Thread: Rasps

How good? Google Auriou. Nicholson still make two of their pattern maker's rasps, the #49 and #50. A bit less expensive than the Auriou brand.

I'm in the US, so hopefully someone there will recommend an Aussie source to avoid fees. LV does the Auriou and I believe the Nicholsons. They also have some Chinese imports.

Take care, Mike

Yeah, how good?

Can usually find them at garage sales & trash 'n' treasure type markets, read Schtoo's thread on file sharpening for info on, er, sharpening them.


Cheers...............Sean

Nicholson patternmakers rasps are good, but don't know where you can get them in Australia now. I believe some forumites have bought them from the USA at reasonable prices landed here.

I bought a couple of Nicholson's rasps today for about $25 each at my local Home Hardware. I have to say though that they didn't look fantastic compared to the older ones we've got. I've been told that there is a US company called Brownells that makes good ones. www.brownells.com
A chap that I know imported a couple from them and reckons they are very good.

I got some from Mcjings. They are not fantastic but they are not that bad. I've also got some Nicholsons and they are nice to use.

Originally Posted by AlexS

Nicholson patternmakers rasps are good, but don't know where you can get them in Australia now.

Lie-Nieslen australia imports the Nicholson patternmakers rasps amongst others - Bunnings also carries the Nicholson rasps with those horrible red plastic handles. Because you find the at Bunnings I have kind of being skeptical on the Nicholson rasps.

Microplanes are pretty good too.

Originally Posted by scooter

Yeah, how good?

Can usually find them at garage sales & trash 'n' treasure type markets, read Schtoo's thread on file sharpening for info on, er, sharpening them.

Cheers...............Sean

Yeah but they have usually been thrashed or have been rusty at some stage in their lives. "how good", as good as I could afford. In that, I would be willing to buy a chisel for $70, as I consider a rasp as useful to my work, I'd be willing to pay as much I suppose.

Originally Posted by Wood Butcher

I got some from Mcjings. They are not fantastic but they are not that bad. I've also got some Nicholsons and they are nice to use.

The name/brand of Nicholson has been mentioned a bit and considered a good tool by some of you so I'll try a "google" search for them. Has anyone used Japanese rasps, I've only seen pics of flat looking things similar to what I know of as the "surform" type. I'm after the solid sought, waht are "pattern makers" rasps?

Thanks for your help
Kind regards

Originally Posted by Wongo

Microplanes are pretty good too.

Yeah I've got one Wongo, good for smothing and with softwood but hardly scratch some of our hardwoods. Thanks anyway.

Originally Posted by thumbsucker

Lie-Nieslen australia imports the Nicholson patternmakers rasps amongst others - Bunnings also carries the Nicholson rasps with those horrible red plastic handles. Because you find the at Bunnings I have kind of being skeptical on the Nicholson rasps.

As a toolmaker by trade ,all I've ever used are Nicholson files for metal shaping and filing .
I have files that I bought when I first started my apprenticeship 37years ago , they may be well used and a bit dull ,but they still work ok .Like any tool if they are looked after and cleaned regularly they will last for many years.
The bastard cut flat , rounds ,half rounds and squares are great on wood, not as aggresive as some purpose made wood rasps I've seen.

Originally Posted by scooter

Yeah, how good?

...read Schtoo's thread on file sharpening for info on, er, sharpening them.


Cheers...............Sean

Thanks heaps scooter, Ive just read Schtoo's thread, tomorrows headline: "Harry drowns 4 rasps in vineger"

Originally Posted by Harry II

Yeah I've got one Wongo, good for smothing and with softwood but hardly scratch some of our hardwoods. Thanks anyway.

I used them to shape my rocking chairs (Sydney Blue Gum) and rocking horse. It cuts clean, fast and doesn’t leave those nasty scratches on the wood.

Actually, the vinegar chews off the rust, the citric acid etches the teeth to sharpen them up again. The vinegar will also do it, but not quite as well as the citric acid.

Reasons for the vinegar is that it's cheap, easily available and about as safe as it gets, but that's not all.

Hydrochloric acid will also chew up rust pretty quick smart, but it can also hydrogen harden steel, and on hard, brittle rasp teeth that's not good. Vinegar is dilute acetic acid, and hydrochloric acid can be aquired from mixing acetic acid and salt. So vinegar is one of the 'proper' de-rusting things, not because it's an acid but because it has a chemical reaction with the rust.

FWIW, acetic acid is called 'vinegar acid' here, and hydrochloric acid is 'salt acid'.


I have used Japanese rasps, I have not used any other kind. For me here, they are cheap and very good. I regularly reach for them and I hope I am getting better at wielding the things. The ones you might be thinking of with what looks like a bunch of hacksaw blades rivetted together I have not used, but have heard good things about.

I would like to get a few Aurious though. Mainly the fine ones since the rasps I have are not exactly 'fine'...

Originally Posted by Schtoo

Actually, the vinegar chews off the rust, the citric acid etches the teeth to sharpen them up again. The vinegar will also do it, but not quite as well as the citric acid.

I have used Japanese rasps, I have not used any other kind. For me here, they are cheap and very good. I regularly reach for them and I hope I am getting better at wielding the things. The ones you might be thinking of with what looks like a bunch of hacksaw blades rivetted together I have not used, but have heard good things about...

Thanks for the reply Schtoo, you may have saved me some dosh buying a new rasp. I've got two handed down from my father and believe they are of good quality but are dull so it would be great to get them going again using your method to do so. It seems rasps are seen as "poor cousins" to carving or edge tools but I like them, I don't mind even leaving their teeth marks evident in my work sometimes but usually they're great fast wood removaers before finishing with a spokeshave. Can you suggest a web site that I could see a range of Japanese rasps? and yes your right the Japanese rasps I have seen are like "hacksaw blades rivetted together ".

Kind regards