There isn't a "right type of blade"...There isn't even a "right/best manufacturer"...It is completely situational...For instance, if a double tooth blade is desired, Flying Dutchman and Olson both offer double tooth blades...However, if you want to use a double tooth blade with reverse teeth, then Flying Dutchman is the right choice, because although Olson offers a double tooth blade, they don't offer it with reverse teeth (PGT blades excluded).
Similarly, the number associated with the size of the blade doesn't directly translate between different makers (even sometimes among different styles of blades offered by the same maker)...For example, any "normal" Olson #5 blade is a different size than an Olson PGT #5 blade (which is larger, even though they're both labeled #5)...Olson might make a blade in sizes #0, #2, #5, etc...Whereas Flying Dutchman make blades in sizes #1, #3, #5 etc...As you can see, they don't always directly equate to each other.
Even specific blade types (tooth configurations) within the same manufacturer can make a difference...There are people that swear by the Flying Dutchman Ultra Reverse (UR), but those same people will testify that they're unable to produce any satisfactory results while using any other style of blade that is also made by Flying Dutchman.
Most importantly, look at the individual blade characteristics provided by the manufacturer...Websites from both Olson, and Mike's Workshop (Flying Dutchman) provide blade specification information concerning teeth per inch, blade width, blade thickness, and tooth configuration...Refer to these sources for further information.
When people make a general recommendation like, "Flying Dutchman", or "Olson", without any further description, they're really only telling you part of the story...What they really need to state is which specific blade offered by that manufacturer they are referring to...Just because someone makes a statement that they don't like a particular manufacturer, they may be basing that claim on less than complete data...Don't steer away from a particular manufacturer just because someone didn't like one of their many styles of blades...Other blades from that same manufacturer might work for you, even though that one style didn't for them...I often see the forums laced with these empty/blanket recommendations, but sometimes someone will call it correctly, such as this one reader who stated that the they could not follow a line using a Flying Dutchman SR blade, but then they went one to state that other Flying Dutchman blades, such as the UR and the New Spiral, did work well for them...That type of information is much more valuable then general statements that "blanket praise" a manufacturer.
Again, blade choice is situational, it's trial and error, and it's also personal preference based on experience.
Mike's Workshop is the exclusive supplier of Flying Dutchman blades...They are only available online/mail order, but they're worth it...There's a couple of other people out there that advertise the same blades under a different name, but DON'T BUY FROM THEM; they;re much more expensive than Mike's, and his knowledge and experience come with the blades as part of the purchase package.
Olson blades: Several places online sell Olson blades...DON'T BUY THEM FROM OLSON'S WEBSITE; they're too expensive compared to everyone else...Olson blades are also available locally at Rockler, Woodcraft, True Value, Do It Best, and Ace Hardware...Rockler and Woodcraft will offer some types of Olson blades that aren't found at the other hardware stores listed...This is the only situation where buying blades from a "hardware store" is OK.
Under any circumstances, DO NOT BUY ANY SCROLL SAW BLADES FROM LOWE'S OR THE HOME DEPOT...They do not carry anything that you want/need...Instead, if you're in a pinch and need something, and can't wait for an online order to arrive, find one of the other "hardware stores" listed above and get some Olson blades from them...Using the stuff sold at Lowe's/Home Depot is like trying to perform major surgery using a plastic picnic knife...Besides, all the stuff available from online sources is less expensive than Lowe's/Home Depot anyway (not to be confused with "cheaper", which means something different than "less expensive").
