Saw Blade Sharpening Tools

What size of file should one use?

It is in principle simple: a triangular file should be chosen that is big enough so that as the teeth are sharpened, the file can be rotated in between teeth and all three sides of the file will be evenly worn down. So one measures the tooth depth and looks to the width of the file. The file's width should be a hair under double the tooth depth.

If it is particularly important to one to have a good view of the teeth while filing, one should choose a smaller file, with sides just a little wider than the tooth depth. The file will wear out faster, but one will have better control over the work. Good light also is very important for this kind of work. A side benefit is that this will be a good test to see of one's eyesight or eyeglass prescription is good! If one's eyes tire quickly, it is a good indicator that all is not as it should be!

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

Regular three-sided files have sharp corners that cut a hard angle. Saw files have corners that are ever so slightly rounded, so as to maintain the round gullet between the saw's teeth as one files them. This is to help prevent cracking the base of the teeth, which is easy to do if one does 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, as recommended by Eddie Sirotich of Adria Tools, 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 lightly rounded corner. But one must then file both the tooth's front edge and back separately. This in contrast to 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 provide a list of saws we sell for which each file is recommended. But of course the list is not exhaustive and multiple combinations are possible.

All files delivered without handle. Handles you will find here!

NICHOLSON Flat file - to trim irregular teeth

for	Length	Cross section	Cut	Order nr.	Price
NICHOLSON Flat file - to trim irregular teeth
all handsaws	200 mm	19 x 4.8 mm	3	314050	€ 6.90

for	Length	Width	Cut	Order nr.	Price
Saw file regular
Bow saws 301162, 301153 Pax handsaws 303007, 303008, 303010	150 mm	13 mm	2	302525	€ 5,30
Farmer's saws 301156, 301158 Crosscut saws 302950, 302951, 302952, 302953, 303021, 303022, 303023	200 mm	16 mm	2	302526	€ 7.10

for	Length	Width	Cut	Order nr.	Price
Saw file slim
Turning saw 301164 Pax Tenon saw 303005	100 mm	6,3 mm	2	302527	€ 4,10
Bow saws 301150, 301151 Pax handsaws 303006, 303010 Pax Tenon saws 303004, 303005	150 mm	9 mm	2	302528	€ 5.30

for	Length	Width	Cut	Order nr.	Price
Saw file double extra slim
Pax Gents saws 303009, 303016, 303017 Greaves Gents saws 303026, 303027, 303028, 303029 Adria Tenon saws 306901, 306902, 306911, 306912 Pax Dovetail saw 303003	100 mm	4 mm	2	302530	€ 4.10
Greaves Gents saws 303026, 303027, 303028, 303029 Turning saw 301164 Pax Tenon saw 303005 Adria Tenon saws 306901, 306912 Pax Dovetail saw 303003 Veneer saw 302530	125 mm	5 mm	2	302531	€ 4.70
Turning saw 301164 Pax Tenon saw 303005	150 mm	6 mm	2	302532	€ 5,30

for	Length	Width	Cut	Order nr.	Price
Saw file for Gent’s saws
Greaves Gent’s saws 303026, 303027, 303028, 303029	100 mm	6 x 4 mm	2	302533	€ 9.90

for	Total length	Cutting length	Cross section	Cut	Order nr.	Price
Needle file threesquare - for extremly small teeth
Pax Mini Gents saws 303017, 303015, 303013 Inlay saw and Jewellers Saw 303020, 303019 Razorsaw und Flush cutting saw 303025, 303018 Veneer saws 300390, 303999, 303310 Adria Dovetail saw 306900 Pax Dovetail saw 303002, 303003	140 mm	70 mm	3.5 mm	2	302705	€ 6.80

for	Length	Cross section	Cut	Order nr.	Price
Saw-files for Japanese Saws - made in Japan! Suitable for traditional saws!
Dozuki 312060, 312061 Ryoba 312057, 309455, 309457	75 mm	17 x 2.3 mm	2	312900	€ 10.50
Ryoba 312057, 309459, 309461, 309463	100 mm	20 x 3 mm	2	312901	€ 12.90
Ryoba 309463 Kobiki 309830 Temagori 309834, 312020	150 mm	28 x 4 mm	2	312903	€ 14.50

Feather Edge Saw Files (Yasuri) for Japanese Saws

These saw files are designed to sharpen traditional Japanese saws. They are also good tools for working various very fine-toothed European saws and for many other types of fine filing work because of their narrow profile. Produced in tooth size 2, saw files with teeth on both sides are designed principally for ripcut saw blades. With crosscut saws there is the danger, if one is not very careful, that you can cut into the backs of the close-set neighboring teeth. So for these saws we offer Japanese files with teeth on one side which have been specially made for this job. These 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, one uses 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 files.

Feather Edge File 75 x 17 x 2.3 mm
double-faced
for (or alike):
Dozuki 312061
Ryoba 312057, 309455, 309457
Order nr. 312900

Price € 10.50

Feather Edge File 100 x 20 x 3 mm
double-faced
for (or alike):
Ryoba 312057, 309459, 309461
Order nr. 312901

Price € 12.90

Feather Edge File 125 x 25 x 3.5 mm
double-faced
for (or alike):
Ryoba 309461, 309463
Order nr. 312902

Price € 13.50

Feather Edge File 150 x 28 x 4 mm
double-faced
for (or alike):
Ryoba 309463
Kobiki 309830
Temagori 309830, 312020
Order nr. 312903

Price € 14.50

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 75 x 17 x 2.3 mm
single-faced
for (or alike):
Dozuki 312060, 312061
Ryoba 312057, 309455, 309457
Order nr. 312905

Price € 10.50

Feather Edge File 100 x 20 x 3 mm
single-faced
for (or alike):
Dozuki 312060, 312061
Ryoba 312057, 309459, 309461, 309463
Order nr. 312906

Price € 12.90

Feather Edge File 125 x 25 x 3.5 mm
single-faced
for (or alike):
Ryoba 309461, 309463
Order nr. 312907

Price € 15.50

Feather Edge File 150 x 28 x 4 mm
single-faced
for (or alike):
Ryoba 309463
Temagori 309834
Order nr. 312908

Price € 16.50

Diamond Feather Edge File
Hiebe beidseitig
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 75 x 17 x 2,3 mm
double-faced
Total length with handle 190 mm
Order nr. 312910

Price € 17,50

Diamond Feather Edge File 100 x 20 x 3 mm
double-faced
Total length with handle 220 mm
Order nr. 312911

Price € 32,50

Diamond Feather Edge File 125 x 25 x 3,5 mm
double-faced
Total length with handle 245 mm
Order nr. 312912

Price € 32,50

SOMAX Saw Sets

SOMAX makes 4 different handsets: with magnifying glass or not, for normal or for fine sawblades. They have a plunger width of 2.2 mm, suited for normal saws or a plunger width of 1.4 mm, suited for fine saws.
Instruction how to use the Somax Saw Set Somax saw sets are suitable for small and medium sized blades.

SOMAX Saw Set
without magnifying glass
for 4 - 8 TPI saws (3 - 7 mm from tip to tip)
Order nr. 310600

Price € 18.90

SOMAX Saw Set
without magnifying glass
for 5 - 16 TPI saw (1.5 - 5 mm from tip to tip)
Order nr. 310601

Price € 19.90

SOMAX Saw Set
with magnifying glass
for 4 - 8 TPI saws (3 - 7 mm from tip to tip)
Order nr. 310602

Price € 22.90

SOMAX Saw Set
with magnifying glass
for 5 - 16 TPI saws (1.5 - 5 mm from tip to tip)
Order nr. 310603

Price € 23.90

Forged Saw Sets

These saw sets forged of steel allow higher pressure and are suitable for larger saws. At the bottom of the page you find a saw setting lever. Made in Germany.
Notice: In order to prevent the break-off of the tooth it is necessary, in form of several trials, to approach to the right depth of setting. In certain circumstances it can be necessary to obtain the depth of setting with several setting passages.

Saw Set small size
Total length 180 mm
Suitable for blade thickness up to 1.5 mm
Order nr. 317120

Price € 19.50

Saw Set medium size
Total length 210 mm
Suitable for blade thickness up to 2.5 mm
Recommended for One-man crosscut saws and Two-man crosscut saws.
Order nr. 317121

Price € 24.50

Saw Set large
Total length 250 mm
Weight 800 g
Suitable for blade thickness up to 4.5 mm
With 3 different jaws. Jaw 1 is for long teeth. On the picture mounted in place. Jaw 2 is for medium teeth and jaw 3 for short teeth. On the picture the trapezoid piece of steel on the top. The numbers are marked.
Suitable for Two-man crosscut saws and even circular saws.
Order nr. 317122

Price € 69.50

Saw Setting Lever
Total length with wooden handle 210 mm
With this saw setting lever it is easy to set the teeth of large saw blades, specially Two-man crosscut saws. 7 cut-ins with 4 widths 1.5 mm, 1.8 mm, 2.0 mm, 2.5 mm allow setting of different saws. The cut-ins are laser cut.
Order nr. 317130

Price € 18.50