Sharpening tools for saw blades

What size file should one use?

The answer is basically simple: chose a triangular file that is big enough so that all three sides will wear evenly as the file is rotated during the sharpening process. Measure the depth of tooth and select a file with a width that is slightly less than twice the tooth depth.

If you think it important to have a good view of the sharpening process, you might consider choosing a narrower file, with a width that is just a little more than the tooth depth. The file will wear out faster, but you will have better control over the work. Adequate light is also very important for this kind of work. (A side benefit is that this will be a good test to see whether your eyesight and/or spectacles prescription is up to the job! If your eyes tire quickly, it is an indicator that all is not as it should be!)

What is the difference between normal three-square files and saw files?

Normal three-square files have sharp corners that cut a hard angle. Saw files have corners that are slightly rounded, so as to maintain the round gullet between the saw's teeth as you file them. This is to help prevent cracking the base of the teeth, which is easy to do if you do not work carefully and precisely. Because of technical issues in the manufacture of saw files, there is a limit to how small the files can be made. Therefore we offer a small needle file to sharpen saws with extremely fine teeth. An alternative for very fine-toothed Western type saws is to use a small Japanese sword-form file, which also has a slightly rounded corner. But you must then file both the tooth's front edge and back separately. This differs from using the proper triangular file, which will file the front of one tooth and the back of the previous tooth on the same stroke.

In the tables below, we’ve listed the saws we stock for which a particular file is recommended. The list is not exhaustive and multiple combinations are possible.

All files are supplied without handles.Click here for file handles!

Nicholson file flat

Application	Length	Cross section	Cut	CodePrice
To trim all handsaws To sharpen one-man and two-man saws	200 mm	19 x 4.8 mm	3	Expected to be available from week 20 / 2024 Code 314050 Price ^∗ € 10.90

Saw file regular

Application	Length	Width	Cut	CodePrice
Bow saws 301162, 301153 Handsaws 303007, 303008, 303010, 303033, 303045	150 mm	13 mm	2	10% off at checkout with the voucher code TOOL10 Code 302525Price ^∗ € 6.40
One-Man Crosscut saw 303021 Roubo frame saws 322685, 322687, 322689	200 mm	16 mm	2	10% off at checkout with the voucher code TOOL10 Code 302526Price ^∗ € 8.90

Saw file slim

Application	Length	Width	Cut	CodePrice
Turning saw 301164 Pax tenon saw 303005	100 mm	6.3 mm	2	Code 302527Price ^∗ € 5.10
Bow saws 301150, 301151 Handsaws 303006, 303010, 303033, 303043, 303045 Pax tenon saws 303004, 303005	150 mm	9 mm	2	10% off at checkout with the voucher code TOOL10 Code 302528Price ^∗ € 6.40

Saw file extra slim

Application	Length	Width	Cut	CodePrice
Pax Gent’s saws 303009, 303011, 303016, 303017 Greaves Pax Gent’s saws 303026, 303027, 303028, 303029 Pax dovetail saw 303003 Veritas carcass saws 307734, 307735, 325066	100 mm	4 mm	2	10% off at checkout with the voucher code TOOL10 Code 302530Price ^∗ € 5.10
Greaves Gent’s saws 303026, 303027, 303028, 303029 Turning saw 301164 Pax tenon saw 303005 Pax dovetail saw 303003 Veneer saw 302530 Veritas tenon saw 325065 Pax Fret Wire Saw 303000	125 mm	5 mm	2	10% off at checkout with the voucher code TOOL10 Code 302531Price ^∗ € 5.30
Turning saw 301164 Pax tenon saw 303005	150 mm	6 mm	2	10% off at checkout with the voucher code TOOL10 Code 302532Price ^∗ € 6.40

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Knife saw file

Application	Length	Width	Cut	CodePrice
ECE Farmer’s Bow Saw 301156, 301157, 301158, 301159	200 mm	20 x 6 mm	4	10% off at checkout with the voucher code TOOL10 Code 314001Price ^∗ € 43.90

Needle file three-square – for extremely small teeth extra slim

Application	Total length	Cutting length	Cross section	Cut	CodePrice
Pax Mini Gent’s saws 303017, 303015, 303013 Inlay saw and jewellers saw 303020, 303019 Razorsaw and flush cutting saw 303025 Veneer saws 300390, 303999, 303310 Pax dovetail saws 303002, 303003 Veritas carcass saws 307734, 307735 Veritas dovetail saws 307720, 307721, 307722	140 mm	70 mm	3.5 mm	2	10% off at checkout with the voucher code TOOL10 Code 302705Price ^∗ € 12.40
	200 mm	100 mm	4.4 mm	2	10% off at checkout with the voucher code TOOL10 Code 302712Price ^∗ € 19.90

Feather edge saw files (Yasuri) for Japanese saws

These saw files are designed to sharpen traditional Japanese saws. Because of their narrow profile they are also suitable tools for working various very fine-toothed European saws and for many other types of fine filing work. Produced in tooth size 2, saw files with teeth on both sides are designed principally for ripcut saw blades. Unless you are very careful there is a risk with crosscut saws that you cut into the backs of the close-set neighboring teeth. For these saws we offer Japanese files with teeth on one side which have been specially made for this job. The files are made in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.

Feather edge saw files double-faced

This configuration is designed to sharpen ripcut saw blades. With Ryoba saws, use it only on the ripcut edge of the blade. For saws with teeth on two edges of the blade, we recommend both types of saw file.

Feather edge file 75 x 17 x 2.3 mm double-faced
For sharpening the following saws (or similar):
Dozuki 312061
Ryoba 312057, 309455, 309457

Code 312900

Price ^∗ € 17.90

Feather edge file 100 x 20 x 3 mm double-faced
For sharpening the following saws (or similar):
Ryoba 312057, 309459

Code 312901

Price ^∗ € 19.40

Feather edge file 125 x 25 x 3.5 mm double-faced
For sharpening the following saws (or similar):
Ryoba 309461, 309463

Code 312902

Price ^∗ € 23.40

Feather edge file 150 x 28 x 4 mm double-faced
For sharpening the following saws (or similar):
Ryoba 309463
Temagori 309830, 312020

Expected to be available from week 28 / 2024

Code 312903

Price ^∗ € 24.90

Feather edge saw files single-faced

This type of file is mostly recommended for filing crosscut saws including the crosscut edge of Ryoba saws. You will soon, or possibly already have noticed that single-sided files cost a fair bit more than double-sided files. This is because these are highly specialized tools for which there is little demand and so they are produced in small lots by special order only. Inevitably this makes them more expensive.

Feather edge file 150 x 28 x 4 mm single-faced
For sharpening the following saws (or similar):
Ryoba 309463
Temagori 309834

Expected to be available from week 19 / 2024

Code 312908

Price ^∗ € 20.40

Diamond feather edge file double-faced

These files are remarkable for the incredible hardness of the diamond cutting surfaces. Unlike many of our files, they are supplied with a ready fitted handle as shown in the photo.

Diamond feather edge file 75 x 17 x 2.3 mm double-faced
Total length with handle 180 mm

Expected to be available from week 19 / 2024

Code 312910

Price ^∗ € 25.40

Diamond Feather Edge File, double-faced These files are distinguished by the incredible hardness of the diamond cutting surfaces. Unlike many of our files, these come with the handles installed as in the photo.

Diamond Feather Edge File 100 x 20 x 3 mm double-faced
Total length with handle 220 mm

Code 312911

Price ^∗ € 37.90

Diamond feather edge file double-faced

These files are remarkable for the incredible hardness of the diamond cutting surfaces. Unlike many of our files, they are supplied with a ready fitted handle as shown in the photo.

Diamond feather edge file 125 x 25 x 3.5 mm double-faced

Total length with handle 245 mm

Code 312912

Price ^∗ € 46.90

Saw-set pliers for two-man crosscut saws

This traditional tool is suitable for jack saws and larger saws such as crosscut saws with a blade thickness of up to 1.5 mm. The knurled screw on top lets you set the stop for the tip of the tooth. This determines the position of the tooth where the anvil makes contact. The knurled screw at the top of the handle is for adjusting the amount of saw set. These saw-set pliers are less suited for saws with a tooth pitch under 4.2 mm (6 TPI).

Length 180 mm

10% off at checkout
with the voucher code TOOL10

Code 317120

Price ^∗ € 31.90

Saw tooth setter Eclipse Professional

from SPEAR & JACKSON
Produces an accurate tooth set on most types of wood-cutting handsaws(excludes saws with hardened teeth).

length 184 mm
tooth pitch 4-12 TPI
max. thicknes 1.6mm
powder coated metal head
nickel plated anvil
dip-coated soft touch handles

10% off at checkout
with the voucher code TOOL10

Code 300870

Price ^∗ € 33.90

Veritas saw file holder

Not only does this guide provide a secondary grip for your saw file, it also helps you control the angle of the file as you sharpen, using the eye’s natural ability to judge whether lines are parallel and level.

It has a rotating collar for setting a positive or negative rake angle up to 30°, and a 76 mm (3 inch) wide protractor to set the fleam (or bevel) angle up to 45° left or right. All you need to do is keep the edge of the protractor parallel and level with the blade, something easy to do by eye. Because the angle guide doesn’t limit the movement of the file, you learn to control it manually, gaining the experience needed for freehand sharpening.

The protractor is marked in 5° increments, and the collar has a vernier scale marked in 1° increments. A rubber O-ring inside the collar provides light resistance to the vernier scale to make precision setting straightforward.

Measures 67 mm (2-5/8 inch) long overall, with an anodized aluminum body, a stainless-steel protractor, and brass thumbscrews for locking the rake and fleam angles.

Additional information regarding accuracy of saw file holder

The protractor scale should only be used for approximation as it shows a slight right-angle deviation. However, together with the workflow these small inaccuracies have no impact on sharpening and should be tolerated.

10% off at checkout
with the voucher code TOOL10

Code 308985

Price ^∗ € 50.90

Anvil for setting saw teeth

This anvil is used to set the saw teeth in the traditional Japanese way, ie, by hammering. It is made from a piece of railway track. The longer and shorter rounded edges correspond to the correct sharpening angle of the saw teeth. The blade is placed flat onto the anvil, with the teeth protruding slightly over the rounded edge. Each second tooth is then tapped into position with a hammer. The blade is then turned over and the process repeated for the remaining set of teeth.

Length 100 mm
Weight 3.3 kg
Made in Japan

By sea to us

Code 309765

Price ^∗ € 57.90

Sharpening tools for saw blades

What size file should one use?

What is the difference between normal three-square files and saw files?

Feather edge saw files (Yasuri) for Japanese saws

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