# Pricey rasps



## SeanStuart (Nov 27, 2011)

Howdy, Have any of you bought an expensive rasp or coarse file? I was at Woodcraft today and saw they want about $45 for a rasp. I can't imagine it is worth it, but the cheap ones dull pretty quick with hard wood. 

Have you found a brand that holds a decent edge - rasp or coarse file? Thanks.


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## Joeb41 (Jun 23, 2012)

If it's a Nicholson #49 or #50 It's worth it. If not look elsewere.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Partly that and partly that the hand-stitched rasps have a random pattern which doesn't leave grooved tracks from repeated strokes. Maybe this isn't an issue but in wood carving it is. If you have to use the rasp a lot, you need to think of other ways to hog off excess wood with less tool wear.

I use a coping saw, cut fins and bash them off with a 1" flat chisel. Only then do I use my rasps as shaping tools. Liogere and Ariou when I can afford them.


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

I can't comment on the fancy ones, but if you're just looking for recommendations I'd go for the cheap ones over the expensive ones. You can go through 20 $5 surform rasps for the price of 1 ariou rasp


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

SeanStuart said:


> Howdy, Have any of you bought an expensive rasp or coarse file? I was at Woodcraft today and saw they want about $45 for a rasp. I can't imagine it is worth it, but the cheap ones dull pretty quick with hard wood.
> 
> Have you found a brand that holds a decent edge - rasp or coarse file? Thanks.


Where in the Sandhills are you located? I grew up in Southern Pines.

George


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## SeanStuart (Nov 27, 2011)

GeorgeC said:


> Where in the Sandhills are you located? I grew up in Southern Pines.
> 
> George


I am right next door in Pinehurst. Funny thing George, I grew up in Florida! Not the panhandle though, down in Sarasota. 

Southern Pines is really nice. My wife an I go to the Saturday morning farmers' market and walk up and down Broad Street with the dog sometimes. They have done a nice job of preserving the downtown area.


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## SeanStuart (Nov 27, 2011)

Robson Valley said:


> Partly that and partly that the hand-stitched rasps have a random pattern which doesn't leave grooved tracks from repeated strokes. Maybe this isn't an issue but in wood carving it is. If you have to use the rasp a lot, you need to think of other ways to hog off excess wood with less tool wear.
> 
> I use a coping saw, cut fins and bash them off with a 1" flat chisel. Only then do I use my rasps as shaping tools. Liogere and Ariou when I can afford them.


I have been making a few wooden bows lately and when I use the saw, I tend to take too much off too quickly. Plus with the odd shape, it is hard to use a saw.


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## SeanStuart (Nov 27, 2011)

epicfail48 said:


> I can't comment on the fancy ones, but if you're just looking for recommendations I'd go for the cheap ones over the expensive ones. You can go through 20 $5 surform rasps for the price of 1 ariou rasp


I agree epicfail. I do that same calculation each time I look at high end stuff. But two thoughts: 
1. It is nice to use a quality tool. 
2. It is a pain to buy replacement stuff often. I like to buy something and use it for a long time, take care of it, know where it is, etc. 

So sometimes, if I know I'll use it a lot, I will pay the price.


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## SeanStuart (Nov 27, 2011)

Joeb41 said:


> If it's a Nicholson #49 or #50 It's worth it. If not look elsewere.


The Nicholson 14" Farrier rasp looks nice. It is $22 on Amazon. 

What is the difference (other than the handle) between a farrier's rasp and a woodworkers rasp?


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

epicfail48 said:


> I can't comment on the fancy ones, but if you're just looking for recommendations I'd go for the cheap ones over the expensive ones. You can go through 20 $5 surform rasps for the price of 1 ariou rasp


+1: I agree. Any rasp, new, used, expensive or cheap is made for rough work. You can quickly take a corner off with a rasp, but it's rough and we come back to finish, smooth or put the final shape with something much less abrasive. I own several rasps and use them, but all my rasp together probably did not cost me $45.


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## jacko9 (Dec 29, 2012)

I have a scrap bin full of cheap rasps and files, try a hand made one from either of these places;

http://www.forge-de-saint-juery.com/hand-stitched-rasps-for-wood/

http://www.hand-stitched-rasp-riffler.com

They might be available at Lie-Neilsen

Jack


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## tom d (Oct 23, 2013)

I'd get the nicholsons,price is about right


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

SeanStuart said:


> I agree epicfail. I do that same calculation each time I look at high end stuff. But two thoughts:
> 1. It is nice to use a quality tool.
> 2. It is a pain to buy replacement stuff often. I like to buy something and use it for a long time, take care of it, know where it is, etc.
> 
> So sometimes, if I know I'll use it a lot, I will pay the price.


I can agree with both those points, but even a high quality rasp isnt going to be a one time purchase. Over time the teeth are going to get dull, no matter how high the quality. 

Besides, disposable != low quality.

http://www.amazon.com/MICROPLANE-SN...CtdZBEL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160,160_

Good quality rasp, and replacing the blade is as simple as popping the dull one out and popping a new, sharp replacement in, and the replacement blades are only $10 a piece.


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## daddy0h (Sep 20, 2015)

*On a budget man here*

If you're in a hurry to get something now ignore this...

Almost all my handtools have come from yard sales, thrift stores, estate sales, and antique/junk stores. For a haggle and a few bucks I usually walk away wi th a fistful, if not a box full of files, rasps, plane blades n parts, circ saw blades, router bits, old hand saws, drill bits, augers, whatever. 

The stuff thats in good shape gets used as is or maybe a new handle. The worn out files, for example go in a drawer for when i need good tool steel for makin special purpose odds n ends, like for matching old moldings etc.

Prolly have near 100 usable files and rasps of nearly every shape n size thats ever been made. And I doubt I've spent more than $100 over the years on em. And thats just the decent ones.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

I estimate that I have and use 6-8 small hand-saw sorts of things for wood carving roughouts. I'll measure pencil marks on a toothpick to use as a depth gauge. I stop 1/4" above the "line."

Then I work with a rasp (maybe). The true advantage is that the rasp does not leave coarse sand grains behind, embedded in the wood = no gouge damage any more!

A very different and successful approach is to cut with such things as an elbow adze or a D adze, common and popular wood working tools here in the Pacific Northwest, particularly with the native carving communities. I use both, they make sense to me.

http://www.kestreltool.com/ is a blade smith, both blades and finished tools.


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## Ron Restorff (Nov 18, 2013)

daddy0h said:


> If you're in a hurry to get something now ignore this... Almost all my handtools have come from yard sales, thrift stores, estate sales, and antique/junk stores. For a haggle and a few bucks I usually walk away wi th a fistful, if not a box full of files, rasps, plane blades n parts, circ saw blades, router bits, old hand saws, drill bits, augers, whatever. The stuff thats in good shape gets used as is or maybe a new handle. The worn out files, for example go in a drawer for when i need good tool steel for makin special purpose odds n ends, like for matching old moldings etc. Prolly have near 100 usable files and rasps of nearly every shape n size thats ever been made. And I doubt I've spent more than $100 over the years on em. And thats just the decent ones.


I check out estate sails all the time and have built a nice collection of files and rasps. I am pretty selective about what I add to the collection but for the most partI find a lot of once or lightly used stuff.


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## gornarak (Jun 5, 2014)

I bought a hand-hammered rasp and it's worth every penny. The surface it creates is so much smoother than anything a factory pattern leaves. It depends a bit on what you want to do with it of course.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Factory patterns are machine stitched in regularity, as I said before. Your math is incorrect if you claim that 10 x $5 rasps are better than a single good one. Steel trumps wood, every time.

Just today, I saw a new brand of farrier's rasp which is machine stitched but zig-zag every inch or so.
Must have a closer look at that but for wood carving = rasp on one side, file on the other. The changes in the pattern might just leave a smoother surface. I won't guess. Maybe buy one and try. Cost you $10 for an answer.

Trust me: if you are the farrier trusted to work on a million-dollar horse, you won't be messing around with a $10 rasp.


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