Alf
Established Member
Sorry about the long delay between saying I'd give my thoughts on this, and actually doing so. 
Trouble is I found it rather tricky to decide how best to approach the task, so I've gone for pics and brief comment:
This is the rasp I got for my birthday; a 175mm, 12 grain Cabinet Maker's pattern from Classic Handtools. It came in a plastic sleeve just like any old Crown chisel or whathaveyou, and care instructions on some A4 were also in the parcel, but nothing actually packaged with the rasp.
And here it is compared to my only other rasp experience; a 10" Vallorbe Swiss Cabinet rasp from Axminster.
Here are the Auriou's hand "stitched" teeth...
... and the teeth of the Vallorbe.
The Auriou is a precision tool; light, thin, tapers to a fine point for those tight corners, doesn't judder in the cut at all. It costs over £40.
The Vallorbe is a blunt instrument; heavy, clumsy, a blunt point and frequently nearly busts my wrist when it "stalls" in the cut. It cost just over £10.
Allowances have to be made for the extreme difference in coarseness of course. However, they both shape wood and they both clog... :roll: The advice is to use a bristle brush rather than a wire one; I used the other half of my 'Rat nail brush stuck on a handle shape. Seems a bit cheapskate for such a pricey tool...
In use the Auriou cuts very smoothly, leaving tiny little curls of wood behind it. I can't say I was actually blown away by it, but it wasn't unpleasant to use and the finish was okay. Perhaps all the hype about them made me expect miracles? I dunno, but I wasn't actually doing dances of joy at the wonder of it. But hey, it's just a rasp. :roll:
So will I, as so many others seem to have, sell any passing grandmothers to get further examples of the Auriou? Er... no, actually. Nothing to do with the rasp and everything to do with me; I simply don't do enough raspy stuff to need another just now. This one will do just fine. Did I need it? Not really. :-$ The Vallorbe followed up with turnip, second and smooth cut half round files gets me to the same place just as well in all honesty, but that place isn't a particularly demanding one to be fair. It's a lovely tool though. If I was doing more rasp-related stuff, chairs, carving or whatever, the range of cut and file shapes from Auriou are very hard to beat and would be my first port of call. I hope Chris might comment from his more raspy point of view... If you fancy dropping quite a few notes on a rasp, you'll enjoy the experience, and with care will have a tool that'll last you a good long time. If you're Sinister, ones cut for left-handed use are also available btw.
Cheers, Alf
Trouble is I found it rather tricky to decide how best to approach the task, so I've gone for pics and brief comment:
This is the rasp I got for my birthday; a 175mm, 12 grain Cabinet Maker's pattern from Classic Handtools. It came in a plastic sleeve just like any old Crown chisel or whathaveyou, and care instructions on some A4 were also in the parcel, but nothing actually packaged with the rasp.
And here it is compared to my only other rasp experience; a 10" Vallorbe Swiss Cabinet rasp from Axminster.
Here are the Auriou's hand "stitched" teeth...
... and the teeth of the Vallorbe.
The Auriou is a precision tool; light, thin, tapers to a fine point for those tight corners, doesn't judder in the cut at all. It costs over £40.
The Vallorbe is a blunt instrument; heavy, clumsy, a blunt point and frequently nearly busts my wrist when it "stalls" in the cut. It cost just over £10.
Allowances have to be made for the extreme difference in coarseness of course. However, they both shape wood and they both clog... :roll: The advice is to use a bristle brush rather than a wire one; I used the other half of my 'Rat nail brush stuck on a handle shape. Seems a bit cheapskate for such a pricey tool...
In use the Auriou cuts very smoothly, leaving tiny little curls of wood behind it. I can't say I was actually blown away by it, but it wasn't unpleasant to use and the finish was okay. Perhaps all the hype about them made me expect miracles? I dunno, but I wasn't actually doing dances of joy at the wonder of it. But hey, it's just a rasp. :roll:
So will I, as so many others seem to have, sell any passing grandmothers to get further examples of the Auriou? Er... no, actually. Nothing to do with the rasp and everything to do with me; I simply don't do enough raspy stuff to need another just now. This one will do just fine.
Did I need it? Not really. :-$ The Vallorbe followed up with turnip, second and smooth cut half round files gets me to the same place just as well in all honesty, but that place isn't a particularly demanding one to be fair. It's a lovely tool though. If I was doing more rasp-related stuff, chairs, carving or whatever, the range of cut and file shapes from Auriou are very hard to beat and would be my first port of call. I hope Chris might comment from his more raspy point of view... If you fancy dropping quite a few notes on a rasp, you'll enjoy the experience, and with care will have a tool that'll last you a good long time. If you're Sinister, ones cut for left-handed use are also available btw.Cheers, Alf
