Narex Hand Cut Cabinet Rasps

[Jake Rothermel]

...saw them on Highland Woodworking.

Has anyone tried them? I'm curious if they hold a candle to Auriou or Liogier or other high-quality hand-stitched ones. They seem on the cheap(er) side, though they're no slouch in price, either.

I don't have any real experience w/ rasps & files beyond the common el cheapos. Of course I'd love to get my hands on a set of really good rasps, dollars permitting - which they never do.... I imagine you still get what you pay for but I'd also value anyone's opinion(s) here....

[James Waldron]

Got the medium size half round; not impressed.

Cutting is slower than it should be, surface is rougher than it should be; handle is so-so for comfort. Not a great value in my opinion. Maybe on sale somewhere if you can't step up to Auriou or Liogier. I've heard a couple of good reports on the Italians, Corradi I think it is.

The euro is at a pretty favorable price at present, and the French and italian rasps are as close to a bargain as you're likely to ever see.

Jim

Edit: I looked 'em up: https://www.corradishop.com/index.php ; also for the record: https://www.forge-de-saint-juery.com/ and http://www.liogier-france.fr/ Had them saved, so it was easy to plug 'em in.

J.

[Jake Rothermel]

Thanks, Jim. I'll look into those other makers you mentioned.

jake

[Van Huskey]

First, one has to separate Narex hand cut from their machine cut rasps. I imagine most people that have tried a Narex rasp have tried the machine cut ones. The hand cut ones are better BUT their price is very near the premium handcut brand's pricing. They are indeed good but not as good as the premium hand stiched rasps or even the best CNC cut ones. My experience is with the medium grain cabinet rasp Highland sells.

To add to to the list of the 2 French and 1 Italian rasp brands that James mentioned there is also Pechar in Germany which is also very good and seems to be a violin makers secret. Each of the 4 is slightly different in use but all are a joy. IMO the prices of the handstiched Narex are simply too close to the true premium makers to bother since they run from about $80 to $110.

[Pat Barry]

First, one has to separate Narex hand cut from their machine cut rasps. I imagine most people that have tried a Narex rasp have tried the machine cut ones. The hand cut ones are better BUT their price is very near the premium handcut brand's pricing. They are indeed good but not as good as the premium hand stiched rasps or even the best CNC cut ones. My experience is with the medium grain cabinet rasp Highland sells.

To add to to the list of the 2 French and 1 Italian rasp brands that James mentioned there is also Pechar in Germany which is also very good and seems to be a violin makers secret. Each of the 4 is slightly different in use but all are a joy. IMO the prices of the handstiched Narex are simply too close to the true premium makers to bother since they run from about $80 to $110.
When you say the handcut rasps are better, but not as good as premium rasps, are you talking from personal experience with these Narex handcut rasps or from some other knowledge source? By what measure or attribute are they deficient as compared to the premium rasps? Thanks.

[Van Huskey]

When you say the handcut rasps are better, but not as good as premium rasps, are you talking from personal experience with these Narex handcut rasps or from some other knowledge source? By what measure or attribute are they deficient as compared to the premium rasps? Thanks.

The Narex handcut rasps are fairly new, that is why I made note that many may look over hand stitched and be comparing the Euro rasps to the machine cuts rasps from Narex that have been out for a couple of years. I was able to play with the handcut versions for a few minutes at Highland while I was as IWF.

The two major criteria for a rasp IMO are the action and the finish. The better the rasp (in similar grains) the smoother the cutting action, none or very little of the herky jerky sensation one gets from a cheap BORG 4 in hand for example. The constant catching and difficulty to start the cuts are a sign of a poor rasp. IME the HC Narex are better than the MC Narex in this regard but don't make it to the level of the French and German HC rasps or even the CNC cut Italian rasps which are somewhat of an anomaly in machine cut rasps as they are VERY VERY good.

Finish is much the same, the premium rasps simply leave a smoother finish for a given grain without as many or any stray tooth lines. They also SEEM more efficient at stock removal but that may be a result of them being smoother so less actual and more mental. My experimentation with rasps over the last few years I have decided that you get what you pay for. The Narex handcut rasps are actually very good, much better than the Lee Valley Indian (IIRC or is it Pakistan) HC rasps but IMO they are a solid step below the premium rasps with a price that is too close for me to feel they are a good value.

For me, the rasp is one of the most intimate hand tools (along with files and rifflers) this is because it is used for sculpting and there is no reference plane it benefits from the best body to tool connection.

[Pat Barry]

The Narex handcut rasps are fairly new, that is why I made note that many may look over hand stitched and be comparing the Euro rasps to the machine cuts rasps from Narex that have been out for a couple of years. I was able to play with the handcut versions for a few minutes at Highland while I was as IWF.

The two major criteria for a rasp IMO are the action and the finish. The better the rasp (in similar grains) the smoother the cutting action, none or very little of the herky jerky sensation one gets from a cheap BORG 4 in hand for example. The constant catching and difficulty to start the cuts are a sign of a poor rasp. IME the HC Narex are better than the MC Narex in this regard but don't make it to the level of the French and German HC rasps or even the CNC cut Italian rasps which are somewhat of an anomaly in machine cut rasps as they are VERY VERY good.

Finish is much the same, the premium rasps simply leave a smoother finish for a given grain without as many or any stray tooth lines. They also SEEM more efficient at stock removal but that may be a result of them being smoother so less actual and more mental. My experimentation with rasps over the last few years I have decided that you get what you pay for. The Narex handcut rasps are actually very good, much better than the Lee Valley Indian (IIRC or is it Pakistan) HC rasps but IMO they are a solid step below the premium rasps with a price that is too close for me to feel they are a good value.

For me, the rasp is one of the most intimate hand tools (along with files and rifflers) this is because it is used for sculpting and there is no reference plane it benefits from the best body to tool connection.
Thanks Van. All I have are what are old and newer versions of various machine cut (at least I assume they are based on their very regularly spaced and formed teeth). I get some pretty agressive cutting with them, but that is what I expect to get from a rasp. Finish quality is not a major concern of mine when using this tool. For that, I turn to using a rough file and or sandpaper after the rasping. I have found that a simple angling of the rasp greatly affects the smoothness of its cutting action, but the aggressiveness of the cut is due entirely to its tooth geometry. As I understand it, the variability of the toothing is what provides the 'better feel' of the premium hand cut rasps. This is of little value for agressive work, however, it may be very useful for less aggressive rasps.

[Mark Maleski]

Finish quality is not a major concern of mine when using this tool. For that, I turn to using a rough file and or sandpaper after the rasping. Exactly this. I have a 15 grain Auriou (finest stitching) and it's not a finishing tool. If I'm rasping a show surface I'll file and/or scrape (or sand, if the mood strikes) before applying a finish.