saw files in usa?

[justin sherriff]

I am just starting to get in to hand tool work and bought a older hand saw and need to sharpen it. The problem is I can not seam to find a place to get good files in the usa. The saw I have is a belknap bluegrass with 7 tpi that I pad $3 for.
All I have found is some bahco 6in slime taper on ebay for $10 but they are from the UK.
Is there a place in the USA that sell good saw files?

[Steve Voigt]

Blackburn tools sells the Bahco files in small quantities at a reasonable price.

[michael langman]

Peach Tree Woodworking is where I bought some Nicholson files that worked well for me.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

Is anyone familiar with ICS cutting tools in Wisconsin? I stumbled on their website while looking for a thread box, and they list an inventory of saw files. I don't know anything about them or the quality though, and would be curious if any of the filing gurus have dealt with them.

[Patrick Chase]

I am just starting to get in to hand tool work and bought a older hand saw and need to sharpen it. The problem is I can not seam to find a place to get good files in the usa. The saw I have is a belknap bluegrass with 7 tpi that I pad $3 for.
All I have found is some bahco 6in slime taper on ebay for $10 but they are from the UK.
Is there a place in the USA that sell good saw files?

It's unfortunately getting hard to get good-quality saw files in the US. In addition to the sources listed by others:

LV and L-N both sell Grobet Swiss files, which are pretty good. Availability/inventory has become spotty, and L-N sent me a bunch of twisted/warped files the last time I ordered from them (almost as though they cherrypicked the good ones to sharpen their own saws...), so this avenue may be closing.

Grobet USA (aka b2bprofessionaltools) sells a full range of taper files, though they're made in North America and not nearly as consistent (corner sharpness, warp, etc) or long-lasting as the Grobet Swiss ones. They've also sold me some drastically out-of-spec stuff, for example 6" "X-slim" files that were much closer to the stated dimension per their own catalog of 6" slims. They also only sell by the dozen. Full disclosure: They "fired" me as a customer after I insisted on returning the aforementioned not-so-slim files, though they needn't have worried about repeat business by that point. To their credit they ended up making it (more than) right.

You can sometimes find Bahco saw files (both bare and pre-handled "ergo") on Amazon. Those are very good files in my experience, at least as good as the Grobet Swiss ones. I got a bunch of Bahcos from a supplier in the UK (Heamar) and while back and am a very happy camper. It took forever but was worth it.

Nicholson and Simonds are made in Mexico and India respectively and have QA issues similar to Grobet USA. Short life is a problem for both, and corner sharpness is a problem with Nicholson (the Simonds I've bought have had pretty good geometry out of the box. They just don't last).

[lowell holmes]

http://www.amazon.com/Grobet-American-Pattern-Taper-Extra/dp/B00K7BHH26/ref=sr_1_3?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1450027983&sr=1-3&keywords=saw+files

I bought Grobet's on Amazon. I found them to be good files. They are slim taper files.

[James Keddie]

It's becoming increasingly difficult to find decent saw files. This note from TWW helps explain why: https://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/dept/TRR/item/EE-555-SF.XX
TWW might be the best source at the moment. LV used to carry Grobet, has very few available, and is looking for a new supplier. Blackburn Tools carries Bahco but complains that they don't last long. They do recommend the Grobet/Vallorbe needle file.
Jim

[Steve Voigt]

Yeesh, there is a lot of questionable info in this thread. Some corrections:

1) LV's Grobet files are no longer Swiss, at least not exclusively so; Rob Lee mentioned that here a while ago. LN seems to have removed all but the 7" regular taper saws from their site, and I wouldn't bet on even those being Swiss. TFWW isn't selling them either. Bottom line: it's almost impossible to get the Swiss ones now, except for the needle files. The ones on Amazon are from a variety of sources. If you are happy with those files, either you got lucky or you don't know what a decent file actually feels like.

2) The low quality of new Nicholsons has been discussed here many times. I'll use them occasionally, just because picking one up at the hardware store is convenient and cheap, but I assure you they are not *good* files. If you like your Nicholsons, see comment (1) above.

3) Isaac (Blackburn) didn't "complain that the Bahcos don't last long." What he actually said was this:
"These files are made by Bahco, and are nearly the equal of the old Nicholson, Simonds, or Disston files. Their one shortcoming is lack of durability when cutting new teeth into a saw plate, where they do not hold up well. Unfortunately, every new file I have tried falls short in this aspect, beginning to shed its teeth far too soon."
So, if you are cutting new teeth into a clean plate, durability might be an issue, but it'll be an issue no matter what. For sharpening existing teeth, the Bahcos are about the best new files you can get these days. This has been discussed extensively on this forum and others. You can get them from Isaac, or you can buy them in bulk from various suppliers. At this point, you are pretty much wasting time and money with other solutions, unless you luck into some old NOS files.

[Ron Bontz]

You may wish to contact B2Bprofessional. Some months back, they still had some 7x and/or 7xx in swiss made Grobet, but they are expensive. Also, I have used the Grobet, (Italian made) needle files and they worked very well. No complaints. I personally am using some 7xx NOS K&F files, ( Made in Brazil ) I stumbled on to. They have been working well for me. It's just a hit and miss.

[Patrick Chase]

You may wish to contact B2Bprofessional. Some months back, they still had some 7x and/or 7xx in swiss made Grobet, but they are expensive. Also, I have used the Grobet, (Italian made) needle files and they worked very well. No complaints. I personally am using some 7xx NOS K&F files, ( Made in Brazil ) I stumbled on to. They have been working well for me. It's just a hit and miss.

b2bprofessional is Grobet USA's retail arm. The triangular files they sell are nowhere near the quality of the old swiss-made ones.

[justin sherriff]

Blackburn tools sells the Bahco files in small quantities at a reasonable price.
Thank you
I picked up a Bahco 4" X-Slim taper and 6" X-Slim taper. just what I was looking for.

[Ron Bontz]

b2bprofessional is Grobet USA's retail arm. The triangular files they sell are nowhere near the quality of the old swiss-made ones.

Depends on where they are made. Made in India were/are less than desirable. Made in Italy are ok.

[Steve Voigt]

Thank you
I picked up a Bahco 4" X-Slim taper and 6" X-Slim taper. just what I was looking for.

You're welcome, glad you found them. And welcome to SMC, by the way.

[Clay Parrish]

I wish someone like Veritas or LN would start producing their own files in the US or Canada. It is ironic that we have so many great handsaw manufacturers, yet it is such a chore to find high quality saw files.

[Tony Corey]

Has anybody tried files from ICS Cutting Tools? ICS is a Wisconsin based company that among other things, makes files of all types, including tapered saw sharpening files. I have not tried them yet, but want to. They seem to cater to the industrial customer so the files are sold by the dozen.

They also make auger bits with the square shank for a brace.

I am intrigued and will order some after the holiday season.

ICS Web Site:
http://www.icscuttingtools.com


Catalog page with saw sharpening files:
http://www.icscuttingtools.com/catalog/page_354.pdf

TonyC

[Nicholas Lawrence]

I asked about them a little further up the thread, and got no response, so I would be very interested in your thoughts if you order files from them. I saw they also make a thread box, which is what caught my attention.

[Stewie Simpson]

http://www.woodworkforums.com/f152/files-test-report-extensive-testing-23-files-3-experienced-filers-174867