question about file nomenclature atmo -

[e-RICHIE]

Richie,
I was a diehard fan of Nicholson files until my local supplier stopped carrying them because they felt the quality had taken a nosedive after production was moved to Brazil. They have replaced them with Bahco brand and I have followed suit. I pretty much only use 2nd cut, but have found them to be very sharp and at least as long lasting as the Nicholsons. Supposedly the Bahco brand is now owned by Snap-on which should say something about their quality.
Cheers,
Tony

thanks -
the off shore nicholsons are why i went looking.
they royally sucked.
atmo the american made grobets are the same low quality.
i checked simonds prices and a comparison between that brand and grobet is about $13 versus about $5 for a 6" half round.
mebbe i got what i paid for.
i'll add bahco to my seek list.

[e-RICHIE]

i just ordered a dozen various simonds black maxi-sharp files from msc atmo.
these effers better do the trick or else it's power tools from this point forward.

http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNPDFF...2511&PMCTLG=54

[WadePatton]

the file resharpening company i listed above also sells files. they are imports but they claim:

The best professional grade files money can buy! Made in Europe with high carbon specialty file steel.

http://www.saveedge.com/index.html

somebuddy check that source please.

i have a tranny and clutch to r/r just now...the truck died when i got back from ole virginny.

[Archibald]

back to the drawing board atmo.
the grobet files (american cut) suck.
i bought all types from 4" to 12" in half round.
i have all of them in bastard cut, and the 4 shortest ones in smooth cut as well.
and i have a host of bastard cut rat tail files from 6" to about 12" too.

next brand atmo...

My Grobet's all came from Switzerland. Are they outsourcing them now too?

Fuck China & the people who trade jobs for a few pennies in their pockets!

[e-RICHIE]

My Grobet's all came from Switzerland. Are they outsourcing them now too?

Fuck China & the people who trade jobs for a few pennies in their pockets!

heh?
my grobets say made in usa atmo.
i can't move any metal or brass with them atmo.
short of using the 12" and 10" for mitering, all the others suck for the detail work i expect of myself's inner craftman imho.
the secret is there must be a secret, and it's that some tools now suck when they didn't suck so much years ago.
anvil tools notwithstanding...

[Archibald]

heh?
my grobets say made in usa atmo.
i can't move any metal or brass with them atmo.
short of using the 12" and 10" for mitering, all the others suck for the detail work i expect of myself's inner craftman imho.
the secret is there must be a secret, and it's that some tools now suck when they didn't suck so much years ago.
anvil tools notwithstanding...

You're using bastards or some other cut?

[e-RICHIE]

You're using bastards or some other cut?

i have bastard cut and smooth cut.
i know the meaning of a three prong outlet too atmo.

[Archibald]

i have bastard cut and smooth cut.

And they equally suck? I've got to replace my files too and like you, I've always used Nicholson. Wade's link might be worthy.

[e-RICHIE]

And they equally suck? I've got to replace my files too and like you, I've always used Nicholson. Wade's link might be worthy.

ya atmo they suck.
i can move anything with a 10 or 12 inch.
it's the lot of others that stymie me.
they are no longer "fine" tools as the atmo urban dictionary would categorize them.


later. i'm off to the wifi-less man cave.

[EricKeller]

turns out they probably have more MBAs making engineering decisions in the USA than anywhere else in the world. I can imagine that files are a lot easier and cheaper to make if they leave out the special sauce that makes them work well.

[edoz]

Yeah, I got a few Grobets from Reid supply a few days ago. I'm not real impressed, they don't seem as sharp as some imported Nicholsons I got a while back. Maybe that's why the price was so good.

[Alistair]

back to the drawing board atmo.
the grobet files (american cut) suck.
i bought all types from 4" to 12" in half round.
i have all of them in bastard cut, and the 4 shortest ones in smooth cut as well.
and i have a host of bastard cut rat tail files from 6" to about 12" too.

next brand atmo...

Richard, I really like the Simonds red tang files. They last well. Not sure if they're still made in the US, but they were made in Ohio originally (IIRC). I get mine at a local old school hardware store.
Here's a link to Simonds, http://www.simondsinternational.com/...menu=mnuPFiles

Cheers to you.

Alistair.

[motopsycha]

The Simonds files I have are all very nice. It would be my current brand of choice.

I used to live close to a used tool store and could get files for 10-50 cents apiece depending on size. Most were garbage but for the price I could do some sorting and take some chances. I still have some of those files and use them regularly. The best are the Heller nucut files. It will be tough to replace these. It looks like they were bought by Simonds many years ago.

[marten]

the file resharpening company i listed above also sells files. they are imports but they claim:

"made in Europe"

.

Could be made in Germany or Sweden, but then they would have said so. So it is probably a grand way to say Albania or Turkey

[WadePatton]

Could be made in Germany or Sweden, but then they would have said so. So it is probably a grand way to say Albania or Turkey

yes, you are correct, but that doesn't mean they _must_ be of inferior (or the new standard) quality.

since nobody here has heard of them or file resharpening, i have contacted the company and we'll see what they have to say. i told them, among other things, that i knew of a group of folks who are quite serious about files...

[e-RICHIE]

so far i am digging my new batch of simonds red tip, black coated files atmo -

[zank]

dang. what that man can do with a file. incredible.

[WadePatton]

yo, the dude from the file outfit i mentioned has set up an account here and i expect him to represent their services when he gets approval from the mods to be here.

see, i couldn't directly answer the call, but i could dig up someone who can offer a product/service "we" might find valuable.

mods--look for russ from xenia, ohio. (he sells file and file services) thank you.

an excerpt from what i sent the co.:

It's not about "nomenclature" as the thread started out. Now it's about
where to buy good files--PERIOD. The group is made up of bicycle
framebuilders. They work thin-walled 4130 steel (some hardened) mostly
as well as steel castings and brass/bronze. They miter tubing with
files and they do detail work and cleanup with files.

If I were selling top-notch files, I'd really want to break into this
market.

and _no_ i don't believe all i read. i'll believe it when it's in my hands or when someone i trust tells me it is so. ( i trust some of yous.)


+++++++++++

he's "approved" but can't log on yet. (yo mods)

[Dazza]

it seems that files are not held in high regard in most industry applications
perhaps because it means
Hand labour
and only silly sods do hand work
in this day of CNC this and LASER this, auto machine this
perhaps there is no longer the desire for nice, durable hand tools
but for some frame building tragics

Here, I just have to use what I can get
I keep a draw full of new sharp files for the stainless work or some detail work
and older ones scattered over the bench for hacking
in my attempt to make the most of my hand earned dollars.
You fellas have cheap prices on files over here