That's what I call bling!

The kitchen floor in my 1950s split level looked like it came from the set of a low budget, student-directed, independent film. It needed to go. Using tips from TOH’s website, my brother-in-law’s brawn, and his dad's know how, we prepared to install a fresh layer of tiles.

When installing tiles, inevitably some have to be cut. I’ve wondered about the wet tile saws I’ve seen in the rental departments of home centers, and decided to try out an MK Diamond tile saw for my 10’ x 10’ kitchen project—about $40 a day.

Why? Because it uses diamonds to cut tiles, of course. Well, sort of.

It looked intimidating: lots of steel, an exposed blade, and some moving parts. I felt my nerves twinge a bit as I plugged the power cord into the wall and dropped the pump end into a bucket of water. The pump sucks up water to keep dust down while cutting and cool off the blade, and oh, what a blade.

The 10 inch disc of devouring metal doesn’t have the aggressive teeth a wood or masonry blade has. Instead of cutting, the blade has diamonds inlaid along each side that it uses to grind, smoothly, through the tiles. It’s safer than a traditional saw—not once did I imagine myself loosing Mr. Pinky or his good friend Captain Pointer.

I flicked the switch and the quiet motor began humming. I placed my 12 inch floor tile on the saw’s moving tray and guided it through the blade, where it was ripped in half in about 5 seconds. It was a big, safe, and easy-to-use time saver.

Now that the kitchen has leapt boldly into 2007, I think I’ll follow suit and try convince my wife that a pair of diamond blades make great ear "bling."