Simonds SIM73233000 Flat Smooth File 8" American

The Simonds SIM73233000 is a flat smooth file, American pattern, 8 inches.

A flat file and a mill file are both flat, and they are not the same tool. This range carries both, and the distinction is worth being explicit about.

A flat file is double cut on its faces: two crossing sets of teeth, breaking the ridges into individual points. That cuts fast and leaves a rougher surface. It also typically tapers in both width and thickness toward the point.

A mill file is single cut: continuous parallel ridges, shearing a broad shallow chip, leaving a smooth surface and producing a keen edge. It tapers in width only.

So they are chosen for opposite reasons. Flat files remove; mill files finish and sharpen.

Which makes a flat smooth file an interesting combination — a double cut file in the finest grade. It removes faster than a mill file of the same grade and leaves a slightly rougher surface. It is the general finishing file for work that does not need a draw-filed surface.

At 8 inches this is a bench-scale file, for work held in a vice rather than a large surface.

Smooth is the finest of the American pattern grades: bastard, second cut, smooth.

Fit a handle before use.

Brand

Simonds

SKU

SIM73233000

Category

Hand Tools

Weight

0.24 lbs

Dimensions

10.00 x 1.00 x 0.25

Price

$20.95

Availability

Call for pricing

Rating

4.38 / 5.0