Saw files

[Sheffield Tony]

I was sharpening a big rip saw this morning, and I notice my big saw file is a bit worse for wear. It is the same one I've used to sharpen my one-man crosscut saw a few times, so no wonder really. Maybe time for a new one.

Doing a search, I see quite a bit of historic moaning about the quality of saw files, but nothing recent; what is the best of the current crop ? I see Bahco, Grobert, Vallorbe and Dick for sale, none seem to be double ended anymore ?

The tired one is Grobert (from Thomas Flinn) and I also have smaller Bahco, which is not much better. I did pick up the odd double ended medium sized NOS one at a steam fair for a couple of quid, and deeply regret not having bought the rest !

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I can't speak for saw files, but Vallorbe and Grobet are the same stable and are commonly bought as first choice by silversmiths. I've got Vallorbe chainsaw files and they're good.

 

[Tasky]

I see Bahco, Grobert, Vallorbe and Dick for sale, none seem to be double ended anymore ?!

While I'm sorry to say I don't have a double-ended Dick (sorry, I had to! :lol: ), I do have one or two Bahco ones.
Workshop Heaven stock a number of these, including double-enders in 6, 7 and 8 inch, that also come with a handle if you need it.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

I knew it was only a matter of time :roll:

 

[AES]

Can't really help with current info either, sorry. I can only say that my double-ended Bahco saw file is many years old and still has (I think) a lot of years in it still. BUT I should also say I hardly ever use it! No idea what the quality is like today though.

Have no experience of Grobet & Vallorbe SAW files but the other files I have from them, mainly needle and jeweller's types, are top class and they too will outlast me.

Is it possible that because I only live about a 1 hour drive from Vallorbe that here (in the retailers) I can get something that you can't in UK? (here Vallorbe will not deal direct with the public BTW). I doubt there's anything here that you can't find in UK, but if you want met to look I'll be happy to do so - the "Meier Profi Handwerker Zentrum" is only 10 mins drive down the road from me so if you'd like me to look I'll happily do so (I never mind a visit there, but I'm always careful to slip very quickly past their very posh Festool showroom department)!

AES

 

[DBT85]

Mr Sellers is a big fan of Bahco ones and uses them for his school. Think mine was about £6 and a double ender.

He says he can sharpen loads with one file before it needs to be discarded.

 

[Smithy]

I bought a selection from Fine Tools in Germany. In my opinion they were good value.

 

[Droogs]

I find these guys to brillian with regards to service, prices and quality:

http://www.tomefeteira.com/produtos.html

 

[D_W]

Bahco saw files are the best current files I've found, and cheap in the states in sets of 10 - a little less cheap in individual files, but not exorbitant. Two issues:
1) the xx slim profiles are not available here (despite there being part numbers, they're not actually available. Maybe they don't make them
2) the edges are fairly fat for saw file, but neatly made. That means you can't cheat with a large file on small teeth, or they'll have a fat rounded gullet bottom, which leads to wood packing in something like a dovetail saw.

But for carpenters saws and larger backsaws (10-11 points, etc), they're great.

Grobet files - who knows what they are day to day. They went from being premium files to OK files made in India to no control at all over the geometry of the files (some had knife edges with no teeth, some looked like hourglasses, etc, you can't put up with that filing a saw - the edges of a file need to be consistent within a given file size so that you don't waste time filing or have nuisance work).

 

[Tasky]

they'll have a fat rounded gullet bottom

"Fat Bottomed Files you make my saw gullet go round"!! \/

Bahco do still make the XX slim ones for 12-15+ tpi, and they're in stock here, at least.
https://www.workshopheaven.com/4-188-05 ... -only.html
https://www.workshopheaven.com/2-302-18 ... andle.html

 

[swagman]

Its a battle up hill to find any modern taper files that will match the longevity of edge that early Nos Nicholson files can offer.

 

[D_W]

they'll have a fat rounded gullet bottom

"Fat Bottomed Files you make my saw gullet go round"!! \/

Bahco do still make the XX slim ones for 12-15+ tpi, and they're in stock here, at least.
https://www.workshopheaven.com/4-188-05 ... -only.html
https://www.workshopheaven.com/2-302-18 ... andle.html

Thanks, Tasky. I'm going to have to check the drop shipper here in the states again (williams tool). They should have those, and the price here is reasonable (generally about $5 per for small files, or 3 1/2 pounds).

I have used just about anything for small files, but it's nice to have the same brand to do a saw each time due to the shape of the gullet bottom being different between files.

If you get to the point where you're working entirely by hand, a saw refresh is a couple of minutes if you have the same files to use each time and keep track of it. Major work only once every dozen or 20 filings, which I confirmed to be the case with a professional worker over here. I give a pass to my rip saw once each major project. Not quite necessary, but it does make it sever fibers nicely.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Thanks for the thoughts. It seems not quite such a pessimistic view as the older posts seemed to suggest. Perhaps I'll try Bahco - I see Power Tools Direct have them at reasonable prices.

 

[Nico Adie]

Hello everyone, I'm a very long time lurker and this is my first post. Just a thought about slim taper files - would the EzeLap 250 grit needle files be any use for saws in the 12+ TPI range? They do a triangular profile one...