Saw File L

if you work wood and use a rasp and files a lot this is a complete game changer. It has two sides. The rough side removes stock amazingly fast and doesn't clog. The smooth side smooths the stock out to a finish that's ready for 80 to 120 grit. I seriously don't know how I worked wood for 50 years without this. I should have taken a picture but the one thing I did which I did only because I was looking at YouTube videos of other people around the world who love this thing one guy in Ireland loved everything about it except the relatively small handle. And so what did he do He chopped it off with a hatchet and turned his own wooden handle to suit his own grip. I debated whether I should do this because the handle was actually comfortable but the fact it was pretty short kept bugging me and being obsessive I just decided that was it and last week I cut the handle off and took a beautiful piece of a 300-year-old Yew and seated it in the half inch hole which I have to say because of the nature of the blades being back set hacksaw type blades grip the hole without any likelihood that the rest will come out under pressure. But even so I tapped it a little further and then collard that with a piece of copper and it just went from being perfect to being a little more perfect because of now has a handle specifically for my grip that's maybe 2 in longer than the handle it comes with. And I'm so impressed with this tool that I haven't read about the maker or the company so it seems like such a humble addition to the world of Japanese tools but I couldn't make my own handle without getting credit to the maker and so I transferred the brand logo Shinto onto the handle I made because I didn't want to take credit for such a useful tool. I still use my files and less occasionally my rasps and it's specifically because this tool does almost everything as well as the rasps and files. sometimes I need a rasp but this is my go-to would removal tool and it's better than any battery or corded told it does the same. highly recommend. I'm giving the five stars I'm telling everyone worker I see rasping dense wood down to give this thing a look. I think a guy in Thailand that makes ax handles, beautiful artistic custom ax handles wrote me back to say how fantastic it was. And I think he's an old guy like me which means late '50s mid '60s

I got this as a gift for my dad for Christmas. He is pretty handy with wood-working projects. He LOVES this thing. Works as intended and feels sturdy.

I can't say enough good things about this tool! These are practically famous among hand tool woodworkers. The concept is simple, the price is cheap, and it is darn effective. One of the best recent tool innovations in a field where most tools can be traced back 300 years. Paul Sellers approved! Buy this! :) It is nothing more than a set of bent and riveted hacksaw blades, and they chew through wood like a super-file, but also have a wider cutting surface than any file I have and leave a finer surface than most rasps. You can hit it aggressively then go soft and end up with a quite nice finish considering it's a wood eater. It won't be totally smooth, but it can be sanded or worked with other tools from there. If you just hit with 50 or 80 grit sandpaper instead to eat up the wood, you may not want to finish with a tool you carefully sharpened, but this has no grit to leave in the wood, so you can go from this to a spokeshave or plane without worry. They are not like a surform tool--it is much better, and bigger than many you will find. The surform has little cutting blades like a cheese grater. This is more like a file, with many small raking teeth. It will cut more effectively. It cannot be sharpened and the blades can't be replaced with regular hacksaw blades unless you are a derious DIYer, so theoretically this has a limited lifespan unlike a spokeshave, but it will do many tasks a spokeshave won't excel at, like milling down end grain. They are cheap enough you won't dry when it eventually does wear out. Note that unlike the cheap hacksaw blades I use, these teeth have not been quick to break off and it is wearing well after a couple years of use. Great Japanese innovation--anybody who does hand tool woodworking can use this (gift idea for the person who has every tool already).

I recently picked up this wood file for my knife-making projects, and I couldn't be happier with its performance! It removes material quickly and efficiently, allowing me to shape my knife handles with precision. The ergonomic design makes it comfortable to use for extended periods, and the grit is just right for getting a smooth finish without excessive effort. Whether I’m refining contours or doing finer detailing, this file has proven to be an invaluable tool in my workshop. Highly recommend it to anyone in the knife-making community or even just for general woodworking!

This is an amazing tool! I loaned it to my father in law and he wants one!

I have used it to fit a hammer head on a handle and it worked nicely. This saw rasp really hogs off material quickly and made forming the hammer handle quick. It has two sides, a coarse and fine. Both end up leaving noticeable saw marks but going in different directions and finishing with some sandpaper solves that problem. The handle of the saw file has a bit of cushion and feels comfortable to hold. Since the file is double sided, it is not the most comfortable to hold with two hands since you have to mind the teeth and grab the pinched end of the file. I found it to not be much of an issue though since you could just use it one handed or wear a glove and when you need to use two hands the teeth will be there to warn you.

The rasp works as well as all the reviews say it does. I subtracted one star as they need a front handle option. I've seen relatively simple front handles for this such as those offered by Taylor Toolworks. I just think the Shinto mfg should offer an option. I know they have a rasp with an extra handle attached off the back but a front option would take a great rasp and make it that much better. With that being said, I would definitely buy again.

AWESOME!!! I've been building the baby doll changing station in the December 2014 issue of Wood Magazine for my daughter. The arched crest that goes across the top has literally been kicking my tail. I don't own a band saw so I've been trying different techniques with my jig saw, router, flush trim bits, cheap rasps from the big box stores, etc. without success. I decided I would give it one more try and decided this might be my tool after reading the reviews. My first try cutting the arched crest with my jig saw and then "rasping" to the line with this tool and I had success on the first try!!! Don't waist money on any other rasp, especially the cheap ones. Get this one, its perfect!!!! No clogging!!!! This is a big deal because those cheap rasps clog about every minute and you have to clean them out. Awesome tool for expanding your capabilities when dealing with arches, bends, curves, etc. Very fast. Only downside is the sand paper afterwards. Probably need to start with a 50 or 80 grit and then go to 120, then 220 to make sure all the rap marks are removed.