01-19-2016, 08:02 PM
Hey All,
The last time I tried a Nicholson file made in Mexico, the package looked like this one.
The file performed so poorly that I swore I'd never buy another Nicholson again. The poor quality can not be blamed entirely on the move to Mexico either. I actually saw the decline start in the U.S.A. made files and carry over to the Mexico made ones.
Well I broke my own vow after reading the post here . I thought what the heck, it's only a few bucks for more disappointment.....
Well the new package looked like this:
Appears as though there's been some corporate shuffling going on at Cooper Tools as the old package reads - Cooper Hand Tools/1000 Lufkin Rd/Apex, NC 27539 on the back and the new one has Apex Tool Group, LLC/14600 York Road, Suite A/ Sparks,MD 21152. If you do a little googling there's better info out there than I've given.
Anyway here's a picture of the file right out of the box and it doesn't look too bad. The apex or corner is a little sharper than I was use to on a 6" slim taper, which concerned me a little at first.
Some of the other crappy files haven't looked that bad either...until you put them to work. That's when the true "crappiness" (is that a real word
) really did shine through!!
Well I tried the file out on a 26" 8ppi 1910 era G. H. Bishop No.8 saw, very similar to the Disston D8. As you can see, after jointing, there wasn't a whole lot of gullet left. The file didn't bite as well on the first stroke as I thought it should but the second was better. Hmmm, at least the apex or corner didn't roll over or chip out and disappear all together, which is a plus, so I continued down the saw. Believe it or not the file kept cutting down the length. I came back the other way and still O.K. Well guys, I was able to shape all the teeth back in and the file looked like this when I was done.
With the filing still cutting well, I thought what the heck, I'm going to try and use the same edge bevel filing them. Guess what, it made it through all of the teeth! Yes, I was surprised too.
Not leaving well enough alone, a week later I started using the same edge to reshape a H. Disston & Son era Extra Refined No.9, 26" 8 ppi cross cut.
I was able to get all new teeth shaped in on this one with that same edge.
The file edge is still cutting but has pretty much reached it's useful life.
Here's the picture of the edge, on the left, after doing all that work. Not all that bad really and no chipping.
I know that only one edge and one file does not make a test but there could possibly still be some hope for this old file brand...only time and a few more files will tell.
The last time I tried a Nicholson file made in Mexico, the package looked like this one.
The file performed so poorly that I swore I'd never buy another Nicholson again. The poor quality can not be blamed entirely on the move to Mexico either. I actually saw the decline start in the U.S.A. made files and carry over to the Mexico made ones.
Well I broke my own vow after reading the post here . I thought what the heck, it's only a few bucks for more disappointment.....
Well the new package looked like this:
Appears as though there's been some corporate shuffling going on at Cooper Tools as the old package reads - Cooper Hand Tools/1000 Lufkin Rd/Apex, NC 27539 on the back and the new one has Apex Tool Group, LLC/14600 York Road, Suite A/ Sparks,MD 21152. If you do a little googling there's better info out there than I've given.
Anyway here's a picture of the file right out of the box and it doesn't look too bad. The apex or corner is a little sharper than I was use to on a 6" slim taper, which concerned me a little at first.
Some of the other crappy files haven't looked that bad either...until you put them to work. That's when the true "crappiness" (is that a real word
) really did shine through!!Well I tried the file out on a 26" 8ppi 1910 era G. H. Bishop No.8 saw, very similar to the Disston D8. As you can see, after jointing, there wasn't a whole lot of gullet left. The file didn't bite as well on the first stroke as I thought it should but the second was better. Hmmm, at least the apex or corner didn't roll over or chip out and disappear all together, which is a plus, so I continued down the saw. Believe it or not the file kept cutting down the length. I came back the other way and still O.K. Well guys, I was able to shape all the teeth back in and the file looked like this when I was done.
With the filing still cutting well, I thought what the heck, I'm going to try and use the same edge bevel filing them. Guess what, it made it through all of the teeth! Yes, I was surprised too.
Not leaving well enough alone, a week later I started using the same edge to reshape a H. Disston & Son era Extra Refined No.9, 26" 8 ppi cross cut.
I was able to get all new teeth shaped in on this one with that same edge.
The file edge is still cutting but has pretty much reached it's useful life.
Here's the picture of the edge, on the left, after doing all that work. Not all that bad really and no chipping.
I know that only one edge and one file does not make a test but there could possibly still be some hope for this old file brand...only time and a few more files will tell.
Take care,
Daryl
Daryl
