wood rasps?

Most good rasps will do the trick, really. Personally I like either using a four-in-hand or a Microplane, depending on the circumstance and how aggressive I'm trying to be.
 
I'm a mother 4in hand fan, you can get good quality ones from lee valley not sure of the price but super happy with mine.
 
AntCaps said:
I'm a mother 4in hand fan, you can get good quality ones from lee valley not sure of the price but super happy with mine.
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I also carry some nice ones from Stella Bianca of Italy. I've been very pleased with their performance. Cleanly cut teeth and the steel is brought to 64 RC.
 
All you need is a good four in hand for hanging, all I have is an old cheap one made in Japan ( I wish it was an old Nicholson ) that works berry well.
Nicholson currently makes their stuff in south America and Mexico, but their stuff is still pretty decent.
By the way your gonna need a 6" single cut mill bastard for field sharpening.
 
I really don't care for the current production Nicholson four-in-hands. I've seen so many of them with nasty mashed teeth still in the package that it's not even funny. Fortunately there are a fair number of other companies out there still making quality ones. You'll also sometimes find them listed as shoemaker's rasps.
 
An 8" 4-in-hand is all you need to fit a hawk or axe handle.

But if you're removing a lot of stock then a good 12" half-round coarse rasp is pretty handy. A smaller 8" half-round rasp is nice for shaping the curves in the swell of an axe or hatchet handle. And a 10" 4-in-hand is terrific if you can find one. They're still made.

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I use a selection of the types that Square_peg posted and in different levels of coarseness because I have collected a bunch of old good ones cheap at yardsales and flea markets. But, if I had to go buy new tools for the job on a budget, I would buy a 4-in-hand, a sharp pocket knife for shaving/scraping and that's it. Some sandpaper. I have hung hammers and axes with just a 4-in-hand and sandpaper with excellent results.
 
Someone is gonna have to refresh us on the details of the Japanese-made rasps that someone on here was waxing eloquent about not all that long ago!
 
Count me as a huge fan of the Iwasaki carving files. They do seem to require a slightly different technique compared to traditional rasps; I find myself working with the wood grain more, and using very light pressure for final shaping. But they actually cut the wood rather than chew it, so they offer more control, no grain tear-out, finer finish, etc. This is really appreciated on end grain cuts, like shaping down the top end of the handle after the wedge is seated. My rasps or four-in-hand tend to splinter the wood at the edges.
 
For cuts on difficult grain I use the Microplane rasps. I never get tearout with them.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
I also carry some nice ones from Stella Bianca of Italy. I've been very pleased with their performance. Cleanly cut teeth and the steel is brought to 64 RC.
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I picked up one of the Biancas and I can confirm they are very, very nice 4-in-hands. Wear gloves if putting pressure, they come nice and sharp and they'll chew your fingers up if you aren't careful. I also picked up a NOS USA-made Nicholson 4-in-hand from a country store a while back, and it is also very good. The Nicholson is wider and flatter, and the Bianca is more narrow and a little more rounded. Both work great, with the Nicholson better for larger areas, and the Bianca for tighter curves and detailed removal.

I also have a larger, modern Nicholson rasp, so it's good for a lot of material removal, but it definitely doesn't cut as well as my 4-in-hands. But it's good for thinning handles that are well-clamped as it's much larger and I can lean on it easier.
 
I've also used Stanley Sur-form planes in the past. They work and are cheap but not as refined as some of these other tools mentioned.
 
Square_peg said:
Those work particularly well on green wood. Not so well on dry hard woods.
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Microplane surform blades do well, though. I just wish they made a blade for the mini "shaver" model, as it's one of the only tools that cuts in that direction on an arc.
 
jblyttle said:
Oh yeah, but forget about a budget!
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It seems a guy can spend as much as he wants. Hand cut and all.

The old Stanley no49 pattern Makers rasp for me unless I hit the lottery. They are hard to beat and I think around 35-40 bucks last time I bought one, not cheap.
 
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