Blade Guards & Riving Knives

What is a blade guard for bandsaw and table saw combo shop use? It’s the set of guards, splitters, covers and guide assemblies that keep your hands away from a bandsaw’s exposed blade run and a table saw’s spinning arc. You choose them as a matched system, so both machines are protected without duplicated gear … Read more

What are top rated blade guards for jobsite table saws? They are the clear covers, splitter-mounted assemblies, and quick-attach safety systems that shield the spinning blade above the table while still letting you see the cut. The best ones are built to survive a portable saw’s real life: truck beds, stair carries, sawdust, and the … Read more

Here’s the awkward truth about table saw safety: the device that protects you on a rip cut can turn into a roadblock the second you reach for a dado stack. A splitter sits tall behind the blade. A dado groove is a non-through cut, so the board has to travel over the blade, not past … Read more

A splitter for table saw kickback prevention is a thin, fixed blade or peg mounted directly behind the saw blade, in line with the cut. It keeps the two halves of a ripped board from drifting together and pinching the blade, which is the mechanism behind most kickbacks. Think of it as a doorstop for … Read more

A riving knife kit for older table saws without one is an aftermarket add-on that keeps a saw’s kerf open behind the blade to reduce kickback. For most pre-2000s table saws, that means a retrofit splitter system, not a factory-style riving knife, because the original blade-arm design usually has nowhere to mount one. Here’s the … Read more

A riving knife system for contractor table saw owners is a thin, rigid steel plate mounted just behind the blade. On a true riving knife it rises, lowers, and tilts with the blade, holding the kerf open so a board can’t pinch and fire back at you. On many older saws it has to be … Read more

Your cabinet saw is a hunk of cast-iron honesty. It’s also a machine that will happily introduce your hand to a spinning blade if you give it half a chance. Yet plenty of these saws spend their lives with the factory guard in a drawer, because it’s too clunky, too foggy, or too much in … Read more

An overhead blade guard vs riving knife comparison weighs two different table saw protections: a guard that shields the spinning blade from your hands and dust, and a riving knife that sits just behind the blade to stop wood from pinching and launching back at you. One blocks contact. The other blocks kickback. Most buyers … Read more

A table saw is refreshingly honest. It does exactly what you ask, it does it fast, and it has no opinion whatsoever about your thumbs. That’s why a well-chosen overhead blade guard for table saw safety keeps climbing the upgrade list in serious shops. It hangs a clear shield above the blade and stays out … Read more

Let’s be upfront about the search you just typed. An aftermarket blade guard under $150 sounds like a ten-minute shopping errand, and honestly, it nearly is. Nearly. The full overarm guards woodworkers daydream about, the swing-arm, dust-ported, see-through kind, mostly cost $300 to $500. The two well-known ones I checked in September 2026 both sit … Read more