Replies

1. 
   danmart | Dec 15, 2009 04:39am | #1

   I just bought another(4th) Nick 50. I can't see/feel a difference. Like a ton of other guys, I like the 49 and 50. They are good tools. I think you'll be happy with the file.

   BTW you should shop around. The price range can vary a bit.

   Good Luck with the file choice and making sense of the new FWW forum.

    

   dan

1. 
   alanplanesaw | Dec 15, 2009 04:56am | #2

   Thanks Dan.  Any particular places you recommend I shop for the 49 and 50?  Question:  You said this is your 4th #50.  Are you wearing them out?  How long do they last?

   Any chance you teach at Duke? 

   Thanks,

   Alan

1. 
   danmart | Dec 15, 2009 07:39am | #5

   PS

   I don't work at Duke but I live just 4 miles from the campus. I spend a bunch of time there playing tennis and squash. I have sold many windsor alumni chairs to the law school grads in years gone by. Things are slow these days.

   I guess it sounds like I really don't take care of my files like I should but its not that bad. One of the things I like to build is a kentucky longrifle. The rifles that I make are generally stocked in curly maple. The sugar maple and the red maple can be pretty hard stuff. After 25 years, I don't think 4 or 5 wood files is much??

   When they get to a point of wear, I grind them into knives or other hard cutting tools so they never go in the trash pile.

   Sources for Nick files? I'll have to check again but I just searched the internet and found a 49 for 30.00 and the 50 for 35.00.

   I bought my last one from a guy at a flea market type deal. I didn't really need a new one but he had a good price on the new files so I grabbed one of each.

   I have never tried the French files but it seems like all the guys who have them are crazy about them. There was a little scare a while back when word came out that they were closing their factory in France. I think they are back in production but I'm not an expert on that stuff.

   I think I have about 30-40 files at my bench as I write this. I have files for just about every kind of work and they come in handy in "cross-over" applications. I bought an old farrier's box with a bunch of sharp coarse files from his work with horses. These files are extremely aggressive and they work well at shaping seat edges.

   If you can find me or I can find you once we change over to the new format, I'll send along a supplier if I can find them.

   Edited 12/14/2009 11:42 pm ET by danmart

2. 
   Napie | Dec 15, 2009 05:31am | #3

   Try these:

   http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?cat=543

   They are better than the Nicholson.

1. 
   alanplanesaw | Dec 15, 2009 05:40am | #4

   But, Napie, for 3 times the price?!  If I worked 40 plus hours a week in woodworking I might justify that. 

   If they were half again the price of the Nicholson, then maybe.  But not 3 times the price.  I have a couple Ariou at the old price, before they went under.  They are good, I agree -- but not at that price.

   Sorry.  :-)

   Alan

2. 
   Buster2000 | Dec 17, 2009 06:57pm | #10

   Napie,

   Thanks for posting the Ariou... I didn't have the guts.

   I will second you though. It's one of the few tools that just feels 'right'.

3. 
   BOBABEUI | Dec 16, 2009 05:47pm | #6

   Alan,

   The last Nicholson #49 I bought from Lee Valley is marked made in Brazil..

4. 
   JeffHeath | Dec 16, 2009 07:18pm | #7

   Alan

   I have been using both the #49 & #50 from Nicholson for about 15 years now. I never felt the need to "upgrade" to one of the more expensive files. I'm not saying that the other files wouldn't be great to have, but I can promise you that you can certainly accomplish your mission with the #50. The price for both is certainly right.

   Jeff

5. 
   JeffHeath | Dec 16, 2009 08:08pm | #8

   posted twice

1. 
   Taigert | Dec 16, 2009 11:05pm | #9

   Alan,

   Check out this site they have a great selection of files and rasp's. As well as a bunch of other nice tools I would love to adopt and provide a good home to.

   http://www.thebestthings.com

   Taigert

1. 
   alanplanesaw | Dec 22, 2009 08:43pm | #11

   Taigert,

   Unfortunately I discovered The Best Things years ago. Have bought woodworking and photography equipment from them. Their prices used to be some of the lowest you could find. I don't think that is the case anymore, but they have sure been helpful.

   Alan - planesaw

1. 
   Taigert | Dec 24, 2009 05:54am | #12

   Alan,

   It seems like the price of everything keeps going throught the roof. I raised my shop rate by five bucks an hour, you should have heard the ******ing over that. I had one gal tell me that I was a crook, and that it was theft. The cost of electric, natural gas, and everything that goes into keeping a shop open keeps going up. The money has to come from some where? Then the cost of keeping a truck going, thats criminal.

   What are going to do?????

   Taigert