[TheForge] Re: File making in Japan

[A Vida]

Files were once worth more than their weight in gold.  They were 
difficult to make well and good tool steel was very costly.  The advent 
of good machine-made files by Nicholson in the 19th century changed 
that, though it was not an overnight transition.  Earlier attempts to 
market machine files met with rejection because the craftsmen who used 
them regarded hand cut files as superior, which in fact they were.  The 
initial machine-made files were too perfect and this resulted poor 
results.  Nicholson discovered the secret to the superior qualities of 
the handcut file and imitated them with what he called "incremental cut" 
manufacturing method.  After a while, these caught on and the age of the 
cheap file began.  With low cost came the concomitant loss of the file's 
former position as a revered tool.

Them's the breaks, I suppose.

	-Andy

Washington, Aubrey O. wrote:
> I guess if I made my own files I would respect them more.  It sure is easy to just go buy a new one from the hardware store, and least for common types of files.
> 
> Aubrey
> 
> ________________________________________
> From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net [theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Paul Boulay [pboulay at earthlink.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 10:47 AM
> To: theforge at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: [TheForge] Re: File making in Japan
> 
> Hi folks,
> 
> Ah so, des ne! File making video very interesting.
> 
> But I noticed just prior to quenching the file was dipped in a dark gray powder - twice - then it was quenched. Anybody have any idea what this was? a sort of flux? or perhaps carbon in some form to promote hardness?
> 
> Regards,
> Paul Boulay
> 
> ------------------------------
>> From: "Jerry Frost" <akfrosty at mtaonline.net>
>> To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
>> Sent: Monday, March 17, 2008 12:11 AM
>> Subject: [TheForge] File making in Japan
>>
>>
>>> http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tctv.ne.jp%2Fyasuri-%2Fproduct.html&langpair=ja%7Cen&hl=de&ie=UTF-8
>>>
>>>
>>> Frosty
>>> -------------------------------
>>> If it ain't forged
>>> it ain't real.
>>> Wrought iron is.
>>> The FrostWorks
>>>
>>> Meadow Lakes, AK.
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