What is your favorite rasp?

[stuckinthemud]

I used to use the Aurio rasps but when mine got damaged I found my supplier had switched to the Shinto rasp. At the time I was not best pleased as I really rate the Aurio but when I got the Shinto home I could see why they had switched

[PlanB]

For hogging off wood fast I'm using a 10" sureform plane (which I used to think were useless) at about 45 degrees to the belly. Doing the bevel from both sides thing, then leveling the ridge. It's not a plane, despite the name, it's a cheese grater rasp.

Then for closer work, I'm using a single point rasp, which also isn't thought of as a rasp. It's a Nicholson, but the brand doesn't matter. It's a former 8" dull flat bastard file, with the teeth ground off all around and square sharpened on a stone. In other words, a 10" scraper with a file handle, held a little less than 90 degrees vertical on the draw with both hands, or sometimes one-handed for light or edge cuts. It cuts fast and leaves a perfectly clean finish.

It's nice because it is flat for most of its length, but the end tapers off slightly rounded to the tip, since it was formerly a file. So you can use that area to favor a particular spot even on a flat-across belly.

It's nice and hard steel and doesn't need sharpening often.

[Oglala Bowyer]

Bellota Top Sharp is my go to

[sumpitan]

There's not all that many out of a couple hundred bows that I have made without using my trusty scoop-like Surform rasp, the one used in one hand in a pulling motion. It eats even the hardest woods, never taking off too much, following stave contours, managing dips and handles. Importantly, it allows me to make bows free-form, without a vice, horse or anything other than my hands and toes (yeah) to hold the wood and work on it at the same time, fluidly.

Costs around 10 bucks, indestructible, with cheap replacement blades (you need to change once in a while to keep up the performance), light and small enough to take with me anywhere. Along with an axe and a cabinet scraper all I need to cut, rough out, tiller and finish a bow.

Tuukka

[willie]

After the recommendation from Plan B, I had to go dig up an old surform file I have. It was cast aside years ago as useless. It has a flat blade that seems to bite well on some woods, but not at all on others?

Now Tuukka has me even more interested, so I will have to look over the product line better when I am next at the store

thanks

willie

[JoJoDapyro]

My favorite is my bellotta farriers rasp, hogs off the wood

+1

[PlanB]

After the recommendation from Plan B, I had to go dig up an old surform file I have. It was cast aside years ago as useless. It has a flat blade that seems to bite well on some woods, but not at all on others?

Now Tuukka has me even more interested, so I will have to look over the product line better when I am next at the store

thanks

willie

I pretty much use it cross grain at an angle on tough woods. And for hogging, bevel the wood up from both sides to the center. Then take the center down.  "Regular Cut" blade: 21-293. Try a new one -- that might also help. Like Tuuka I often use it one handed while holding the bow in the other. The vertical plane handle helps me bear down for that, cutting mainly on the back half of the rasp.

[Sparky Buckwheat]

Save edge ferriers rasp. Expensive but worth every penny in my mind. They are super sharp and I find that I can use it for course and moderate tillering. I have even used the file side for fine tillering with light pressure in combination with the scraper. They are a great tool, just dont get your hands in the way!

[DC]

Save edge ferriers rasp. Expensive but worth every penny in my mind. They are super sharp and I find that I can use it for course and moderate tillering. I have even used the file side for fine tillering with light pressure in combination with the scraper. They are a great tool, just dont get your hands in the way!

+1

[burn em up chuck]

   farriers until you can get a shinto.

                               chuck

[aaron]

I do like the Shinto, but my favorite by far is a german hand cut rasp my brother gave me- he has a hand tool company called "peck tool".Very fine teeth In a random pattern that leaves a fairly smooth finish. Costs about $100.
 The thing I don't like about some rasps it that they're flat on both sides, I really feel I need a rounded side for shaping hollows including the common "rollercoasters" in vine maple. So, I have coarse and fine rasps- each has a flat side and a round side of the same teeth.
I am always sure to not let my rasp touch anything but wood. if it's not in my hand, it's in a bamboo sleeve.

[willie]

I used one of those 100 dollar types a while back, and they are hard to beat. I was looking at the offerings in the economy prices and ordered a shinto but was intrigued by the surform after the reviews above. picked up a new blade for the surform and spent some time with it, and it worked good on softwoods crossgrain. harder woods not so well  and along the grain, not so well either........ maybe I just got a bad blade. the half round worked best. when the shinto came in I decided  it was better, but it's not offered in anything but flat. if you want to save some, the shinto blade alone works as good for bow work as the full tool with the handle.

as with many thing in life , you get what you pay for

[ssgtchad]

Yesterday I had a rancher friend  GIVE me 60 Bassoli farrier rasps! Some have hardly  been used. The only stipulation was I make him a knife.

[JoJoDapyro]

Yesterday I had a rancher friend  GIVE me 60 Bassoli farrier rasps! Some have hardly  been used. The only stipulation was I make him a knife.

Lucky!

Here is how the Auriou rasps are made. Pretty impressive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvr2nZeAfNc

[Onebowonder]

I like a BIG ole heavy Farrier's rasp for hogging off large amounts of wood.  In fact, if it's sharp and heavy enough, it can often be quicker than messing with the bandsaw!  I know one fellow that does nearly all of his work right up to the finish sanding phase with the humongous 17" SaveEdge Farrier's Rasp, (it's more like a Sword than a hand tool!) ...but he's a crazy person that makes PERFECT bows.

I'm not so blessed as he.  Once I'm down to basic bow blank or maybe to floor tiller, I much prefer my Shintos.  I like the fact that they don't seem to 'follow' like many other rasps seem to do.  With most rasps, it's pretty easy to cut a divot or groove in a single stroke or maybe two.  With my Shinto, it feels like the lighter blade wants to ride above the piece I'm working and seems to cut a more even slice without cutting into a groove.  I would probably have less issues with this if I kept my Farrier's rasp sharper.

The only drawback to the Shinto for me, is that you really must keep a file card or brass bristled brush nearby to clean out the teeth of the tool occasionally.

Chad - it sounds like you got a real SWEET deal there on 60 Rasps!

OneBow