As anyone in the market for a combination blade, also called a general-purpose blade, knows, there’s no shortage of choices, even in the upper price range. Curious to know whether any of these blue bloods stood out, I decided to test 14 top-of-the-line 10-in. combination saw blades for smoothness of cut.

With each new blade, I ripped and crosscut a 3/4-in.-thick maple board to produce a 2-in.-square sample. After that, the ripped and crosscut edges on each sample were checked for smoothness on a high-tech machine called a surface and roughness profiling system, which can measure very small surface deviations. Then, based on the machine measurements, the smoothness of each rip and crosscut was rated as excellent, very good, good, or fair.

The Forrest Woodworker II blade was the clear winner, scoring an excellent in both the rip cut and the crosscut. At $119, it’s one of the pricier models, but the test suggests that it’s money well spent.

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

Festool Rotex FEQ-Plus Random Orbital Sander

The Festool Rotex is a top-of-the-line choice. On its coarse setting, it removed stock nearly twice as quickly as the second-fastest model. But that speed doesn’t mean you’ll have to wrestle with it. It’s no huge task to control it with two hands, and its long body gives you plenty of room to find a sweet spot while holding it.

Buy at Amazon

Veritas Precision Square

This precision square is incredibly versatile, from checking squareness to dialing in machine setups.

Buy at Lee Valley

Ridgid EB4424 Oscillating Spindle/Belt Sander

With five spindles sized from 1/2 in. to 2 in. and a 4 X 24-in. belt, this sander has become a staple in many a shop Fine Woodworking visits.

Buy at Amazon