Saw sharpening files

[Keegan Shields]

I am new to saw sharpening and am looking for any recommendations for quality hand saw sharpening files. Looking for ones to sharpen my panel saws and backsaws. A triangle profile is used right?

[Chris Schoenthal]

I got a good set from Lee Valley Saw file set
They handle every saw that I have.

[Tom M King]

It seems like quality from any manufacturer ebbs and flows over the years. I’ve never bought a file I couldn’t sharpen a saw with. Some just last longer. I’m liking Simonds red tails right now.

[Brandon Speaks]

I also use the bahco ones from lee valley, I have that set and then extras in some more heavily used sizes

[Keegan Shields]

Great recommendations - thanks!

[steven c newman]

I do know that the brand sold at Menard's ( Masterforce?) are junk...not worth the price.....

[Kent A Bathurst]

I'm far from expert at saw filing. But I can tell you this much

The F. Dick [German] files from Bad Axe and the Corradi [Italian] files from Tools for Working Wood are light years beyond the Bahco and Grobet files I had used. Completely different league. And you get what you pay for. Rather, you pay for what you get.

Did they make me a better saw filer? HAH!. Not the tool's fault - the pilot flew that plane into the hill. But I'm telling you - I. Was. Amazed. Like a my first Auriou compared to a lifetime of Nicholson.

FWIW - I had a short email with the filing folks at Lie-Nielsen some time back. I was told they get theirs from Bad Axe. I asked which file for their carcass saws - they said to look at the Bad Axe site and use their schedule.

[Tom M King]

I probably have a lifetime supply of handsaw files, but one thing I especially like is the file case from Lee Valley. It keeps all the sizes organized. When I throw a file away, a new one goes in the pocket, so I always know where any size good file is.

Resharpening saw files doesn’t work that well because when the sharp corner is worn down there is nothing to sharpen enough so the file goes down in the gullet like it should.

[Mike Allen1010]

I'm far from expert at saw filing. But I can tell you this much

The F. Dick [German] files from Bad Axe and the Corradi [Italian] files from Tools for Working Wood are light years beyond the Bahco and Grobet files I had used. Completely different league. And you get what you pay for. Rather, you pay for what you get.

Did they make me a better saw filer? HAH!. Not the tool's fault - the pilot flew that plane into the hill. But I'm telling you - I. Was. Amazed. Like a my first Auriou compared to a lifetime of Nicholson.

FWIW - I had a short email with the filing folks at Lie-Nielsen some time back. I was told they get theirs from Bad Axe. I asked which file for their carcass saws - they said to look at the Bad Axe site and use their schedule.

+1 huge range of quality between brands!! Hardware brands are terrible. Highly recommend F. Dick and vintage American files pre- 1950. Definitely worth effort/$ to get quality files- makes huge difference in both process and results.

[Derek Cohen]

There is much variation in how well they hold their ability to cut, and how "sharp" the corners are (rounded corners affect the way a gullet is shaped).

Regards from Perth

Derek