Iwasaki file test

[george wilson]

John Coloccia kindly sent me a flat cut,and a half round Iwasaki files The flat cut is cut finer than the 1/2 round(which is pressed hollow-the back of the file is hollow).

I made a quick hardness and performance test of these files.

I really love the fine cut flat file. Even though the teeth are not offset,like the Super Shear Nicholsons(RIP!!,as in DEAD),it cut very cleanly and quickly on a piece of old boxwood I picked up. Both files were very hard,and the flat one was extremely straight. It did not try to chatter,like a lead vixen would,even without the offset teeth. Both files have segmented teeth to break up chips,( and chatter,I expect.)

The curved file was also a good file,but I think it would obviously work better on an inside curve,like inside a saw handle,which I did not have under way to test it on. It was not perfectly straight,but that doesn't matter on a curved face file,at least not to me. It was a bit convex curved on its length.

I've never been crazy about rasps,and I like the nearly rasp like speed these files cut at. They(especially the flat file) are so sharp they want to cut my fingerprints. Yet,I had no problems with the flat file hanging up from being too aggressive. The rasp thing is just me,no reason to not like them. I just prefer to cut wood,not tear it loose. These files CUT the wood.

I've asked John to verify the cut size of these files. The flat file could be a fine,or an extra fine cut. I'm sure he will reply. These were the 200 MM files sold by Woodcraft. I recommend them.

I think they are a good buy. The Nicholsons cost about $40.00 in the early 80's. They made a smaller,10" one,but the 10" ones were NEVER SHARP, The big ones were very sharp.

P.S.; I just noticed that John said the flat was a medium cut,and the round a coarse. I liked the medium cut the best.

[Ryan Baker]

I agree with your conclusions. I have a pair of fine cut flat and curved files that I have been playing with for the last couple weeks. I also have never been a fan of rasps. I really like these Iwasaki files. They are really sharp, cut quickly, do not hang up, and leave a nice smooth surface. I am very pleased with them. I may have to get a set of the extra-fine cut ones too.

[John Coloccia]

What I really like about them is that they cut very aggressively but leave a very smooth surface. I knew you would have no trouble getting these to work for you because you've used similar files. If you want a real treat, try draw filing with the flat one. :)

I use these places I would never dream of using a rasp for fear of tearing up wood.

I believe that medium and coarse is correct. Glad you're liking them. I haven't managed to dull one yet so I don't know how long they last.

[John Coloccia]

BTW, the two Iwasakis I use the most are their small extra-fine flat and half-round. The half-round especially, not just for shaping but for a very specific use. You know when you're smoothing out a shape, and you always get these little bumps and undulations in the surface. Sometimes you can't even see it, but you run your finger along the surface and you can feel it. I find it difficult to get rid of those, especially on a concave curve....there just doesn't seem to be an easy way to smooth it out. I take the extra-fine half round and can target just that little bump very precisely. I run my finger along until I find the bump, and then use my finger as a guide (almost like starting a saw), and with very light pressure run the file over the bump. And *POOF*....gone. :)

[george wilson]

Next time I'm in Woodcraft,if they have some,I'll probably pick out sone very fine cut ones. I don't think they would be for MY use on metal,because I just can't see that a file with fewer teeth will stay sharp as long as one with many more teeth. But,for wood,I think they are great. I DID use a Super Shear or 2 on soft metals like silver and brass,but not a lot. I was given several many years ago by a product tester who came into the musical instrument maker's shop. This guy was given bunches of things like files when he was testing them,even though he didn't use but 1.

[Marko Milisavljevic]

Is this the same thing Lee Valley sells? http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=63451&cat=1 They call them medium, fine and extra fine - there is no coarse. Wonder if they use same nomenclature as Woodcraft? I have some medium and fine, and find both to be quite aggressive and grippy. Need to try some extra fine.

[Chris Griggs]

That's been my experience. I have a 150mm half round extra fine and find it very useful for saw handles. Even the extra fines cut quite fast. I've been wanting to get the same cut and length in flat as well.

The only tool I have found more useful for handles is the gramercy handle makers rasp, but I still like having both!

[John Coloccia]

Those are the files. Maybe my terminology is just screwy. It's been a while since I bought them. According to that link, I believe i send George a medium half-round and a fine flat.

[Ryan Mooney]

I picked up a "fine" flat a while back and finally got around to using it on something interesting last weekend (a "large" - 2.5' long spoon made as a prize for the local homebrew club competition) and yes! wow! It made cleaning up the convex curves kind of fun. After having used other rasps my biggest issue was making sure I didn't get to deep in because it cut so much faster. The cut quality was also much better than what I'm used to; this was on black locust, which is not one of my favorite woods - but had it handy, and it did a really good job on it with basically no tear out.

[george wilson]

Maybe this is an answer to the (RIP!!) #49 and #50 Nicholson rasps. I still have a few. I haven't tried a speedy wood removal test between the 2 classes. Actually,it might not be fair to test a fine cut Japanese file against the rasps. Regardless,I like the smoother finish the files leave anyway. Less smoothing up with other tools afterwards.

I used to use a Sureform tool,but aesthetically,I never was crazy about them. Mostly I cut surfaces down with a blade.

[Mike Holbrook]

I watched John's video on raps and the Iwasakis. At the time I was trying to find something to work totes and plane bodies in purple heart. Thanks John! I love those file/float/rasps! I have 9-10 now and use them all the time. I do not understand why but the fine and extra fine just seem to work better for me. The fine and extra fine remove wood faster than one would think and leave such a smooth surface I have a hard time using much else. Like John I have found them exceptional at working those tough to see curved places in things like handles and totes. They seem to me to work a little like a sharp scraper but make a little larger shaving. I have been working with a bunch of handles for wooden planes and hand saws lately and nothing seems to work as well as the Iwasakis. I have Gramercy and Auriou rasps too but they are very rough tools compared to the Iwasakis. I have worked a good amount of purple heart and other very hard woods with mine and they seem to stay sharp just like John says.

Highland Woodworking carries a large selection of Iwasakis, larger than any place else I have found, picked up a new very fine round there yesterday.