Files & File Sets

Files are one of the oldest hand tools in a workshop and one of the last to disappear, even with a grinder or a flap wheel within reach — every fitter, boilermaker, mechanic and maintenance tech ends up keeping a handful for jobs a power tool can't reach cleanly or can't control finely enough. AIMS Industrial stocks 148 files, rasps and file sets covering the range a trade workshop actually needs: flat, half-round, round, square, three-square (triangular) and warding hand files in bastard, second-cut and smooth grades from P&N and Pferd; needle and diamond needle file sets from Pferd, Eze-Lap, Noga, Sutton Tools, Stahlwille and Maxigear for precision and hardened-material work; chainsaw and hand-saw sharpening files; internal/external thread restorer files from Goliath, Lang Tools and Champion; wood, horse and cabinet rasps; and specialty files for lathe, key, knife, car body and plastering work. Whether you need a single bastard flat file for the toolbox or a complete needle file set for jewellery-grade precision, the right choice comes down to matching shape, cut grade and length to the material and the job. Our Hand File Guide: Profiles, Cuts & Selection walks through the key differences if you're comparing options.

File & File Set Selection — Quick Reference

How to Choose the Right File

Four things decide whether a file does the job well: cut grade, profile, handle, and length. Get the cut grade wrong and you'll either take forever to remove material or leave a finish rougher than the job needs.

• Cut grade: Bastard cut has the coarsest teeth and removes material fastest, at the cost of a rough finish — the right choice for roughing out and heavy stock removal. Second cut is the middle ground: moderate removal rate with a reasonable finish, and the most common all-round grade. Smooth cut has the finest teeth, removes material slowly, and is used for finishing passes and close-fitting work. P&N also runs an Aluminium Cut flat file — a tooth pattern designed to resist clogging on soft, gummy non-ferrous metal — and its own Magic Cut line as an alternative general-purpose pattern.
• Profile: Match the file's cross-section to the geometry you're filing — flat for flat work, half-round or round for curves and holes, square or three-square for slots and internal angles, warding for narrow slots. Using the wrong profile means fighting the shape of the file as much as the job.
• Handled vs unhandled: A file's tang — the narrow, unfinished end — is not meant to be gripped bare. AIMS stocks the same P&N and Pferd files both with a fitted handle and unhandled (tang only), plus file handles sold separately, so a workshop that's already stocked with handles can buy replacement files without paying for another handle every time.
• Single cut vs double cut: Single-cut files have teeth running in one direction only, giving a cleaner, finer finish — the standard for precision and finishing work. Double-cut files have a second set of teeth crossing the first at an angle, forming a diamond pattern that cuts faster but rougher. Most general engineer's files in this range are single-cut; rasps use individual raised teeth rather than either pattern.
• Length: Longer files (this range runs from around 100 mm needle files up to 350 mm engineer's and rasp files) give a longer stroke and more aggressive removal per pass but less control in tight spots; shorter files trade removal rate for control. Pick the longest file the job comfortably allows.

File Shapes & Profiles Explained

Flat, Half-Round, Round, Square, Three-Square and Warding Files

These are the everyday engineer's files that make up the bulk of the range. Flat files are the most versatile shape — general stock removal, deburring and flat-surface finishing. Half-round files put a curved face and a flat face on the one tool, useful where a job needs both. Round (rat-tail) files enlarge holes and file internal radii. Square files cut on all four faces and suit square or rectangular slots and keyways. Three-square (triangular) files have 60° edges and are the standard choice for setting and sharpening saw teeth, and for filing tight internal angles nothing else will reach. Warding files are thin and near-parallel — built for narrow slots and warded lock work. P&N stocks all of these across a wide size run (roughly 100–350 mm depending on shape), in bastard, second-cut and smooth grades, both handled and unhandled, and in bulk packs of 6 or 12 for workshops that get through files quickly. Pferd covers the same shapes in its handled and no-handle ranges, plus its own Car Body File for panel-beating work and a Lathe File and Key File for machine-fitting tasks.

Needle Files and Diamond Files for Precision Work

Needle files are the small, fine-toothed files used for jewellery, model-making, die-sinking and any job where an engineer's file is simply too big. AIMS stocks needle file sets from four brands: Pferd (12- and 6-piece sets at 100–160 mm, in cut grades C1 for a finer finish and C2 for slightly faster removal, plus dedicated diamond needle file kits in the DF range at 126 grit for hardened material), Sutton Tools (6- and 12-piece bright-finish sets, plus a pick-your-own-profile option across 12 shapes), Stahlwille (a 6-piece precision set in a plastic/textile wallet), and Maxigear (12-piece needle and diamond needle sets). Diamond files and diamond needle files are a different tool entirely to a standard steel file — instead of cut teeth they use embedded diamond particles bonded to the surface, which means they abrade rather than shear the material. That makes them the only option once you're working tungsten carbide, hardened tool steel, glass or ceramic — materials a standard file simply won't touch, because nothing softer than the file itself can be filed. Eze-Lap and Noga both specialise in small-format diamond needle files for exactly this kind of precision hardened-material work.

Chainsaw and Hand Saw Sharpening Files

Pferd's chainsaw and mill saw files are purpose-ground for sharpening work: round chainsaw files sized to chain pitch, flat depth-gauge files for resetting the depth stop on a saw chain, and slim, extra-slim and ultra-slim taper saw files (plus the 1212-series mill saw file) for dressing hand saw teeth. Matching file diameter to chain pitch is what produces the correct hook angle and depth-stop setting — an undersized or oversized file won't reproduce the factory tooth geometry, and a saw sharpened with the wrong file cuts poorly and unevenly. P&N also stocks chainsaw file packs covering the common imperial sizes (5/32, 3/16, 7/32, 1/4 and 1/8 inch) in both handled and unhandled form, plus round and square mill saw files for hand saw sharpening in bastard and second-cut grades.

Thread Restorer Files

A thread restorer (or thread chaser) file is a specialty tool for cleaning up damaged external or internal threads on a bolt, stud or tapped hole — dressing minor knocks, rust and paint out of the thread form without cutting a fresh thread the way a tap or die would. AIMS stocks these from three brands: Goliath (Metric, BSP, BSW/Whitworth and UNC/UNF versions, plus a 4-in-one pack covering multiple thread forms), Lang Tools (Imperial and Metric versions plus a 3-piece set), and Champion (the CTRT-1 general thread restorer tool and the CTRF-M metric thread restore file). Match the thread form (metric, UNC/UNF, BSW or BSP) to what you're repairing — a thread file cut for the wrong form will damage the thread rather than clean it.

Rasps for Timber and Trade Work

A rasp uses coarse, individually punched teeth rather than the continuous ridged cutting surface of a standard file, giving it a much more aggressive bite suited to timber and other soft material — where a standard file would clog almost immediately. P&N's rasp range covers half-round wood rasps, horse (farrier) rasps in tanged and no-tang forms, and cabinet rasps, all in bastard or second cut, sized from 200 to 350 mm and available handled, unhandled or in bulk packs. Outside metalworking and timber, Tajima's combination plaster rasp and plaster bevelling tool are trade-specific tools for dressing set plaster and plasterboard edges.

Specialty Files

A handful of purpose-built files round out the range for jobs the general shapes don't cover well. Pferd's Lathe File is ground for filing work held in a lathe chuck; its Key File (cut grade C2) suits fine fitting work; its Knife File (second cut) has a thin, tapered cross-section for slots a standard flat file can't enter; the Car Body File — in both a tanged 350 mm version and a standard handled version — is built for panel-beating and body filler work; and the Tungsten Point File is a fine-toothed file for dressing tungsten-tipped saw blades and cutting tools. Pferd also supplies a steel-wire file cleaning brush (pack of 5), and P&N a 190 mm file cleaning brush of its own, for clearing clogged teeth on any file in the range.

Brands Stocked at AIMS

Across the 148 products in this range, P&N is the volume brand by a clear margin, with Pferd the premium specialist range, and a cluster of smaller brands covering the precision and specialty niches:

• P&N — 73 of 148 products (49%). The workhorse of the range: flat, half-round, round, square, three-square and warding files across bastard, second-cut, smooth, aluminium-cut and Magic Cut grades, in a wide size run from 100 to 350 mm, sold handled, unhandled and in bulk packs of 6 or 12. Also the source for wood/horse/cabinet rasps, saw and mill saw files, needle file sets, and a file cleaning brush. If it's a standard engineer's file in a common size, P&N is most of what's on the shelf.
• Pferd — 45 of 148 products (30%). German-made and the premium tier of the range — hand files across the same standard profiles, plus the specialist end: chainsaw and saw sharpening files, needle and diamond needle file sets and kits, a car body file, lathe file, key file, knife file, tungsten point file, horse rasp and a file cleaning brush. Sold both handled and no-handle.
• Eze-Lap — 6 of 148 products (4%). Diamond-coated needle files in coarse and fine grades, 6-piece sets, for hardened and carbide material precision work.
• Goliath — 5 of 148 products (3%). Internal/external thread restorer files across Metric, BSP, BSW (Whitworth) and UNC/UNF thread forms, plus a 4-in-one pack.
• Noga and Lang Tools — 4 of 148 products each (3%). Noga supplies small-format diamond needle files for precision hardened-material work. Lang Tools supplies Imperial and Metric thread restorer files and a 3-piece thread restorer set.
• Sutton Tools — 3 of 148 products (2%). Needle and precision file sets in 6- and 12-piece bright-finish configurations, including a pick-your-own-profile option across 12 shapes.
• Stahlwille, Champion, Tajima and Maxigear — 2 of 148 products each (1%). Stahlwille's precision needle and warding file sets come in a plastic/textile wallet; Champion supplies thread restorer tools; Tajima supplies plaster-trade rasps and bevelling tools; Maxigear supplies needle and diamond needle file sets.

Browse by brand: P&N | Pferd | Eze-Lap | Goliath | Noga | Lang Tools | Sutton Tools | Stahlwille | Champion | Tajima | Maxigear.

Handled vs Unhandled Files — a Safety Basic

A file's tang is a narrow, pointed, unfinished spike — never designed to be gripped directly. Push a bare-tang file hard enough into a job that grabs or binds and the tang can drive straight into your palm. Fit a proper handle before the file goes anywhere near work, not after. That's why AIMS stocks most shapes across the P&N and Pferd ranges both handled and unhandled: buy handled files as your starting kit, then top up with unhandled (tang-only) files and reuse the handle — a push-fit wooden or knurled plastic handle takes seconds to swap between files. See our dedicated file handles range for replacement and spare handles sized to standard tangs.

Caring for Your Files

Files are hardened tool steel and brittle by design, so they don't take kindly to being dropped, used as a pry bar, or thrown loose into a drawer where they knock against other tools — teeth chip on contact with anything as hard as the file itself, and a chipped file never cuts cleanly again. Store files in a rack, roll or dedicated slot rather than loose, and keep them dry — a light film of oil on bare (uncoated) steel files stops surface rust between uses. Clean clogged teeth regularly with a file card or a wire file cleaning brush (both the Pferd and P&N cleaning brushes in this range are built for exactly this) rather than tapping the file on a bench, which can crack the tang. Keep a file used on aluminium or other soft, gummy non-ferrous metal separate from your steel files — the soft material welds into the tooth gullets and won't clear, so a "gummed up" file dragged across steel afterwards won't cut cleanly and can mark the surface.

Companion Ranges

• File handles — replacement and spare handles for unhandled files
• Hand tools — the wider AIMS hand tool range
• Deburring tools — for edge and burr work a file is overkill for
• Abrasives — sandpaper, cloth rolls and coated abrasives for finishing beyond what a file leaves
• P&N and Pferd full brand ranges

Need help choosing the right file or file set? Call our team on (02) 9773 0122, contact us online for application-specific advice, or request a quote for volume and workshop-fit-out orders.

People Also Ask — Files & File Sets

Q: What size file should I buy if I only need one?

A 200–250 mm flat bastard file, handled, covers the widest range of general workshop jobs — enough length for a decent stroke, coarse enough to remove material at a reasonable rate, and small enough to control. Add a half-round and a round file next for curved and internal work.

Q: What's the difference between bastard, second-cut and smooth files?

Bastard cut has the coarsest teeth and removes material fastest, at the cost of a rough finish — the pick for roughing out and heavy stock removal. Second cut is the middle grade, good for general fitting and smoothing. Smooth cut has the finest teeth, removes material slowly, and is for finishing passes and close-tolerance work.

Q: Do I need to buy a handle separately?

Only if you're buying an unhandled (tang-only) file, or replacing a worn handle. AIMS stocks most P&N and Pferd shapes both handled and unhandled, plus a dedicated file handles range, so you can reuse one handle across multiple unhandled files. Never use a file without a handle fitted — the bare tang is a genuine injury risk.

Q: What is a thread restorer file used for?

It's used to clean up damaged external or internal threads — knocked, rusted or paint-clogged threads on a bolt, stud or tapped hole — restoring them to a usable form without cutting a fresh thread the way a tap or die would. AIMS stocks thread restorer files from Goliath, Lang Tools and Champion, across Metric, BSP, BSW (Whitworth) and UNC/UNF thread forms — match the file to the actual thread form you're repairing.

Q: What's the difference between a needle file and a diamond needle file?

A standard needle file has small cut steel teeth, like a miniature engineer's file, and works on ordinary steel and non-ferrous metals. A diamond needle file has no cut teeth at all — it's a steel blank coated in bonded diamond particles, which abrades material rather than shearing it. That means it can work materials a standard file can't touch at all: tungsten carbide, hardened tool steel, glass and ceramic.

Q: Can I use the same file on aluminium and steel?

Not really. Soft, gummy metals like aluminium clog a file's teeth with material that welds into the gullets between teeth. A file used on aluminium and then on steel won't cut cleanly — the clogged teeth can't bite into the harder material, and they drag trapped aluminium across the steel surface instead. Keep a dedicated file for non-ferrous work, or clean the teeth thoroughly with a file card between materials. P&N's Aluminium Cut flat file is built specifically to resist this clogging.

Q: How do I choose the right file to sharpen a chainsaw?

Match the round file's diameter to your chain's pitch — an undersized or oversized file won't reproduce the correct hook angle on the cutter, and the saw will cut poorly or unevenly afterwards. Pferd's chainsaw files are sized specifically for this, and a separate flat depth-gauge file resets the depth stop once the cutters have been sharpened a few times.

Q: What's the difference between a rasp and a file?

A rasp has coarse, individually punched teeth rather than the continuous ridged cutting surface of a standard file. That gives a rasp a much more aggressive bite, suited to timber and other soft material where a standard file would clog almost immediately. Rasps aren't the right tool for metal — the aggressive tooth pattern tears rather than cuts cleanly on harder material.

Q: Which brands of files does AIMS stock?

P&N is the largest range by a clear margin (73 of 148 products), covering the standard engineer's file shapes, rasps and saw files. Pferd is the premium German-made range (45 products), covering the same standard shapes plus needle files, diamond files and specialty tools. Eze-Lap, Goliath, Noga, Lang Tools, Sutton Tools, Stahlwille, Champion, Tajima and Maxigear round out the precision, thread-restoration and specialty end of the range.