikeK i am happy to purchase tuffsaw blades and then ship them to you as long as PayPal works to transfer money to me. PM if you’d like.

A small way to give back after loving Slovakia when I spent a few weeks working there and because Mike volunteers his time to run this place

Thank you BucksDad for your generous offer. I will first try local companies and in case the blades are poor, I will PM you and buy more blades in bulk.