Surely, many of us still visit our local woodworking retailer, hardware store or home center when we’re shopping for a new saw blade or router bit, but a thoughtfully created website certainly can speed our research process along while saving time, effort and gas. That’s why last month, Freud America announced the launch of its new and improved website, www.FreudTools.com. According to Freud, it promises a dramatically enhanced design with a premium look and the latest in web technologies, which should make it easier for woodworkers to navigate and quickly find critical information about all of Freud’s bits, blades and cutters.
“Visitors will be amazed at how easy it is to find what they are looking for and to learn about Freud’s full range of products,” says Russell Kohl, Freud America’s president and CEO.
For instance, there’s the new “drill down filtering engines” that allow you to do a product search using several different criteria. First, you can select from among Freud’s major product categories of saw blades, router and CNC bits, cutterheads, knives and inserts or drilling and boring. Then, say you’re researching saw blades: you can further refine your search by selecting the intended machine, blade diameter, materials you plan to cut with it, type of blade or arbor size. With each selection you make, the new website filters and groups the specific saw blades that match your search to help speed the selection process along.
Once you’ve identified the best blade, router bit, cutter or drill bit for your application, buttons allow you to learn even more about it or direct you to several online retailers. If you prefer, you can also enter your zip code, and Freud will point you to the closest product dealers in your area.
Maybe what you’re looking for is a learning opportunity regarding Freud products you already own, and helpful ways to get more use out of them. That’s easy to find, too, on the new site. Go to the “Information Center” tab and click on it. One of the options for 
obtaining product support is a tab to download educational posters, project information and helpful hints. For instance, it could be you want to build a set of French doors or mill and install your own custom crown molding. You can download a free PDF poster to hang up in the shop that details the step-by-step process using Freud router bits. There are also tabs that allow you to watch Freud videos or investigate an answer to a question you might have using Freud’s FAQ area.
Did you know that Freud offers an e-Newsletter, which provides how-to articles and videos as well as downloadable woodworking projects and plans? It’s a free sign-up on the new website. And, coming this fall, Freud plans to launch a new “Freud Club.” It’s a subscription-based club that company literature promises will inspire the woodworker. “Our new ‘Freud Club’ will be a great place to learn about products and projects with woodworking and technical experts, view training videos and access special deals from Freud,” Kohl says.
If you’re curious about what other end users have to say about Freud products before you buy them, the new website also has a “Reviews” tab, with content that will be coming soon, where you’ll be able to get the low-down on products of interest to you, or share a Freud story of your own.
Sooner or later, bits and blades must be sharpened professionally, but not all sharpening services are created equally. If you’re concerned about finding a sharpener that can return your Freud blade, bit or cutter to its original condition again, Freud’s website can help. Click on the “Where to Sharpen” tab, and an interactive selector map opens up that 
pinpoints nearby sharpeners who, Freud says, “have agreed to adhere to the high standards required to maintain ‘like new’ tool performance.” This is particularly important if you have late-model Freud products, because the company is constantly developing new and unique geometries for its tooling that might not be achievable to restore by some uncertified service centers.
Are you a social media fan? Freud provides plug-ins for Facebook and Twitter so you can keep apprised of the latest Freud news on your smartphone, tablet or computer, plus join into the conversation of Freud’s active online community. You’ll find the social media plug-ins on the website’s homepage.
Whatever you needs or experiences may be with Freud products, the company hopes its new and updated website will deliver the information you want in a seamless, easy fashion. “We feel it delivers the ultimate user experience for the woodworker and industrial cabinet shops,” Kohl says. “And, we’re not done! In the near future, more enhancements will be made to further make our website best in class and enrich our customer’s learning experience.”
To learn more about Freud, click here.
