Cooks super sharp bands

[bandmiller2]

Do any of you guys use super sharps and do they live up to claims.I'am going to start sharpening them for a friend and will have to order a new cam for the cats claw,may just order some to try myself. Frank C.

[ladylake]

I tried a couple, they were OK but no super blade.  Seemed like they didn't have much set and little pointy teeth. I'm running Simonds mostly .     Steve

[kelLOGg]

Steve,
Can you post a pic comparing Cooks SS with Simonds. I've been running Simonds and need to order more. Don't know what I'm going to get yet.
Bob

[paul case]

i tried them. they did stay sharp longer. they cut very well. may not get very many sharpenings with them. those teeth are like needles.
i hit some metal with one and it practically sheared all the teeth off. they werent as expensive as some blades i used.  here is a pic of that band. and a pic of a good one.

[Paper Maker]

   SSB are all I have ever used. Cook's also does my sharpening. They seem like good blades to me but I'm not a expert by a long shot. The biggest reason I use SSB is because Cook's Saw are so good to deal with.

[Banjo picker]

I started out running Cooks SS....and got to wondering about other bands...so I tried a couple others...Lenox and Munks....they both cut good as well...but I went back to the Cooks the last time I ordered....I think I can cut faster with them, they are .050's and the others were .042's and .045's respectiveily...that may account for being able to cut faster without wavey boards....as to how many sharpenings ..I have never kept up with it good enough to tell ....some barely run a blade and then sharpen it ...others run the daylights out of it before it comes off....so someone would have to do their own test as to sharpenings to get the real truth....The pic Paul showed is a pretty good idea of what hapens when you hit metal with a SS....I hit a sheet rock screw once and knocked off 30 something teeth .....If you are bad to knock a blade off... the SS I have tried will give you a little kinck in the blade quicker than the other blades I used ...but then again they were make of lighter stuff....I knocked a few of them off, and just put them back on and went about my business...usually have to do some blacksmithing or throw the SS away...All things considered I have made up my mind to use them till something comes along that I just have to try...They are making the SS in two diff. types ....Silvachrome and Duratooth....Supposed to get more sharpening out of the Silvachrome....The Duratooth is supposed to be a more production band...I got the Silva chrome...this time...I don't know what the first ones I had were...I have liked the Silva Chrome , but I have not cut a lot with them either...I did saw up the 24' pine logs that Chris cut while he was here...and they did well at it....Tim

[catskillpond]

We sent blades back to Cook's for resharp 4 week wait they must be very busy

[Chuck White]

Do any of you guys use super sharps and do they live up to claims.  I'm going to start sharpening them for a friend and will have to order a new cam for the cats claw,may just order some to try myself. Frank C.

Frank;
Ask your sharpening customer if you can try one.

I know that's what I'd do if I were in your place.  ;)

[bandmiller2]

Chuck I'd do that but mine are 13'11" his are 16'10". Frank C.

[cypresskayaksllc]

I do the super sharp. I like them

[5quarter]

Frank,

I've used all manner of blades over the years, but primarily WM double hards and the Cooks super sharps. They are 2 completely different blades. In clean wood, the Cooks blades cut faster and do stay sharp longer than the double hards (2-300bf for the double hards and 4-600bf for the super sharps on average), but in dirty wood the double hards hold up much better. This assumes you don't have a debarker. The super sharps are a paper tiger when it comes to tramp metal...not much of a problem with my logs, but on all but one occasion when I have hit metal with a super sharp, it was toast. When I have a really dirty log and don't have the time to power wash,  I'll put on and old double hard and square it up, then switch back to the cooks to cut the lumber. I can sometimes double the bf between sharpenings if I can keep the super sharps out of bark. Another thing I noticed and probably the main reason I've stuck with cooks blades is that I no longer get diving or rising in the cut. Once in awhile I will get a little dishing in full width cuts (24"+), usually in Bur oak. That is always a measure of stoopidity on the operators part, not the blade. I have not tried the new blades that cooks has, but I'm anxious to hear more about them. If you have clean logs and/or a debarker and small risk of tramp metal, the super sharps are definitely worth a try.

Chet

[Chuck White]

Do any of you guys use super sharps and do they live up to claims.  I'm going to start sharpening them for a friend and will have to order a new cam for the cats claw,may just order some to try myself. Frank C.

Frank;
Ask your sharpening customer if you can try one.

I know that's what I'd do if I were in your place.  ;)

Chuck I'd do that but mine are 13'11" his are 16'10". Frank C.

Hadn't thought of that one.

Maybe just contact Cooks, they might just send you a couple of SS to try.

[bandmiller2]

Thanks guys I can depend on you for straight scoop on milling.I'll try some had nothing but good service from Cooks.Asked my friend he likes them but has tried nothing else. Frank C.

[pyrocasto]

I've used several Cooks and Woodmizers, and cut metal and clean logs. The cooks seem to be slightly better cutters over all, and last a long time. The Cooks will die with metal though. One nail took out 18 teeth on my cooks. The same thing with the mizers only dulled the teeth, letting it finish the cut and still be good to send off to sharpening.

IMO, cooks are better for clean logs. I've sawn knotty pine all the way to resawing KD mahogany.

The Mizers are better for my yard logs, as I can at least send them back to resharp.

[timbuck2]

I'll put my 2 cents worth in for Suffolk Machine/ Timber Wolf Blades.  They have regional authorized shops that sharpen them and get new ones too.

[tommone]

I'm a bit confused about the claims made by mobile mill manufacturers and the blades they sell. Woodmizer claim to be only mill manufacturer to make their own bands .  Cooks also say they make their own and a few others sound like they do. Any authority out there who can clarify this? tom.

[5quarter]

I think your best bet is to contact the mill manufacturers. There are different levels of manufacture. A company may buy the bulk band stockand do all the profiling and finishing themselves, others may buy the stock already profiled and make the blades as they're ordered. some may just purchase finished bands in stock sizes, rebranded with their own name. I would be interested in what you find out. Tom knows quite a bit about band blades...maybe he'll chime in .

[bandmiller2]

Its my understanding that most folks that sell bands buy already formed bandstock on large rolls and only weld them to whatever legnth you order.Cooks has sold Simonds bands  I'am sure with a large enough order Simonds would put whatever tooth shape you want on a band.To manufacture bands would require some expensive machinery.The rolled bandstock would come from a steel supplier, tooth shape punched,set ,teeth induction hardened then profile ground.Would be interesting to hear from someone involved in the process. Frank C.

[ladylake]

Yes the 2 supersharps I got from Cooks around 3 years ago had Simonds stamped on them, not saying they still use Simonds.  Has anyone figured out what hook angle those supersharps have, I was over by a Amish guy last week who had some new ones, I'ts hard to figure the hook as the face of the tooth is curved.   Steve

[petefrom bearswamp]

Bought 25 a couple of years ago which were Simmonds steel.
6 or 8  broke at the weld and cooks gave me credit for these.
I sent a bunch to be sharpened and they were gone 3 or 4 weeks.
I don't think i got my own blades back as several had cracks in them as well,(only 1 sharpening) some i found before trying to cut and 2 broke at a crack which wasn't visible by naked eye.
I do like the way they cut but not the lack of durability.
I also only run them at 1500 - 1700 lbs on my WM.
My 2 cents

[bandmiller2]

Steve,the supersharps I've sharpened and the cam for them is 8 degree. Frank C.

[CooksSaw]

Keep in mind that the Super Sharp line of blades is a highly aggressive tooth design specifically engineered for wood penetration and efficient dust removal. Therefore, it is not going to survive long in muddy logs nor hitting nails.
However, it will shine with fairly clean logs and will especially stand out in hard wood.

For those who have tried Super Sharp a year or more ago, it is not the same blade that we currently offer. The metallurgy has been restructured as well as literally every process in manufacturing the blade has been tweaked.

For the first 20 members of the forum (Forestry Forum Member) that would like to try Super Sharp shoot me an email:
Name
Address
Blade length x width
Mill type

*All that I ask is that you give us feedback on how the blade performed for you.

I'll send you two blades:
1 – Super Sharp Blade
1 – New Cook's Xcel Blade – this blade will handle the dirty logs or occasional nails just like any standard blade you currently use and can be sharpened like any standard Lenox, Woodmizer, etc.

Take care,
James
james@cookssaw.com

[WH_Conley]

Sent. The excel blade sounds interesting as all of my logs are cable skidded. I run a Woodmizer debarker. It helps, but nothing get all the dirt off.

Do you care to tell what angle these blades are?

[WH_Conley]

I looked at you website and did not see anything on the Xcel blade. Is it something new? Tell us nosy type more. :D

[LeeB]

Boy, James is quick. Already heard back from him not much more than 10 minutes from requesting the trial offer.