Long time reader, first time poster etc.
I’m looking for recommendations for a good quality fine metal file, price not really an object. I’ve tried most of what my local HD has in stock, but I’m looking for something that will last a long time to sharpen delicate objects. I have a couple good-but-dull splitting axes to restore, as well as ice axe picks and other metal tools that I don’t really want to touch witha bench grinder.
fred will be along shortly with a comprehensive response!
Thanks Big_Adam
It is not so much that the quality of what they sell in Home Depot is poor – but files in the general hardware trade have seemingly gone down a notch (or maybe it’s just my giving into nostalgia for the bygone days). Files and perhaps to a lesser extent their cousins (Floats an Rasps) were never meant to be lifetime tools. While “file steel” is quite a bit harder (as it needs to be) to “cut” other steel – it still wears and/or loads up. Cleaning after use with a file card/brush can help to prolong life and keep the file cutting – and you should never store them in a way that one file can abrade another. Another issue is that some softer metals – notoriously aluminum – will load the teeth of a file make it it cut inefficiently if at all. There are special files – with different tooth patterns designed for soft metals. A file will not last forever - except perhaps in infrequent use.
Most “toolguys” know that files come in different patterns or cuts. Typical of a sharpening file is what’s called a “bastard cut” in a shape called a “Mill File”. For harder metals – you might wish to switch to what’s called a second-cut file.
Here’s a link to a file card – brush combination:
https://www.amazon.com/Nicholson-File-Card-Brush-Pack/dp/B001KVM2H2
When a file dulls – it is impractical to re-sharpen – you just scrap them or if you are an artist – maybe turn them into objet d’art.
Nicholson (Cooper Tools) still is a major supplier, as is Simonds. Simonds has a good tutorial web page:
http://www.simondsint.com/handfiles/HAND%20FILES%20PUBLICATIONS/File%20Facts.pdf
The Wikipedia page is also interesting – adds some details but leaves out others:
In the old days – my favorite supplier was Heller Brothers (Nu-Cut Files) for general purpose files and Grobet (Swiss) or Nicholson for needle and precision files. Today – it seems like lots of files come from India – via companies like Mercer Abrasives.
There are companies that sell – what they call Axe files – and I’m not sure that they are anything special – perhaps with the exception of having a convenient shape:
https://www.amazon.com/Gransfors-Bruks-Axe-Sharpening-File/dp/B0041TIT2W/ref=sr_1_cc_3?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1482522563&sr=1-3-catcorr&keywords=axe+file
https://www.amazon.com/Nicholson-06706N-Axe-File-8-Inch/dp/B006DWT7HG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482526660&sr=8-1&keywords=axe+file
Pferd – a German Brand maker – gets some mixed reviews – but might be worth a try: