Good quality hand file source

[manwithtools]

I realized this weekend that my mis-matched assortment of hand files is really a mess. Most are hand me downs from my dad and are over 70 years old and pretty well worn out at this point.

I know Nicholson is one of the more well know brands, I assume they have different grades as well. Does anyone have any other favorites or strong suggestions?

 

[pendragon1998]

Nicholson sold out and went to foreign production. They're **** now. It's hard to find good files now. Consider Bahco made in Portugal or look for new old stock on ebay. Cripe Distributing has some US Nicholson NOS still.

 

[four.cycle]

or Pferd, maybe (German)

as he said, check Ebay for older NOS stuff. Nicholson is all made in Mexico now.

 

[DFB]

I get Pferds from Bailey's

the Zenports are Chinese (Taiwan)

 

[metaldad]

yep. recently loaded up a cart from cripe. their site states coo, and the pricing is great

 

[mbshop]

I went out and looked at the files in stock and still found some usa ones still hanging so I bought a few of the ones I use the most. So go out and look for old stock nickolson ones.

 

[bob15]

Not sure how good they are, but Grobet is both US and Swiss made.

 

[zoomieport]

Hate to be "that guy", but...
I get all of mine (old Nicholson) and garage sales.

It's a pain, but they're cheap and good...
Take care!
ZOOM

 

[royesses]

Harry J still has some USA Nicholson files in stock:
http://www.harryepstein.com/index.php/tool-brand/nicholson.html?manufacture_country=7

 

[Roberts210]

Ditto swap meets and garage sales for good old USA Nicholsons.

 

[manwithtools]

Well damn, you guy's aren't much help at all.

 

[jobo1004]

You could also look at getting yours resharpened.

http://www.boggstool.com/page74.html

 

[four.cycle]

over a year ago, somebody asked about files, and I found a bunch of NOS Pferd at:
Tool Liquidators
1601 Center Street
Tacoma 98409
253 572 3693

the post with the photo of what he had at that time is HERE:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5248832#post

I haven't been down there since, so I have no idea what he might have left. I dealt with Steve, who told me he would ship them on a quantity purchase. I think I picked up about 8 of them and he gave me a deal on the price.

 

[T45]

You could also look at getting yours resharpened.

http://www.boggstool.com/page74.html

All of these technique sound like some form of enhandced cleaning.

 

[jumbojak]

Nicholson sold out and went to foreign production. They're **** now. It's hard to find good files now. Consider Bahco made in Portugal or look for new old stock on ebay. Cripe Distributing has some US Nicholson NOS still.

I've had good experiences with Mexican and Brazillian Nicholson products. The blister packs seem to keep the files and rasps in better shape than the plastic tubs of NOS you typically find at hardware stores. I've heard that their saw file quality has taken a nosedive but haven't seen that first hand on the larger sizes I sharpen with. The 4" ** slims seem to garner most of the ire in that department.

 

[justanengineer]

What, you dont have a file dealer? Need to get out more man...




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MikeRock]

Not sure how good they are, but Grobet is both US and Swiss made.

Grobert Swiss is very high quality. Maybe they were always actually made by Vallorbe? "Grobet USA" and "Grobet" seem to be different companies. "Grobet USA" seems to be sourcing some files from countries other than Switzerland. There are internet reports of Italy, India & China. I have a box of needle files. The files are ink/paint marked "Grobet USA". All Swiss files that I have seen have indented marking. Neither the files nor the box have a country of origin. Is there a factory still making needle files in the US?? Otherwise how is it legal not to mark the country of origin?

Correction: the box that I have are 4" three-square files, not needle files. I was thinking "needle" because they are small.

 

[d.mcfarland]

I'd vote eBay or HJE/cripe and spend the money it takes. Junk files aren't worth the money.

 

[four.cycle]

Otherwise how is it legal not to mark the country of origin?

My understanding is that it is no longer required that the item be marked with COO, only the packaging.

 

[MikeRock]

My understanding is that it is no longer required that the item be marked with COO, only the packaging.

I have the full box. The box is labeled Grobert USA; Carlstadt, NJ and Toronto, Canada. The COO is not apparent to me.

 

[Dave455]

I'm afraid guys, that the days of good quality domestic manufacture files seem to be long gone - and I say that both to Americans and fellow Brits!

Top quality files from firms such as Stubbs in the U.K. are no longer. I think the firm are still around, just not making files anymore!

Ditto Nicholson in the U.S. - though I have some of the last of their U.S. produced files and they are not the quality of their earlier tools!

Sadly, the only serious contenders left are the Swiss! Genuine Swiss made Vallorbe are as good as anything ever has been and they make a huge range of styles, sizes and cuts! There are other Swiss makers too, but the key here seems to be 'Swiss made'!

I cannot imagine any Swiss company having anything made anywhere other than Switzerland (Firearms excepted - which they are very upfront about) so I'd be very dubious of anything with a Swiss sounding name, but 'Made in India'!

The Bahco files were originally Oberg, and Swedish made. Unfortunately the 'Swedish Made' vanished not long after the 'Oberg' name and obviously took the secret to good files with it!
The current 'Made in Portugal' are nothing special, even when they carry the Snap On name!

 

[Engine]

I'm afraid guys, that the days of good quality domestic manufacture files seem to be long gone - and I say that both to Americans and fellow Brits!

Top quality files from firms such as Stubbs in the U.K. are no longer. I think the firm are still around, just not making files anymore!

Ditto Nicholson in the U.S. - though I have some of the last of their U.S. produced files and they are not the quality of their earlier tools!

Sadly, the only serious contenders left are the Swiss! Genuine Swiss made Vallorbe are as good as anything ever has been and they make a huge range of styles, sizes and cuts! There are other Swiss makers too, but the key here seems to be 'Swiss made'!

I cannot imagine any Swiss company having anything made anywhere other than Switzerland (Firearms excepted - which they are very upfront about) so I'd be very dubious of anything with a Swiss sounding name, but 'Made in India'!

The Bahco files were originally Oberg, and Swedish made. Unfortunately the 'Swedish Made' vanished not long after the 'Oberg' name and obviously took the secret to good files with it!
The current 'Made in Portugal' are nothing special, even when they carry the Snap On name!

Would you rate these Bahco files here as being in the "average quality" category? They seem to be made in Portugal. Are they about the same quality level as the made in Mexico Nicholson files?

 

[M6erfan]

http://www.ottofrei.com/Store/Files/

 

[T45]

http://www.ottofrei.com/Store/Files/

http://www.ottofrei.com/Store/Glardon-Vallorbe-Precision-Files/

 

[Dave455]

Would you rate these Bahco files here as being in the "average quality" category? They seem to be made in Portugal. Are they about the same quality level as the made in Mexico Nicholson files?

Yes! They're probably o.k. for some tasks, but they're not in the same league as the Swiss.

I've never used the Nicholson Mexico Files, but those I've seen don't even have square sides! It would be impossible to do any accurate work with them.

The Bahco are probably a bit better than this!

 

[Mecha]

Harry J still has some USA Nicholson files in stock:
http://www.harryepstein.com/index.php/tool-brand/nicholson.html?manufacture_country=7

Went there last week, and there was a ton of files there in NOS condition.

 

[bob15]

Went there last week, and there was a ton of files there in NOS condition.

How many were USA? Most of the files HJE has are made in india, according to their website.

 

[dr_clyde]

While I hate to see the quality fall, and I don't care at all for the gutting of good brands that Apex has done, I think there is some exaggerating on how bad the new Nicholson files are. Yes, they aren't what they used to be, but they still work fine. At least for me.

I use a lot of files. My work supplies Nicholson. They do the job. When they wear out, I toss them in the scrap bin and get a new one from the cabinet. They are a consumable, after all.

 

[fanders]

Another vote for Grobet Swiss - top quality kit

 

[sberry]

I can live with a couple files and a lot of their use from back in the day has been replaced with grinders. I very rarely use one anymore. I been grinding a long time and can zing it in a second and be sharp.

 

[bdelmar2]

I agree, seldom use a file anymore, have a set of cheap small ones I use semi often, and regular set of cheap ones in my box at work for ppl to destroy and some decent old ones at home that I might use for a minute or two every couple of years.

Mostly I use a grinder, angle grinder, cut off wheel, or a die grinder instead.

 

[dr_clyde]

To a machinist, there is no substitute for files. Grinders simply cannot do what some files can.

That said, I am all for using the appropriate tool. If you're sharpening lawn mower blades or cutting rebar or knocking a bevel on a plate, yeah, use a grinder. But if you're taking a few thou off a diameter in a lathe on a shaft, a lathe file will do the work faster and with more control than a turning tool or emery cloth.

I use a file every day to deburr sanitary stainless tube. I could do the OD with a grinder, but the file is faster, cleaner, takes off less material, and doesn't make noise or sparks. And the same grinder that deburrs the OD can't do the ID. But my file can.

I have many grinders, and they all get used regularly. While they may share some tasks, there will always need to be files. Delicate work, odd shapes, convenience, portability, cost, and accuracy are a few reasons why.

 

[bwringer]

http://www.ottofrei.com/Store/Glardon-Vallorbe-Precision-Files/

$46.75 for a 12" file?

Yikes, yikes, and eek.

As noted above, files are consumables, not heirlooms.

 

[T45]

$46.75 for a 12" file?

Yikes, yikes, and eek.

As noted above, files are consumables, not heirlooms.

Those are precision files, with specialty cuts...eg,

Nicholson T36569 8" Half Round File, Cut No. 1 $59.42

http://www.nicholsontool.com/files/swiss-pattern

 

[Monte]

http://www.angloamericantools.com/tool_manufacturers/tome-feteira.html

 

[four.cycle]

$46.75 for a 12" file?

.... and what year was it you bought your last file?

 

[woody 73]

A few years back I sounded the fire alarm bell on a GJ post telling everyone that Lowes was selling off the last of the Nicholson USA files to hurry up and buy them; not even sure if anyone got the message? I got so few replies...some darn troll was getting all the feed back.

I went from store to store buying them up (not that it will help the op); look for Swiss Grobet or pferd files.

Darn trolls **** up everyone what a waste of time and energy!

 

[1cargarage]

I worked as a ski tuner for years and have tried a decent number of brands and types out there. I don't know what you're going to be using them for, but some of the "ski tuning files" are head and shoulders above most hardware store stuff. They're not even in the same category as far as I'm concerned.

My favorite "basic" file is the "Ice Cut" file by Vallorbe (Switzerland). These are super smooth and stay sharp 3~4x longer than most over the counter stuff.

Vallorbe offers them in a handful of sizes and tpi. They're the best I have used in that category.

We used to get them from Sun Valley Ski Tools (SVST) in Boise Idaho.

If you're looking for something a little more specific, ~10 years ago, tungsten carbide files became moderately available to ski tuners in practical 4" lengths. If you want the sweetest file there is (granted it probably doesn't suit all applications), then check out some of the "world cup" or "professional race" tungsten carbide files.

Some from SVST (USA)

Link: http://svst.com/Shop/SVST-Edge-Files/Tungsten-Carbide-4-File.html

One from Swix (Norway) made by Vallorbe (Switzerland):

Link: http://www.swixsport.com/Products/Wax-Tuning/Tuning-Equipment/File-Holders-Files-Stones/Racing-Pro-File-medium

They are so smooth and just leave tiny ribbons of steel very similar to a truly tuned in hand plane cutting walnut. Careful though, they're expensive and brittle.

Happy hunting.

 

[MushCreek]

If you buy used files, look at them carefully, or try them out, if in person. We use them on tool steel at work, and when we're done with them, they're DONE. You wouldn't want one of our cast-offs.

 

[manwithtools]

Thanks everyone for their input. I use files mostly for deburing pieces from the mill or lathe. I don't use them to remove a lot of material and good ones would likely last me the rest of my life. I'll look at some of the links posted here and see what I can find.