Gramercy hand stitched rasp review.

[Nebraska]

Before I get to the Gramercy review I think I’d like to begin at the beginning. For the past six years or since I took up wood carving my rasp and file of choice has been an 8” Nicholson 4 in Hand. Used to smooth and shape sometime wrapped in 80 grit sand paper it has served me well. Recently I acquired a cheap dagger shaped rasp from Amazon. It offered some distinct advantages over my faithful 4 way. The pointed tip got into places the Nicholson could never reach the toothed edge provided a saw like action and the radius tooth configuration provide a smoother cut and went through wood much quicker.
image.jpg Excited about the new toy I posted about it here on the forum. Randy and Brian suggest I give a hand stitched rasp a try and presented compelling reason why.

After a bit of poking around the internet and other forums I decide to with the Gramercy brand distributed I believe exclusively by “ToolsforWorkingWood” who I have purchased from on prior occasions. I purchased the 6 1/2” 18 tpi Cabinetmaker’s Rasp and Saw Handle Maker’s Rasp (fine). $70 and $60 respectively.
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Randy and Brian were right this is a different animal and thanks for the guidance. For just removing wood they provide a slight advantage of the $7 tool from Amazon the difference is the surface left behind is so, so much smoother that rather than really sanding to remove markers it just a light sanding to finish off the surface.

[DiLeon]

Good sandpaper costs money...when you weigh in the cost of sand paper used with cheaper files. Gramercy is a darn good investment in the long term. Thanks for the review.

[Randy]

Ed, I am glad your happy with you new rasps. It took me a few years to talk myself in to getting the hand stiched rasps. I just could not see how it would be that much of a chance. Like you I was amazed by the time and effort saved with clean compared a machine made rasp.