Rasps from Portugal

[Gerard Scanlan]

Followers of Paul Sellers' blog may have already read his recommendation for rasps from the Portugese Company Tomé Feteira. I ordered a number of rasps and saw files from them yesterday and they are due to arrive on Monday. No sooner had I placed my order and they shipped them. All correspondence was in English it was very easy to order from Tomé Feteira. These are machine made rasps not hand stitched ones but Paul claims they are equally good and they are a fraction of the price. Hand made ones have their place but it is good to know there are less expensive alternatives. Once they have arrived I will let you all know if I am still happy.

 

[marcros]

it will be interesting to hear how they perform.

My experience of rasps is limited, but the hand stitched ones from dictum have been very useful for a number of tasks. I found these to be very good value, and I couldn't have justified a premium branded one.

 

[woodpig]

I'm probably not the best judge but I bought some Italian needle rasps from Rutlands and they seem pretty good to me.

 

[Trafalgar]

I have an Italian-made rasp. It has never failed to remove wood to a marked line. Not quite sure if there's anything more they're supposed to do. Maybe the expensive ones let you close your eyes and they know when to stop.

 

[GLFaria]

Tomé Feteira company is over 150 years old. It's rasps and rifflers are something of a standard in Portugal.

A link to their catalog in English (there are four idioms to choose from): http://www.tomefeteira.com/produtos.html

They also make hand-stitched rasps, or at least carrry them in the catalog (see the list on the left, 6th item from the bottom).
Quality is usually considered good, the only con being a somewhat limited choice of grains.

 

[bugbear]

I have an Italian-made rasp. It has never failed to remove wood to a marked line. Not quite sure if there's anything more they're supposed to do. Maybe the expensive ones let you close your eyes and they know when to stop.

Maybe the good ones remove wood faster, tear less, and leave a better finish.

BugBear

 

[MIGNAL]

The first 'decent' rasp that I bought was one of those bendy Chinese rasps. It was some 30 years ago and even though it was very fine grain it cut remarkably fast, leaving a fine finish. I still have it but it's long since lost it's bite. A few years ago I bought some very similar looking rasps but they are far too coarse.
I've used the Herdim and they are very good. Pechar are liked a lot. Corradi are machine cut but supposedly act more like hand stitched. Those are some of the options apart from the usual French rasps. I haven't tried the Hittori. Going by the very low price I guess that they are from the far east. They might be pretty good, going by my experience of that bendy Chinese rasp.

 

[Biliphuster]

Interested to see how they perform.

Paying a big money for rasps is something I have a lot of trouble doing considering they are to an extent a consumable, I certainly wouldn't pay for artisan sandpaper.

 

[Trafalgar]

I have an Italian-made rasp. It has never failed to remove wood to a marked line. Not quite sure if there's anything more they're supposed to do. Maybe the expensive ones let you close your eyes and they know when to stop.

Maybe the good ones remove wood faster, tear less, and leave a better finish.

BugBear

About as likely as somebody being able to say a piece of wood was planed with a Millers Falls instead of a Stanley or sanded with 3M paper instead of Norton.

Three-fourths or more of this stuff is a figment of the imagination. Tested blind either as a user or as judge of the finished surface very, very few people could tell the difference, maybe none.

 

[JohnCee]

Interested to see how they perform.

Paying a big money for rasps is something I have a lot of trouble doing considering they are to an extent a consumable, I certainly wouldn't pay for artisan sandpaper.

High quality rasps aren't consumables. They can last a lifetime if looked after.

 

[Andrea]

I have an Italian-made rasp. It has never failed to remove wood to a marked line. Not quite sure if there's anything more they're supposed to do.

Italian made rasps do espresso too. ;-p

 

[Gerard Scanlan]

The Rasps and files have arrived.
Won't be needing to order rasps or saw files for some time.
Once I have used them for a while I will report back. Although this seems a little unnecessary considering that Paul Seller's recommended this company's rasps. The three grades might be over the top for most work.
I like the idea of supporting a quality European tool making company.

 

[Trafalgar]

Certainly look capable to me.

 

[Droogs]

Could you let us know how you get on with the saw files too. sourcing decent ones that don't break as soon as you use them is getting to be a bit of a pain.

 

[iNewbie]

I hope you weren't stitched up.


/I'll get my coat.

 

[Carl P]

A stitch in time!

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

I seem to find that it is rarely the tool, but more me! It has taken a while, but I've finally figured out how to hold my tongue, tilt to the left, with my right foot bent up behind me, squint through my right eye and my rasps also magically remove wood down to the line!

In all seriousness, my best luck seems to be the Japanese rasps that look more like a mill file used for auto body work. I have a fine and an extra fine, and they top my fancy hand stitched rasp all day long (but then again, maybe I haven't figured out the right rasp stance yet?).

 

[MIGNAL]

The problem with the cheap machine cut rasps is that they tend to be quite coarse. You'll have to stop a little short of the line and clean up with something else. There's also the potential of breakout if you use too coarse a rasp.
There are some alternatives, although these usually mean that things take a little longer.
The Japanese files aren't much cheaper than a good quality rasp, largely because you have to buy the round and the flat version to replicate a half round rasp. I've ordered the half round to see what all the fuss is about. I'll probably get some use out of it as well. I can always buy the flat version later or try the Bahco Oberg files. Unfortunately the Bahco only come in a flat. A half round version would be very useful but perhaps it's harder to produce the wave pattern on a curved surface.

 

[Trafalgar]

I find that my rather inexpensive, fine rasp tends to clog (probably faster than a more random, hand stitched rasp would) however what I get is a bit of a burnishing effect if I let it stay a little clogged right toward the end of the job. I guess this is just one way to compensate for a less than perfect tool, but it works.

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

I find that my rather inexpensive, fine rasp tends to clog (probably faster than a more random, hand stitched rasp would) however what I get is a bit of a burnishing effect if I let it stay a little clogged right toward the end of the job. I guess this is just one way to compensate for a less than perfect tool, but it works.

Charlie,

How many go from rasps to finishing, however? I compensate, either with a scraper, or a bit of sandpaper!

My early mistake was choosing too fine a rasp, and after picking up a few others (including the Japanese milled shape and a Microplane-style). I find rasps a very satisfying tool to use for shaping and as I posted earlier, after figuring out how to hold my tongue, the quality of what I do, vastly improved.