saw files

[Chuck Nickerson]

I forgot to ask about getting them sharpened. I have read on here that a place called Boggs does a very good job sharpening files. Can they sharpen the corners on three squares and what is the typical cost and smallest run they will do?

Boggs sharpening does a great job; I've run hundreds of files and rasps through them. Their process will not tighten the corners to any real degree.
The price runs about $.30 an inch with no real minimum order. You do pay shipping both ways.
www.boggstool.com Give them a call, they're used to talking to woodworkers.

[Tom M King]

Save Edge on the East coast sharpens them too, but they do have a minimum number. Both places also sharpen rasps.

It always freaks me out when I see videos of someone teaching sharpening a saw as they use about an inch of the file's length, and then complain about the files not lasting long. They do get dull, but you will get a lot more life out of one if you learn to use the whole length.

[Peter Evans]

Save Edge on the East coast sharpens them too, but they do have a minimum number. Both places also sharpen rasps.

It always freaks me out when I see videos of someone teaching sharpening a saw as they use about an inch of the file's length, and then complain about the files not lasting long. They do get dull, but you will get a lot more life out of one if you learn to use the whole length.

I do check used old saw files, and frequently the few inches near the handle are still ok, even if the rest is worn down. Sometimes one edge is unused. However sharpening saw files is not worth the trouble, as people said, the faces might be ok, but the edges... Used saw files make good dovetail chisels. Just grind off the teeth for the first couple of inches (do the lot if you want to, I usually just run the file across the grinder a few times to take the sharpness out of the faces), grind the bevel, sharpen and you can clean out those pesky corners with ease. REMEMBER to relieve the corners slightly unless you want blood on your wood. Works for making skew chisels as well.

[Stewie Simpson]

Boggs sharpening does a great job; I've run hundreds of files and rasps through them. Their process will not tighten the corners to any real degree.
The price runs about $.30 an inch with no real minimum order. You do pay shipping both ways.
www.boggstool.com Give them a call, they're used to talking to woodworkers.

Hi Chuck. What you mention is well worth remembering when discussing the process of resharpening hand files. As an example, regardless of what Boggs claim they can do, once the corner edge of a taper file has been worn down through use, it cannot be resurrected back to its original profile.