what to use for sawing 10mm veneers(for knife handles)??

Hi there I am a hobbiest knifemaker who wants to start cutting up his own handle slabs from blocks of timber, some in the round from branches.. What Im trying to do is cut 3/8 of an inch boards (10 mm maybe) for the handles. I have a bandsaw but Im pretty sure its not set up that good. My attempts at cutting slabs arnt that good and Im getting better results doing it by hand with a saw. Its a 14 inch 4 speed "toolmac" bandsaw how much tension should I set it too?? Would a wider blade be better for what I'm trying to do?? In it at the moment is a 1/3rd of an inch wide blade. Are there any good websites on setting up bandsaws?? Any recommended books?? Would I be better getting somthing else like a tablesaw? Or maybe a circular saw with a guide. One of my friends has bought a compound mitre saw that seems to work good but they are a bit too expensive for me Sorry for not using the correct terminology I dont have much of a background in woodworking. Stephen Nixon