Ferrier's rasp

[westbj2]

A friend sent me a Ferriers rasp a couple of months ago and I tried it the first time this morning for inital shaping of a buttstock.  The file has a coarse and a fine side, or maybe I should say a scary and not so scary side. 
Surprisingly, even on highly figured wood there was very little "tear out" and the thing really removes wood......about like a sureform but this file is 14" long and 2" wide.  I can see that this will be my go to file for initial wood removal.
Jim

[bob in the woods]

A terrier friend gives me her used ones. They work well on wood even after she's done with them . I'm going to see how they are as far as forging tools, knives etc.  I'm not sure of the steel they use for these, but they seem to be good quality.

[Kermit]

Great tools. Farrier Supply Shop has some good ones. Prices for farrier's rasps are pretty reaonable. I like this Vallorbe Swiss rasp.

http://www.farriersupplyshop.com/shop/vallorbe-14-swiss-rasp/

[BOB HILL]

I've used them for years. Most farriers change rasps at the first sign of dulling. There is plenty of use left in them for use on wood. Most will save you one if you'll ask. They also work great on hot metal at the forge if you need to touch up something hot, keep an extra one for this.
Bob

[Blacksmoke]

They also make excellent "half soles" for large musket frizzens nothing sparks better than steel from old
files!     Hugh Toenjes

[Nate McKenzie]

I call mine Big Bertha. I've used her for years. She's especially adept at flattening lock panels.

[JCKelly]

In Ancient Times, circa 1980, Nicholson made their regular files of 1095 steel. This is nominally 0.95% carbon, which is high carbon. It was heat treated - well, File Hard - all the way through.

Generally when filing a piece of metal one gets no back-talk.

Farriers have to deal with horses. Now & again the farrier must get the horse's attention. This he does by a sharp rap on the hoof.

If his rasp were 1095 hardened all the way through it would break, at least occasionally
So Nicholson made farriers' rasps of a medium carbon steel, 1035, and put a light case on it. The 1035 (nominally 0.35% carbon), even though used as-water quenched, was tough enough to withstand a little pounding.

Which means if you wish to forge a throwing knife, a used farrier's rasp is a good choice. You can get it hard enough to stick in wood when thrown. It is not likely to HOLD an edge for long, but it is also unlikely to break.

If you plan to skin bears or cut a lot of rope with your knife, you will be happier using a used 1095 metal file for your starting stock.

Maybe the files & rasps mentioned above are made differently today, I dunno.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

What an epiphany!  I love this site!!