Filing handsaws

[Con]

I've received a triangular shaped file, either as a freebie or by mistake. Has anyone ever used one? Is it worth it? Or shall I find another use for it? Thanks

[Bob The Dog]

Used them a fair bit to sharpen tenon and hand saws. Still use it on the tenon saw but most handsaws I use are hardpoint now and no good for sharpening. If you’re going to sharpen a handsaw, it’s worth getting a tooth kerf setting tool too, as they tend to lose kerf width over time, leading to the blade binding. 

[Deafhead]

1 hour ago, Con said:

I've received a triangular shaped file, either as a freebie or by mistake. Has anyone ever used one? Is it worth it? Or shall I find another use for it? Thanks

I never thought we would come to a time when someone would ask what a saw file was for, but I did do my apprenticeship in 1953.

[Pete Mctree]

You use a feather file to sharpen handsaws. 
if the saw blade is impulse hardened you can’t do it, as the teeth are tempered as part of the finishing process - check before you try otherwise you will kill your file with zero results 

[Tree monkey 1682]

1 hour ago, Con said:

I've received a triangular shaped file, either as a freebie or by mistake. Has anyone ever used one? Is it worth it? Or shall I find another use for it? Thanks

Handsaws buddy, but then you need to learn how to 'set' a saw also if your careful you might be able to touch up bandsaw blades 

[tree-fancier123]

39 minutes ago, Pete Mctree said:

You use a feather file to sharpen handsaws. 
if the saw blade is impulse hardened you can’t do it, as the teeth are tempered as part of the finishing process - check before you try otherwise you will kill your file with zero results 

this - the Silky catalogue shows a symbol next to each saw for either impulse hardening or sharpenable

compare Sugoi to Zubat

 

Edited 7 hours ago by tree-fancier123

[Steven P]

Most often it is the set of the saw that's the problem - as above most blades now are hardened so won't sharpen. Might be just me and depending on the saw but when you can get 2 for under £20 at B&Q it is not really worth the time to sharpen them (woodworking saws), otherwise if the saw was more than say £30 would be worth the time.

 

Edited 7 hours ago by Steven P

[Con]

1 hour ago, Deafhead said:

I never thought we would come to a time when someone would ask what a saw file was for, but I did do my apprenticeship in 1953.

I was asking if it was worth trying on impulse hardened saws, really. Seems not. Anyway if I need to take an apprenticeship to learn it, that horse has bolted

[Con]

4 hours ago, Tree monkey 1682 said:

Handsaws buddy, but then you need to learn how to 'set' a saw also if your careful you might be able to touch up bandsaw blades 

Thanks. Thought the title 'filing handsaws' was enough to explain I knew what it was for