"pretzel" packed blades

[JP Wazz]

when i bought my saw it came with a box of 15 blades packed in a cardboard box. i store them inside so the blades won't get wet/rusty. i noticed when putting on a new blade today that out of the box the new blade has a rather pronounced bend in it from the packaging method used by the blade maker. should i store the blades out of the box to let them relax? i know the curve will straighten out when tensioned on the mill but it just doesn't look good.

[moosehunter]

In more than ten years of using blades packed like that I have not seen one that has a "bend" in it. 
I wonder if it was bent before it was packed or when you were unpacking. 
mh

[Magicman]

Neither have I but it would be interesting to know the brand of the blade and the width & thickness.  ??

[jpassardi]

Same here. That should not be happening. Packing should not yield the material and cause a bend, this has caused stress post-hardening/tempering which is likely to decrease blade life. I'm also curious - which manufacturer.

[JP Wazz]

woodmizer silvertip blades, .042x1.25.

 maybe not "bent" but where the shipping wire device holds the blade at its tightest radius inside the box, there is a bit of re-curve that the blade has learned during storage.

the blade under tension seems fine.

 I've only had the mill for a year, this is my retirement hobby, and this is only my third blade change so this is all pretty new to me.
  
 based on your responses though ill keep storing the blades in the original shipping manner, "pretzeled".

thanks

 

[Cedarman]

Been opening boxes of blades since 1983.  Both cube box and flat packed.  From at least 4 different suppliers over the years.  Guessing 15,000 or so blades.  We have as many as 5 heads running at once.
Never a blade with any kind of bend in it.  Curious about this situation.

[TreefarmerNN]

I haven't seen a blade take a set from the packaging but I much preferred the old box method of shipping.  I'm sure it cost more but I cuss every time I have to take a blade out of the flat pack.  Besides, being able to fold a blade and unfold it without incurring injury was a point of pride showing I had learned something from owning a sawmill.

[WV Sawmiller]

    I am surprised at this post too. I made up a bunch of wooden band boxes to store and transport my bands in the cloverleaf position like they came from WM. Never had a problem from them and it looks to me like they would be under less tension stored this way than the double circle like the cube boxes. Other member, like MM for one IIRC, store and transport theirs in cans in the smaller folds/loops and I have never heard them say they had a problem either.

[Magicman]

Yes, I prefer to store and transport coiled blades.  I buy blades when they are on sale with free shipping so I have had a few flat boxes that remained unopened for nearly a year.  Probably not good economical planning but it has happened.  

I have never seen a blade with any "set" but I also have never used the blades in question which is why I asked the question in Reply #2 above.