Since its introduction in the early 1980s, Forrest’s Woodworker II blade (model WW 10407125) has become something of a gold standard for general-purpose blades. So when the company announced a new Woodworker II (WW 10487125), I was anxious to try it out.

The new Woodworker II has 48 teeth, compared to the 40 on the old one, and they are pointier. The alternating top bevel (ATB) profile has been increased from 15° to 25°, with the steeper angle meant to reduce chipping during crosscuts and when cutting veneer plywood and melamine.

I used the blade to rip 8/4 and 4/4 poplar, hard maple, and mahogany, and to crosscut 6/4 maple. I also crosscut some birch plywood and some double-sided melamine particleboard. All cuts were made with a regular throat plate to make tearout more likely. I found that the new Woodworker II is much more of a crosscut blade than a combination or general-purpose blade. It excelled at crosscutting maple and melamine, but struggled to rip 8/4 stock.

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