Disappointed with Grobet USA Files

[David Weaver]

The search continues for a decent reasonably priced taper saw files. I have three or four saws to file, and they all need just a little tooth correction.

I also wanted to stash away a few files, as I've generally been using the mexican nicholsons. While those are soft, at least they are reasonably consistently made with clean teeth.

To say the edges on the grobet USA files are inconsistent would be polite to say the least. Of the dozen 5 inch files I got, the edges look anything to broken, to variable in with to one of the files that the teeth look like they were practically sanded off on the edges. The dozen of 6 inch files aren't any better.

I have one more pack of files coming (the retailer told me they were on back order after i ordered them...thanks a lot), 7 inch regular taper for my 4 point rip saws, I hope they're better than the small ones.

I'll post pictures of them tonight. A couple of them look OK, but you should get one bad one and 11 good ones at most, not 3 bad ones, 6 semi crappy ones and 3 that look OK.

Of the india files I've gotten so far, I like the simonds red tang the best, but they are also really nothing to write home about. They are just acceptable. What's wrong with the people making these files, can't they even look at what they're making?

[Chris Griggs]

I too have been disappointed to get a few Grobets where the edges looked pretty bad...they still work way better and last longer than BORG Nicholsons but I had expected better from Grobet.

[David Weaver]

Hopefully, I'll be pleasantly surprised when using the ones that are marginal looking. I'm not much of one to send things back, because usually you just end up wasting a whole bunch of time and then you get replacements that are every bit as crappy.

[george wilson]

Bahco files are reportedly still good files.

[David Weaver]

I should state outright for anyone who has ever ordered Grobet USA files, there is nothing USA about them. They are made in india (I knew that before I ordered them, though, that's just an FYI thing).

[David Weaver]

Bahco files are reportedly still good files.

I wonder if anyone sells them for a reasonable price by the dozen. I hate ordering a couple of files and then paying a large percentage of the cost to ship them.

[Bryan Ericson]

What was the final consensus about the Harbor Freight files? George was pretty pleased with them, but I haven't seen much about them since he started the thread about a year ago.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...file-Good-News!

[David Weaver]

I think those were mill files.

[David Weaver]

I can recall the bahco files now that I've seen a picture of them. I don't know if they come from anywhere other than portugal, but I did use and like a couple of the portugal origin saw files. I haven't the slightest clue where they came from, though.

I got grobet swiss from McMaster carr for about $4.50 a while ago, but with mcmaster, you don't get brand consistency and that was only in the very small files. There's no guarantee you wouldn't get nicholson mexico if you ordered from them now, so I wouldn't chance it.

[David Weaver]

I just ordered a dozen bahco files from SJ discount tool (found via google search). I'll post back here when I find out if they are the good portugal files, they were about $5 each, and the shipping is $9, so it would be good to know if they're any good before anyone orders a large amount that would justify the shipping costs.

[Bill Fleming]

What about the Swiss made Grobet files sold by LN or LV, or are they only shipping those made in other locations to USA now?

Cheers - Bill

[David Weaver]

Those are good files. I just don't favor their price..

.. let me expand on that.

I hold some files in case I buy an old saw and the teeth need to be adjusted. Otherwise, once a saw is in good shape, I could stretch a decent saw file for at least 10 sharpenings as long as I don't get into this goofiness of heavy jointing every time you file a saw.

But when you're restoring a saw that needs its teeth to be moved around, you tend to be a little more heavy handed, and the price difference between the good files and the great files just doesn't materialize, especially on older saws that might have a hard patch from uneven hardening, and torch an expensive file in a few pushes.

Other folks might have different experience refurbishing saws, but it's something I kind of like to do to a less cosmetically perfect level than other folks do. (cosmetics have nothing to do with the files, though), and on a long saw that needs teeth adjusted badly, you might go through two or three files. That's uncommon, it's more like one, but i did have a saw where I went through three grobet swiss - a spear and jackson that doesn't have the most even hardening in the world.

So I like the good files vs the great files. They prove themselves economically both in heavy use and in light touch-up filing.

[Gary Herrmann]

Vintage US made files seem to hard to find these days too.

[george wilson]

I would PREFER good,USA made Nicholsons,but they are gone. The Harbor Freight files are a bit too coarse to suit me,but at least they seem to have decently cut teeth,and are hard. I use the ones i bought for coarser filing. They probably have some finer files. I saw one,but it was in a group you had to buy. I don't live that close to a HF store,and can't keep track of their stuff that well. Haven't been to one since I posted the evaluation of the HF file. Lowe's has their Kobalt files,Chinese made. They are likely hard,too,though I hate that hexagonal tang you are supposed to plug into their ugly plastic handles. If desperate enough,I'd heat the blasted tang,and forge it into a proper tang. the heat would only run a short distance up the file,where it isn't really used. or,I could belt grind it into a decent tang.

Why am I so resistant to change? Because I know I'll be replaced. I just want to be replaced by SOMETHING!!!!!

There are still plenty of files on Ebay.

[Mel Fulks]

This subject has prompted me to look up the number of saw files produced by the Peter Stubbs company in England. In 1800 they made 183,468 ,in 1830 they made 666,888. All hand cut. They were considered the best and had some problems with counterfeits. They have turned up NOS,anyone here ever had the chance to try one?