Files

[frogwalking]

I have a number of Nicolson files.  Some old ones were made in USA and are quite good.  Some were made in Brazil and are pretty good.  Some were made in Mexico and are poor.  I need a few new fine files.  If I find ones made in Brazil, are they likely to be good?  I need some information of what brand and where to buy, ect.  I am not terribly picky as to size or shape, but needing flat smooth ones, small is probably better. I have a surprisingly good half round one, and a small, rough one ground down for cutting dovetails that is old but still sharp.

Let me know.

Thanks

[Taylorz1]

I buy Grobet now. They are expensive but worth it- at least you get something you can use for your money vs the new nicholson.

[john bohan]

I have a grobert the first time I used it I could not believe how hard it was to make a stroke because it was so sharp. I need more of them.

[Hungry Horse]

 I used to work for an industrial supply company that sold tools, and parts, to the local Geothermal steam wells. They would only buy Pferd brand files, and rotary burs, they are incredible. You can get them from Amazon now, but they used to be hard to get.

  Hungry Horse

[A.Merrill]

You can still find Nicolson  USA files on Ebay. I've found a few good file's cheap at pawnshops.    Al

[Bob Roller]

Sometimes good files can be found at hardware stores that have been in business for a long time.
I have some Pferd miniature files a German friend sent to me years ago and they are still working
well.Good cutting files are a labor saver and the others are a nuisance.There is a hardware store in
Ashland,Ky that has some decent files and Sterling Supply here in Huntington WV has a good assortment.
For your file of useless info,Pferd is a German word for horse.
Bob Roller
My wife and I got the first of 2 Covid 19 shots today.No problems and a very short wait.
Our shots were Moderna which is supposed to be very effective.

[Stophel]

Get the Bahco brand files which are made in Portugal.  I find them on ebay.  These are pretty good, and not very expensive.  Vastly superior to the modern "Nicholson" files.... but then, the nail file on my toenail clippers is superior to these mexican files....

[David R. Pennington]

Take your old made in USA files and soak them a few days in vinegar. I made a tube with 1 1/2” pvc with a cap glued on one end. I put a few files in, fill it with vinegar and hang it up. After a few days rinse them and dry thoroughly and spray them down with wd40 or the like so they don’t rust. You will be pleasantly surprised. You can also send them to Boggs tools in CA for reconditioning and they do a real good job. The reconditioned USA ones are better than the new Mexico and China ones. I do a lot of filing. I find the bigger I can use the better.

[Bill Raby]

Go with Grobet. Files, rasps, and chisels are the tools where you buy the best that you can get and try to ignore the price. Once you give the really good tools a try you won't want to use anything else.

[frogwalking]

Thanks.