A comparative assessment of different sawblade designs was undertaken to establish their relative potential in conversion of abrasive, silicious hardwoods. The feed speeds of an originally shaped fully modified sawblade tooth profile (E) were compared to those produced by the conventional (C) and improved, i. e. partly modified (M) sawtooth design, in highly abrasive Lophostemon confertus. The (E) profile sawblades have shown an improvement over (C) and (M) saws of respectively 7 m/min and 10 m/min, achieving average feed speeds in the range of 40–45 m/min, which are of the same order or superior to those obtained by conventional sawblades in the conversion of softwoods. If the new (E) profile saws are used in the processing of conifers, further increases in feed speeds may be expected.