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Tool Good Quality Files and where to purchase them?

Tool

StevSmar

(Steven)
Premium Member
It’s probably time for me to think about replacing some of the files I’ve had for the last 30 years… my favourite bastard file has lost so many teeth it’s becoming a bastard to use..

Can others provide recommendations for good quality files and where to purchase them?
 
It probably won't help but I got a hundred or so files from the estate that I bought my Colchester from. Some are very old including some new old stock over a hundred years old, still in the original packaging. Most are in great condition and have been a total game changer for me. Filing has gone from a hot sweaty, labor intensive, primitive gruntfest to a prance in a park, with budding flowers all around accompanied by the trill of dickie birds. I reach for a file much more now as it is often the quickest easiest and best solution.
Yeh, I know, it didn't help.
 
My favourite file is a Pferd. Not cheap but very nice to use.

I gave them a look in the past & even bought a decent general purpose one through Amazon. But they seem overly difficult & expensive to land in Canada for anything specific. Your link was their USA distributor page. They don't seem to have a central site for Canada & most of the so called dealers seem to be very limited selection. Are you using an intermediary shipper via USA? I found some obscure sellers in Europe that had the full line, but they had some weird payment criteria & shipping was not cheap, so I basically threw in towel.


 
I gave them a look in the past & even bought a decent general purpose one through Amazon. But they seem overly difficult & expensive to land in Canada for anything specific. Your link was their USA distributor page. They don't seem to have a central site for Canada & most of the so called dealers seem to be very limited selection. Are you using an intermediary shipper via USA? I found some obscure sellers in Europe that had the full line, but they had some weird payment criteria & shipping was not cheap, so I basically threw in towel.


I ordered mine via Amazon so I didn't know how difficult they were to source.
 
Check these out too.... Tsubosan Japanese files. I bought this set for fine work and they are among the best I have ever used. They make larger ones too. Sold through Amazoom.

IMG_5690.JPG
 
Check these out too.... Tsubosan Japanese files. I bought this set for fine work and they are among the best I have ever used. They make larger ones too. Sold through Amazoom.

View attachment 62250
I have the same set, and like it a lot; while I have a (large) number of smaller, an even micro, needle files, this is a very handy length. One thing I haven't figured out: why are all of their files marked "10-PCS?"

20250326 Tsubosan annotated.jpeg

Is it a translation thing?
 
I gave them a look in the past & even bought a decent general purpose one through Amazon. But they seem overly difficult & expensive to land in Canada for anything specific. Your link was their USA distributor page. They don't seem to have a central site for Canada & most of the so called dealers seem to be very limited selection. Are you using an intermediary shipper via USA? I found some obscure sellers in Europe that had the full line, but they had some weird payment criteria & shipping was not cheap, so I basically threw in towel.


Our company in Woodstock, Ontario is a distributor.
Their GTA DC is in Mississauga on McAdam Drive.
I have been there a number of times for PFERD product.
 
It probably won't help but I got a hundred
LOL- yes it doesn’t help, but I’m glad you made such a score!

My favourite file is a Pferd. Not cheap but very nice to use.
I’ve never heard of this brand, they look interesting.

Thanks for the link! They seem to have a good range.
 
Nice, maybe I’ll have to order one or two to try them.
I watch ClickSpring’s videos on Youtube sometimes, and he recommended Grobet files, but I sure wasn’t able to find a place in Canada to order them.
Check these out too.... Tsubosan Japanese files.
The do look nice!
 
So now I have the really tough job- working out what files I actually want. My current set is made up of odds and sods that I’ve gotten over the years and until now I’ve put very little thought into what style of files it would be nice to have.
 
Is it a translation thing?

According to everything I found, it might be an internal code thing but is more likely a translation or marketing error. Someone developed labelling for a 10 pack and a genius put the same label on the individual contents.
 
Y'know, I figured this out in Grade 8 Shop Classes. Did a LOT of draw file work in Metal Shop classes!

Good files come from wherever you can find them, and Brand Name, does not, always, make a file good...

I have had some very expensive Swiss made files (like, $20+needle files) that were garbage, and some very cheap Chinese ones that worked like champs. And vice-versa... Sad to say, but there ain't no guarantees anymore, given the globalization of supply lines, and you have to dig through the pile to find the 'good', IMO.
 
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