Bahco Saw File - Bulk Purchase Partner

[Jeff Posten]

Bahco's saw files seem to receive fairly consistent praise for their quality, and are often recommended by many of the saw filing gurus that frequent the forums here. Unfortunately, I've been unable to locate any online retailers who sell Bahco's singly. And while I can find them on the auction site, I have finally learned my lesson (the hard way) and will no longer be using it (plus, they're about three times as much).

So, I was hoping to find one or two (or more?) individuals interested in splitting boxes of the following:
5" Double Extra Slim (not sure if Bahco makes these)
6" Double Extra Slim ($6.56 each)
6" Extra Slim ($4.73 each)
6" Slim ($3.97 each)
7" Slim ($5.19 each)
7" Taper ($5.12 each)

These sizes cover a very wide range of saws. I would like to end up with between 3-5 files per size, but we could conceivably order multiple boxes if needed. So far, the cheapest vendor I've found is Auto Tool World, which was recommended by a fellow Creeker.

If you prefer, we could have them shipped to your house. Prior to the order I would paypal you my share of the total cost (including my portion of the shipping) plus whatever postage would be required for them to get to me, so you're not out any extra. I offer this method as I'm currently out of the country until November, as well as to alleviate any integrity concerns you may have.

If interested in participating please respond here so we can gauge interest and decide on the best way to go about it. I sincerely hope to avoid a complicated mess. I was just hoping to get some quality files usually only available to heavy users.

Jeff Posten

[Hilton Ralphs]

What is wrong with the saw files available from Lee Valley, Lie-Nielsen and Tools For Working Wood? I'm not interested in what they look under a microscope but rather do they sharpen a saw sufficiently enough to cut wood.

Some of the tests results posted here are simply put, over the top.

I'm no sharpening expert but common sense tells me that the above mentioned companies probably sell to a collectively larger customer base than is represented here and my last South African Rand suggests that they would be the first to gauge customer feedback and take the necessary reconciliatory steps.

I think your idea is great but I don't know if it's worth the trouble.

[David Weaver]

There's nothing wrong with those files (TFWW, LN, LV - they are probably all selling grobet swiss). The grobet (made in the third world but called) "american" taper saw files were the ones that had become the inexpensive go-to and they've gone to crap, but we knew that before the whole debacle of a "test" thread came up.

I think what we learned from that is that liogier will be making files at some point and some stealth marketing was in order. I would bet that saw files from them will show up free in the hands of some bloggers and "gurus" and become "must have items" for at least a short period of time. It's just how some manufacturers and agents market instead of paying for ad space.

[David Weaver]

4-188-05-2-0 is the part number for bahco's xx slim 5" file. Getting it for less than 9 bucks seems to be another thing entirely, though. If grobet swiss is cheaper, that's what I'd get.

[Hilton Ralphs]

I would bet that saw files from them will show up free in the hands of some bloggers and "gurus" and become "must have items" for at least a short period of time.

You're surely not suggesting that Chris LN Schwarz will be writing an blog article on this?

[David Weaver]

You're surely not suggesting that Chris LN Schwarz will be writing an blog article on this?

Well, I don't know that I'd limit it to one blogger. It seems be something that widely afflicts each shepherd and their sheep (that is not a record to stephen shepherd, though, as he does not get involved in pushing new tools).

You'll notice that as gramercy was making saw handle rasps, liogier all of the sudden had saw handle rasps in peoples' hands and people were talking about buying several. Who knows how many they gave away, but that is a conscious decision to go that route and try to get people talking rather than paying for advertising.

And then, you hear folks who have never used tools in context talking about the wear that the gramercy rasp couldn't take, upselling features on rasps, etc, and it takes someone like joel to actually set the record straight about whether that stuff is nonsense.

All of that makes me a bit of a cynic. Of course, if saw files come out for $5 each and they are better than everything out there in shape and wear, then that's great. If we see boutique stuff for $15 per saw file with all kinds of persuasive arguments about how we should spend gobs of cake on something that's basically a throw-away tool (along with the tug-at-your-heartstrings-lifestyle-based-arguments), my cynicism will be fed.

Fortunately, when you recognize something as a veiled advertisement, all it takes is a little proof and it will be squashed fast so we can talk nuts and bolts without having less than objective folks trying to steer the boat.

[Jim Matthews]

[QUOTE=David Weaver;2161635 If we see boutique stuff for $15 per saw file with all kinds of persuasive arguments about how we should spend gobs of cake on something that's basically a throw-away tool (along with the tug-at-your-heartstrings-lifestyle-based-arguments), my cynicism will be fed. [/QUOTE]

First time for everything, I suppose.
Come to the Dark side, we have cookies.

I buy every triangular file I find at the local flea market.
If they're less than $2 - I buy more than one.

There's no sensible explanation why these things are so expensive,
or good ones so hard to find - while saw files are a cutting-edge technology, by definition,
it's not as if they're inventing a process to make the things.

[David Weaver]

Limited market, I suppose (in terms of the cost). I wish I could buy taper saw files at a flea market here, but this is a tool and die area, so clapped out machinist files are usually what I find.

I don't mind paying $5 or $6 for one when they are crisp and nicely made. In adjusted dollars, that's a cheap price compared to what good files were 120 years ago when people used them a lot (they were about 2 days wage for a dozen back then). Figure a retailer gets half the price or almost that when it comes to a file, a third maybe - much less than that and it wouldn't be worth their time.

I have no idea how the process is done now, though, or what steel they use. If they still use a fairly plain steel, that might also explain the price some (harder to heat treat and probably more expensive to get).

I can't, however, get into the argument (not that you're making this argument) that large manufacturers making good quality stuff are to be chided. it's fine if boutique fills a niche, but if it's just lower volume and a higher price of something that already exists, that's not much of a niche to me. There is a lot of that mentality around the various blogs, that we are somehow obligated to bias our purchases toward the boutiquers.

[Steve Voigt]

You're surely not suggesting that Chris LN Schwarz will be writing an blog article on this?

Schwarz has been very explicit that he pays for the tools he reviews.
Can't we get through one thread without people using this guy as a punching bag?

[Max Withers]

I think the thing with files is -- at least in the U.S. -- in our lifetimes (and our father's and grandfather's and great grandfather's), you went down to the hardware store, bought a mass-produced Nicholson (or competitor), and it was a reliably superb product. Now whatever you buy is reliably mediocre at best, and I at least have a subliminal fear that they will stop making three square files entirely. Even despite the enthusiasm of some of these bloggers and their fans (myself included), the number of people who sharpen their own saws cannot be that great. I bought a Nicholson a couple weeks ago just because I was shocked to see one at Home Depot.

[Tony Shea]

I bought a Nicholson a couple weeks ago just because I was shocked to see one at Home Depot.

Interesting that you were shocked to see a Nicholson file at HD. I'm pretty sure my HD has always carried Nicholson's but unfortunately the Mexican versions. About a month ago I was shocked to see a Marden's store had a pile of USA made Nicholson's that they must have picked up in a flood, fire, old hardware store, etc. I bought as many as I could at the time.

[Max Withers]

Interesting that you were shocked to see a Nicholson file at HD. I'm pretty sure my HD has always carried Nicholson's but unfortunately the Mexican versions...

Sorry, I was shocked to see a three square file there, not the Nicholson brand. (Although the shelf space for those seems to be decreasing at the expense of store branded Chinese imports.)

I wish we had Marden's here!