LIOGIER rasps......etc......

[clogs]

Someone mentioned these hand made Rasp manufactureres in France a while ago and I remebered seeing a vid....
LIOGIER being one....
there are several ytube vids that u may find interesting....

Forge de Saint Juery.......

 

[dannyr]

nice.

and great that these are still made in France (and Portugal?).

I haven't shelled out for these fine looking things, but do have some old Sheffield hand stitched cabinet makers rasps - there seem to be some available in the flea mkt boxes of 'old files' inc some v worn, but quite a few just fine with a clean up - just look for an uneven but nicely spaced tooth pattern (often more teeth than the modern French) and run your finger over both sides to feel whether still sharp. A bit clogged you can deal with but must be sharp, which they often are, poss as cared for (until they got into that box) - mine each cost under £2 as the dealers weren't aware.

likewise, it's not diff to find old Sheffield 'Millenicut' or 'Dreadnought' milled (patented fbt about a century ago) files going cheap, just like the v expensive Japanese carvers files, often in fine nick, nice smooth finish when you get the hang of them.

 

[Adam W.]

I have just bought some Auriou hand stitched rifflers, they are very good and produce a surprisingly fine finish.

According to one of my mason chums, the Milani ones are supposed to be good too, but the French mason she works with disagrees, as he would.

https://milaniutensili.it/en/catalog/

 

[thetyreman]

I have the logier 4 in 1 rasp and it's superb, amazing for carving handles that kind of thing, well worth the cost imo

 

[IWW]

Years ago I discovered Nicholson patternmakers' rasps. They were a quantum leap above the other rasps in their range, which were a cut or two above the general chain hardware store things.

Then I discovered hand-stitched rasps! They are another cut above the "Patternmakers" and even better still, can be had in a wide range of tooth sizes - that is a major factor in their favour, imo. I have Liogiers, and have only used a single Auriou, but I'd guess they are very similar if not identical for quality & functionality, which the Liogiers have in spades.

I use rasps a lot, they are the bees' knees for complex shaping of our hard, gnarly woods. The Liogiers all are superb tools, certainly not cheap, but seem to last a lot longer than cheaper rasps, so not quite as expensive as they first seem. The law of diminishing returns applies very much in this instance, you pay a lot for the increment of improvement vs cheaper rasps, so you have to weigh your needs & desires and balance those against your budget. I have a single Italian hand-stitched rasp which cost a lot less than the Liogier equivalent. It's not quite up to the quality of the Liogiers (a few rough & uneven teeth along the edges that can catch on parts of the job I don't want marked!), but if you are an occasional rasper, might represent better bang for your buck....

Cheers,
Ian

 

[Adam W.]

Having bought a few of the Auriou rasps in various shapes, I'm now a convert. So I'm looking at getting some of the Liogier gunsmith rasps for piercing tracery, as they are long and very thin.

Does anyone have any thoughts on their sapphire range ?

 

[johnnyb]

I believe they are case hardened files better for semi hard materials still work on wood but even more expensive!

 

[IWW]

Having bought a few of the Auriou rasps in various shapes, I'm now a convert. So I'm looking at getting some of the Liogier gunsmith rasps for piercing tracery, as they are long and very thin.

Does anyone have any thoughts on their sapphire range ?

Adam, I have several Liogier "plain" rasps & a couple of the "saphires". AFAIK, it's a coating, not case-hardening, but I am prepared to be corrected if that's not the case. In terms of wear resistance (which is the claimed advantage of the 'saphire' range), it's too hard to call for an average user - both types last for years. The 'regular' rasps are amazingly durable, & mine get put to the test in very hard woods like our casuarinas & dry-country acacias, which are notoriously tough on edges. Even if the saphires are only marginally better at staying sharp, it will probably seem like a lot given that it's going to take more years yet before I see any major differences.

If you've used rasps a lot, the performance of a Liogier or Auriou is pretty obvious from the first stroke or two, but those who haven't done much rasping may not be so impressed. For many folks, a hardware store rasp will suffice for their needs, & a premium rasp would not be a cost-effective way to go, but for those who use rasps a lot, the cost vs benefit is much more readily determined.

My 2c...
Ian

 

[pgrbff]

This from the Berlin Fine Tools website.

As an addition to its traditional range, Liogier has developed the Sapphire range to further improve the performance of its rasps. These rasps are incredibly hard and according to Liogierr keep their cutting power four times as long as traditional rasps. The significantly improved sharpness makes for effortless removal of material. Thanks to rustproofing the Sapphire rasps are highly resistant to corrosive environments. These rasps are especially recommended for materials such as hardwoods, eg, old oak or hard plastic. The Sapphire range is easily distinguished from the traditional range by its black finish and dark-stained beech handle.