Abstract: A blade support and blade assembly has a cylindrical blade support with a slot in the outer periphery, the root of a blade disposed in the slot. The blade root has a groove in the bottom surface into which a locking pin, biased by a spring, is biased into the groove to lock the blade to the blade support. A bore is formed completely through the blade base extending from the outer surface thereof to the location of the locking pin, and a pin displacement, which may be a rod or a supply of pressurized fluid is operative to displace the pin from the groove in the blade base to permit removal of the blade root from the slot in the blade support. Hardened inserts may also be provided, either in the blade root or the blade support slot to strengthen the area of contact of the locking pin with the blade support and/or the blade root.