Simonds SIM73504000 Smooth Knife File 10" American

The Simonds SIM73504000 is a smooth knife file, American pattern, 10 inches.

A 10 inch smooth knife file is a specialist's tool and it is worth being clear about who buys one.

The combination is deliberate. Length gives flatness — a long file bridges high spots rather than following hollows, which is what makes a surface true rather than merely smooth. Smooth grade gives the finish. Knife geometry gets into the acute angle. Put those together and you have the tool for finishing a long dovetail way, a machine slide, or a tapered gib to a bearing surface.

There is no substitute for it. Abrasive rounds the corner. A stone will not enter. A flat file fouls the wall. A short knife file follows the hollows instead of correcting them.

That narrowness is why it exists and why most workshops do not own one — until they are fitting a machine slide, at which point nothing else will do.

Smooth is the finest American pattern grade. It removes very little, which is correct here: at this stage of a fitting job, removing much is a mistake that cannot be undone.

The thin edge is fragile. Never use a knife file as a lever.

Fit a handle.

Brand

Simonds

SKU

SIM73504000

Category

Hand Tools

Weight

0.55 lbs

Dimensions

14.00 x 1.25 x 0.31

Price

$48.95

Availability

In stock

Rating

3.5 / 5.0