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Lee Valley Nicolson files

These are old stock, which is good - the Mexico files are better quality than the Brazil files. I hear the ones from Brazil are poor quality. I just reserved a set. thanks!
 
Hopefully you will have better luck than me. I bought some Nicolson from KBC a while back. Those will be my last ones. Not very crisp or sharp when new & dullened after only moderate use. My prior ones are probably 25 years old (and still cut about as well). I will check country of origin but basically I'm becoming fatigued of Lotto-649 tools. I consider the expense a good down payment towards decent files which actually function & a pleasure to use.

Maybe I'll rust them up & put them in a greasy cigar box under heading 'retired toolmaker score'. Those seem to fetch premium Ebay bucks LOL
 
Snagged a set too...I've been wanting to build out a good collection of decent files, this should pretty well finish that off.
 
Thanks - I ordered a set, too. Now the real question: Will I be able to summon up the discipline to get rid of those not-sharp-any-more files that have been in the drawer for years? I don't visualize taking up blacksmithing in my 80s or 90s, so why am I keeping them? :) Perhaps I should do the eBay thing as PeterT suggests!
 
VicHobbyGuy said:
Thanks - I ordered a set, too. Now the real question: Will I be able to summon up the discipline to get rid of those not-sharp-any-more files that have been in the drawer for years? I don't visualize taking up blacksmithing in my 80s or 90s, so why am I keeping them? :) Perhaps I should do the eBay thing as PeterT suggests!
Click to expand...
Ha ha I have the same problem. A bunch of half worn out files that I'm not sure what to do with them but can't seem to throw them away just in case they might still be useable.
 
Grind off the teeth and turn them into scrapers. Especially the triangular files. Keep the temperature down so you don't draw the hardness.
 
About 10 years ago Princess auto had a bunch of Nicholson NOS 1/2 round, triangular, and 6" flat files in the surplus section. If you tried to buy any from the whitby store I'm sorry/not sorry I bought almost all of them lol. Yard sales, auctions, and kijiji/marketplace have filled in the rest. I have a lifetime supply of files. They also had some hacksaw blades around that time, and I bought a pile of them too. North american made, sold for clearance prices, to make room for import junk at retail prices :(.

My Father is a habitual wheeler/dealer and a couple weeks ago told me he bought a "big box of files" at a thrift store for a few bucks. Most were used, but there were a about a dozen brand new "old" Nicholsons in shapes I didn't have. YOINK.
 
I've had really good success buying LARGE (12 - 14" long) flat, round and triangulated files from Calgary Fasteners at there 72 St SE store. A little more expensive, but not China sourced that you find at Princess or KMS. Plus they can bring in what they don't have and these big ones last. I still have a number my Father purchased over 45 years ago and they cut fine (certainly not like when they were new, but still great for my purposes).
 
Old files have a million other uses. If you keep the temp down to avoid ruining the hardness, they can be ground into scrapers, punches, knives, wedges, etc etc etc.

I too would love to know how to rejuvenate an old file.
 
Dabbler said:
These are old stock, which is good - the Mexico files are better quality than the Brazil files. I hear the ones from Brazil are poor quality. I just reserved a set. thanks!
Click to expand...

Mine showed up today, all Mexico. Strange thing is though, one came in retail packaging but the rest came wrapped together in paper with no packaging or anything else. They're still new and all, just weird.
 
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