Half price nut files, anybody?

[Frank Ford]

Well, that's what it seems like. I just sent off a bunch of really worn and dull nut files for resharpening, and I have to tell everybody that the results were fantastic!

I'd heard about the practice some years ago, but hadn't acted on the info until just now.

28 files went off to Boggs Tool in Paramount, CA. Some were really dull nut files, some were mill and other style files, etc. 28 files came back, all in better shape than they left. Many were rejected in the process, but still came back pretty sharp - way better than they were. Most of the others came back noticeably sharper than new. Total bill was 66 bucks including return shipping.

From their Web site:

"We call our file sharpening process LIQUID HONING. Using steam, we relief-grind with abrasive blasting. Abrasives driven by steam pressure remove metal from the back edge of the file teeth until the edge is reformed. If you look at the edge of sharpened teeth under a microscope, you will see that the edge has no serrations. This is called a true honed edge. It is very sharp and it will far outlast regular files. The analogy of using a sharp razor versus a dull razor is appropriate here.

The limitation to liquid honing is that we are not re-fluting the gullets between the teeth. A very fine-tooth file will take only one sharpening. A coarser-tooth file can take several sharpenings. To best use our services, don't overuse your files. We block-test every sharpened file. If it does not pass our inspection, we dye the end in dark red dyekem and reject it. These rejected files will still give you service,

All shapes of files are sharpenable: flat, square, round, half-round and 3-square. All types of files are sharpenable: American Pattern, Milled-Tooth or Vixen, Horse Rasps, Wood Rasps, Swiss Files, Rifflers, Needle Files and Machinists' Files. In addition to sharpening new files, we can sharpen any size, shape or style of used file to a "like new" condition.

This type of honing has been going on since the turn of the last century, and I mean 1900. My grandfather started Keystone File Sharpening in 1932. Though this process has been around for a long time, there's still no better method to be found. Acid and electro-chemical milling has been tried, but it won't improve an edge like liquid honing. We've had some of our customers for thirty to forty years. Let us make you our customer and keep you on the cutting edge.

Our process will give you the sharpest edge possible."

www.boggstool.com

[redir]

Interesting and good to know, thanks for sharing.

[M Hayden]

That's good to know. I inherited a lot of files and rasps and some of them could use a sharpening. Won't get rid of them (sentimental) and having them working better would be a treat.

[srick]

Wow - who knew? Thank you Frank!