Anthony San Miguel Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I have a friend who owns a shop, not really a machine shop but does a lot of metal and gunsmithing work. He also sells a lot of NOS American made tools. I have bought literally dozens of NOS American made Nicholson, Simonds and Heller files from him. I went by there today to see if he had anything left that I might want and I found this. I hadn't seen it until today. OAL is 9", it's some sort of 3 sq that is stamped IMP TAPER on one side, NICHOLSON on another and MADE IN USA on the last side. The shortness and stoutness of it made it unusual. Also, the fact that the tip tapers to an exact triangle. Does anybody know what kind of file this is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 (edited) Beyond it being a triangular rat tail there's no telling. The lighting in your pics isn't good enough to see the teeth.I believe someone posted a link to a manual, chart, etc. publication identifying files in detail. It probably isn't going to list that specific file so you'll need to go through the categories for a specific ID.For instance I ID files according to what I know and need to do with one. I look at the shape: flat, half round, round, triangular, specialty, etc. Then the general body profile: Straight, tapered, curved, etc. Then the cut or tooth if you will: Rasp, double, single, shell, etc. Then it's grade: Coarse, medium, fine, etc.Believe me, there are more kinds of files than there are people subbed to Iforge. While someone here may know what you have, you're probably going to have to figure out what it is yourself. IF (and this is a BIT IF) it actually matters. Does knowing it's name actually affect what you're going to use it for.I'm not faulting "for curiosities sake" or "just because" much of not most of what I think I know is driven by "I wonder." A person has to have priorities though.Wow have I rambled on, I guess it comes from 1960's shop classes and a Father who was so into tools and technique I got it from both sides.Frosty The Lucky. Edited October 15, 2015 by Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony San Miguel Posted October 15, 2015 Author Share Posted October 15, 2015 Thanks for the response, Frosty. The teeth are single cut and of medium coarseness kind of like a mill file. I love files. I collect them so that my son will have good American files to use when he grows up and I have around 2000. Probably half are American made, still new in the box and wrapped in brown paper. I just haven't seen one like this so my question was "for curiosities sake". I'm going to use it for whatever I find it to be useful for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kozzy Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 The rat tail doesn't fit but the other end might---a lot of die-filer files had a pointed/pyramid tip like the one shown which fit into a top brace to keep the file steady and square under machine movement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I'm all about curiosity's sake and files are great tools there are so many different kinds.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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