Forrest Manufacturing has added a new Forrest Chopmaster 7/64″ kerf blade to its Signature Line of Chop Master Blades. This blade is designed for use with the lightweight, compact Festool Kapex KS 120 sliding compound miter saw. Check out our best 12-inch thin kerf miter saw blades review to see how another Forrest thin-kerf solution fared against the competition.
Forrest Chopmaster 7/64 in. Kerf Blade Features
In addition to the new 260mm diameter, 30mm bore blade for the Kapex saw, Forrest Manufacturing offers two other Signature Line Chop Master blades. One of these has a 10″ diameter and a 5/8″ bore; the other has a 12″ diameter with a 1″ bore. All three units have a 7/64″ kerf blade. However, the most notable features of all Forrest Signature Line Chop Master blades are their 90 carbide teeth and redesigned face angles. These let woodworkers make quieter cuts and enjoy better splinter control with less effort.
By adding 13% more teeth to the original Chop Master and redesigning the complementary face angles, the company has created a truly precision-trim blade for chop saws, sliding compound miter saws, and radial arm saws. The newly angled carbide points create less cutting pressure. This makes it easier for the saw blade to penetrate wood and composites. As a result, they run cool and cut smoothly at any angle without bottom splintering, side scoring, or vibration. These blades also feature a smaller gullet (the valley between each tooth), and this produces a quieter cut. The design of the Signature Line Chop Master blades seems ideally suited for delicate pre-finished crown molding, picture frame molding, and composite molding.
“We knew that many serious woodworkers wanted an ultra-reliable, top-quality Forrest blade they could use on their premium KS 120 saws. So that’s what we’ve provided. Our new blade-with its 260mm (10.2362″) diameter and 30mm (1.1811″) bore-fills this specific niche. Prior to this, craftsmen who desired a Forrest blade for their Kapex saw had to place a custom order. Now that this latest Signature Line Chop Master has been added to our product line, demand has been very good and customer reaction extremely favorable. The catalog number for the blade is CM26905105 (Kapex), and the list price is $187.”
Jay Forrest, vice president, Forrest Manufacturing
Final Thoughts
All Forrest blades, including the Signature Line Chop Master series, are made with super-hard, corrosion-resistant C-4 micro-grain carbide. Because of this, they maintain their performance for up to 300% longer between sharpenings. Forrest’s proprietary grinding techniques and hand straightening guarantee the finest cutting edge possible. Exceptional perimeter concentricity [roundness], perfect plate flatness, and a side runout to +/- .001″ also assure outstanding performance and reliability. In addition, Forrest blades come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. The company also offers state-of-the-art factory sharpening at reasonable rates.
Forrest blades are available direct from the factory, from quality dealers and retailers, and also from catalogs. For more information, call 1-800-733-7111 or visit www.ForrestBlades.com.
