Gripping a file with both hands provides greater safety, power, and control. But until recently, you could purchase a handle only for the tang end. Veritas now offers an auxiliary handle that clamps onto the opposite end. It features a large wooden knob and a rubber shoe on the clamping pad that prevents damage to the file’s teeth.

I prefer half-round files and rasps because the combination of flat and convex faces enables me to invert the tool and keep shaping and smoothing a workpiece regardless of its surface contour. Working that way, I found it necessary to invert the Veritas handle. But it wasn’t a problem to adjust my grip. Overall, I found the Veritas file handle to be a very useful accessory.

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