Farrier rasp

[Allyn T]

This is a PSA message. Everyone do yourself a favor and if you don't own a farrier rasp, get one. It's a life saver

[Morgan]

This is a fact. I made my first several using a Nicholson 4 way rasp, a Farriers rasp is way way faster. I still use the rounded side of a 4 way on the fades, but for all the tough belly work and bringing the profile in the farriers rasp is the ticket. You can get a good one for ~$30 and it’s money very well spent.

[Eric Garza]

Shinto rasp is even better.

[Allyn T]

I have a shinto and it doesn't even come close to the wood removal my farriers is capable of

[Eric Krewson]

I have a bandsaw, if I didn't I would use a farriers rasp for roughing out stuff, especially hickory.

Because I bandsaw my staves down to bow blank stage a Nicholson #49 is my tool of choice.

One thing I failed to notice is how dull our rasps get over time, they do it so slowly you won't notice it until you get a new rasp and are amazed by how well it cuts.

I made bows for 20 years with my first #49 and never noticed that is had gone downhill in the cutting department. A guy on eBay had a bunch of new old stock American made #49 rasps he was selling for $20, I bought one, good grief would that thing cut.

I sent my old #49 and 50 to Boggs Tools for sharpening, they came back just like the new rasp I had just bought.

https://boggstool.com/file-division

[Allyn T]

All my tools are new and sharp but I am working hickory and the belly is so wide that I just couldn't make any progress with what I had(a 8 inch Nicholson half round coarse rasp) first time using the farrier rasp and it just devoured wood. I am so happy, I had pretty much stalled out on my bow because the time spent just wasn't adding up to real progress

[bradsmith2010]

Ill check out the boggs tools, I have some dull wrasps

[gutpile]

I get my rasps from a farrier when he is done with them ...free..... and they still hog off the wood... I like how one side hogs off and the other cleans it up... plus they make a great knife and dry scraper head when totally worn... gut

[mmattockx]

I get my rasps from a farrier when he is done with them ...free..... and they still hog off the wood... I like how one side hogs off and the other cleans it up... plus they make a great knife and dry scraper head when totally worn... gut

I got several for free from a local farrier as well. What he casually tossed away as worthless was still incredibly sharp for my uses, enough so that I sliced a finger open on the coarse side when I got careless handling it. I will have to keep the knife idea in mind for when I finally wear one out, it is a great chunk of steel for that.


Mark

[Deerhunter21]

i love shinto rasps, and i love my farriers rasp. but i wont rough out my bow with a shinto rasp. or at least not untill i have a flat surface to work on.

[DC]

I like both but I found that I tend to push the rasp sideways and the Shinto's won't take that for long. They bend. It may be because I'm a lefty.

[Hawkdancer]

Left On!  The bending is more likely due to the sawtooth construction, they appear to be hacksaw blade thick.  I managed to score 2 on sale for $20 each when we decided to move, still use the farrier's rasp, as well.
Hawkdancer

[DC]

I've just wondered if us lefties use some tools in a different fashion than righties. Scissors, for example. I've learned to use right handed scissors by squeezing them the opposite direction. I believe that files are cut for right handed people and that lefties learn to use them a little different than righties do. That's why I think that I push the file sideways rather than lengthwise. I may be wrong on this one though.

[Allyn T]

Dc I tend to push sideways when I angle the rasp unless I'm working down a specific spot

[Yooper Bowyer]

I'm right handed and generally push a farriers rasp at an angle.  I've had mine for almost 3 years and it has ground through everything from poplar to ironwood and purpleheart. It's done probably no more than 25 bows and half a boat frame though.