File Knives.

mete

mete

Joined
Jun 10, 2003
Messages
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One of last years threads mentions the sad drop in quality of both Starrett and Nicholson products.
Nicholson files have always been made of 1095 with consistant quality.Are the new ones the same 1095 but poorly HT'd or are they using a different alloy ? I ask this in regard to those who make knives from files.
 
I will try to find the contact I spoke with several years ago. After calling 4-5 different departments I finally spoke to a rather knowledgeable person who basically gave me a Nicholson history lesson, along with a list of all the names that they made files under(there had to be 15 or so). Frankly, I was unaware of the new quality issue.
 
As far as the Brazil and Mexico made Nicholson files being used AS knife steel....I don't think there is a problem at all there. The issue was poor quality....as in the teeth were shallow, not sharp, mis-aligned, and some of these foreign made Nicholson files were not even flat....but had a bow in them!!! You could see it IN the package even!!!! The steel quality isn't an issue...I don't think. It is the Brazil, and especially Mexico, files that were just made poorly and probably don't have the best heat treat.
 
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quality issues aside (bad teeth etc..) the files not being flat are made with the bow on purpose....in order to file FLAT
 
Nope....the bow in the files (plural) I am referencing was definitely a quality control issue. A file is not supposed to be BENT in either axis. If it is curved along the length...you can still use it...but it should be flat. These were curved along the width. When you try to file a flat surface....one side of the file would only touch the work at the edges, carving two gouges on each stroke. The other side, of course, would only contact the material in the very middle of the file. Puro basura, nada mas.
 
It's not that hard to tweak heat treatment if the steel is good. I sure wish Nicholson would do so. Their Hecho en Mexico files wear out almost absurdly quickly. Sad state of affairs for a company whose products were at one time one of the better commonly available files. Now I'm trying to find a company to replace them. :(
 
so im confused are they still made with good steel and just not heat treated well and no quality control?

i was hoping to eventually make a knife out of one or both of my first knife making files (both new nicholson) if not i guess ill have to make a knife out of one of my grandpas old files for a sentimental knife
 
the bow i was referring to it's a very very slight convexity from tang to tip, think of a section of a very big wheel. Of course it is not the case of the defected files you are talking about ;)
 
I switched over to pfrd files a few months ago, was shaving the steel off just like Nicholson used to.
 
I bought some really old nicholson files, with the intent of turning them into knives. They are such good quality that I can't bring myself to destroy them. The rasps though...
 
I don't believe there is a problem....at all...with using those Mexico and Brazil made files as knife steel. They may make a good knife steel....but they sure don't make good files!!!!! Rusty, I use Pferd and Simonds...never looked back at Nicholson. The Pferd chipbreaker I have is a hog of a file. Huge monster teeth that just rake steel filings off!!! And they stay sharp!!!
 
Yup, i use the same chipbreaker and it really does make short work of drawfiling the bevels.
 
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