WOW they SUCK

JTknives

JTknives

Joined
Jun 11, 2006
Messages
8,651
I was in a pickle and needed a thin bastard file for slotting a guard and had to grab a Nicholson from the local feed store. It felt nice and sharp out of the package and I was optimistic. I tested it on the RC tester and it came in at 60RC. Hum I said that seams a tad soft but I will try it any way. Well after a few min on super soft wrought iron the file is already has shiny teeth and loosing its bite. had heard that the quality went down when thy moved to Mexico but I was still shocked. I'm still using it but just enough to get the slot open so I can use my favort work horse. A simonds nucut mill BF, it has round sides so makes nice slots and shoulders. It's old and a bit rusty but still out files a new Nicholson. Sorry for the rant but I hate paying good money for cheep junk; thought I would pass it along.
 
Oh yeah, I like my simonds flat files a lot, too.
Sucks about the Nicholson, yes even fine WI has got a lot of silica in it but 60rc ain't hard enough for a file.
 
I try to buy NOS files on Ebay. There are still good ones out there. I buy boxes of the ones that I use.
 
I've bought a few in a pinch. It seems one out of three will actually work.
 
I have an old N half round six inch file
I suppose it's more than 25 years old.


It had a taper on it.
I love it fore fabrication, deburring a round hole,

opening up a small hole to a larger one as you use the end, then go to the larger area.



They changed manufacturing methods so it's rolled out now in a continuous process.
I hate the new straight sided ones.

'm also not impressed with the laser or electroetch marking.
It disappears quickly and I prefer the stamping.


I have tried some different shapes in Mexican and Brazilian.
Some good some bad, all seem softer.


Keep in mind if you have good files, especially with flat rate shipping i
It pays to have them sharpened.

Boggs sharpen



I do keep buying them though if they are stocked locally
Sometimes it beats not having to buy a box when you just want one.
I hate paying shipping and fees that double an items cost when ordering on line.
Sometimes local is still handy
 
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From what I have been told and have seen from owning a couple, the best Nicholson products today may be the hand made wood rasps/files made in Brazil.
 
What I found out was that Ifor you buy a Nicholson file in the green package they're from Mexico, but the ones in the blue packages are from Brazil and apparently those are better. Food for thought.
 
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