Reading this thread has made me LMAO. I thought I was the only one that deliberately (OK, maybe no deliberately sometimes!) wound up buzzing through a brad or pin.
If I am stuck and HAVE to do it, I will after some good cussing. Yet, I am always kind of embarassed, even when no one else is around.
I would vote for the sharp blade idea myself.
I had a piece of 1 1/2" oak clamped to my old steel miter setup a couple of years ago and was making a small rip down the side of the board. It was old and hard, but I was using a 15 amp Makita with a new 18 tooth Makita blade on it, so I didn't think twice.
I heard a kind of loud rattling noise, but I thought I hit a hard knot I didn't see as the saw didn't bobble, and I didn't see any sparks or smoke. I felt something hit my foot, but I didn't want to mess up my cut (no more oak) so I finished it. Looking on the ground when I set the saw down, I discovered I had cut off a 3/8" steel clamping knob, cutting through the plastic end and shearing off the bolt. Talk about feeling stoooopid (and embarassed!).
No apparent damage to the blade or the saw, although I did find little tiny sparkles of metal in the wood. It was a brand new blade and it didn't even lose a tooth, warp, or burn.
Yeah, I'd go with a sharp blade. Especially for something that small. You'll want a clean cut!
Robert