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Best Hand File Sets

Updated November 2021
Bottom line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Basecent Metal & Food File Rasp Set
Basecent
Metal & Food File Rasp Set
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Most Comprehensive
Bottom Line

This is a well-rounded kit that offers a selection of specialized tools that user can choose between.

Pros

Package includes 4 large units, 14 mini needle units, 2 multiple-functional brushes, and a carrying case. Blades are designed with high-carbon steel that doesn't break easily. Apply the small ones to perfect smaller edges and corners. An excellent choice for regular or casual users.

Cons

Case can be a bit fragile when compared to the tools.

Best Bang for the Buck
Topec Hand File Set
Topec
Hand File Set
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Wide Application
Bottom Line

This set includes 18 tools that deliver all-round versatility on multiple materials.

Pros

Durable, high-carbon steel set offers a good range for DIY and professional use on wood and metals. Handles are comfortable and nonslip. The tools also come in a nice zippered case.

Cons

More than some want to spend on a set, but still a good buy.

Innovant Tools Hand File Set
Innovant Tools
Hand File Set
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Easiest to Use
Bottom Line

This set enables you to sharpen and deburr soft metal, jewelry, and much more.

Pros

Nonslip grips provide superior control and handling. Teeth are precision milled for maximum quality. Includes a broad assortment of shapes, ensuring you can use the set for myriad applications.

Cons

Handles are very cheap and flimsy. Teeth are coarse compared to others.

Hi-Spec Carbon-Steel Hand & Steel File Tool Set
Hi-Spec
Carbon-Steel Hand & Steel File Tool Set
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For Fine Details
Bottom Line

Available in several sizes, this is an excellent option for smoothing out smaller corners and curves.

Pros

Available with a variety of teeth and patterns, so that users can apply tools to different materials. Rubberized coating lets the handle comfortable to grip. Twelve micro needle units are the ideal tool for fine details. Once finished, users can pack everything in the folding case.

Cons

Not as high-quality as other products on this list.

Delihom Metal File Set
Delihom
Metal File Set
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Comfortable Handling
Bottom Line

Each tool comes with an ergonomic handle to prevent damages on the user's end.

Pros

Ergonomic handle prevents slipping during long periods of filing. Heavy-duty tools can be used on glass, tile, plastic, wood, and more. Large shapes include a round, half-round, and flat tips. Carrying bag makes for simple transportation. A great choice for those with less experience.

Cons

May not be the best choice for harder surfaces, such as metal.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

30
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190
Consumers
Consulted
12
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Researched
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Buying guide for best hand file sets

A hand file seems like the simplest of tools, but in fact, they come in an enormous variety of sizes and shapes and differ in the quality of materials and the way that they cut.

Choosing the best hand file set for you is by no means straightforward. When shopping, you’ll want to look at the grades, tooth patterns, shapes, and materials of the files in each set.

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You’ll see some files described as American Pattern and others described as Swiss Pattern. The former are usually medium to large files and also known as engineer’s or machinist’s files. Swiss files are generally lighter and often tapered.

Key considerations

Why is a hand file set a good investment?

Hand files vary from tiny diamond needle files about four inches long to big engineering beasts measuring as long as a foot and a half. They can be used to take tiny silver or gold shavings off fine jewelry or tear chunks out of steel sheet for shipbuilding. They can quickly rough out a shape in wood or plastic or deburr rough edges after drilling or machining processes. Once you’ve got a good hand file set, you’ll be amazed how often you reach for it. Yet for all its versatility, even the largest, best-quality hand file set is remarkably affordable.

Anatomy of a hand file

The construction of a hand file is pretty basic: there’s a blade with a tang at the end (steel point), which is embedded in the handle. For many years, the handles were wooden, but now you’ll see a variety of composites. Hard plastics provide great durability in heavy engineering situations, softer versions offer a more comfortable alternative for lighter and DIY use. A few hand file sets also have a single handle with interchangeable blades. It makes for a space-saving kit, but it can be frustrating if you’re frequently swapping from one file to another.

When examining hand file sets, look at the grade, tooth patterns, and shapes.

  • Grade: How aggressively a file cuts depends on one of five grades. Sets are usually all the same grade (though not always).

    • Dead Smooth (also called Very Smooth)

    • Smooth

    • Second Cut (the most common type in general-purpose file sets)

    • Bastard

    • Rough
       

  • Tooth patterns: There are also two tooth patterns:

    • Single Cut has rows of teeth, either straight across the file or at 45° to it.

    • Double Cut is formed of diagonal rows, producing a diamond shape. These remove material more quickly.
       

  • Shapes: There are five common shapes, but there are numerous other shapes available (such as knife or oval) that provide solutions for every filing need.

    • Rectangular (also called hand)

    • Square

    • Half-round (also called ring; very versatile because it has both curved and flat sides)

    • Round

    • Three square (also called triangle)

Materials

Good hand file blade material is vital to performance, and product descriptions can be confusing. You’ll often see “carbon steel” or “alloy steel,” neither of which is actually anything special. Why? Because every type of steel is a mixture of iron and carbon. The proportions change, and other elements might be added, but not only are they all carbon steel, they are also all alloys!

If you’re working with wood or plastic, this isn’t a problem. You don’t need really hard steel teeth. What you want in most cases is an open tooth pattern (Bastard or Rough) that doesn’t get easily clogged with shavings. There’s nothing stopping you from using less aggressive files, but with wood in particular, coarse sandpaper wrapped around a block is likely to be at least as efficient, if not more so.

  • High carbon steel: If you’re filing metal, you need teeth that are harder than the material you’re cutting into. The important thing to look for here is high carbon steel. The use of more carbon than in normal steel results in very sharp, durable teeth.

    Hardening and tempering further improve quality. Hardening, as the name suggests, makes for an incredibly tough surface, but it’s quite brittle. Such blades would be fragile and likely to shatter if dropped. Tempering reduces the hardness a fraction but adds a degree of flex. Thus hardened and tempered high carbon steel is the optimum material for hand files. Most files are made this way, but some needle files made for high-precision work like jewelry making have a steel core with industrial diamonds bonded to it.

Hand file set features

Cross section: When choosing your files, look at the cross section. Detailed work requires them to be small, but then they’re also going to be more fragile. If you need to remove substantial amounts of material, you’ll be putting considerable physical effort into each stroke. Does the blade look like it will stand up to that kind of force?

Case: It’s nice to have a case or tool roll to keep your hand file set organized, but don’t assume one is provided. If it isn’t, it’s a good idea to get one. Having file blades banging together in your tool bag can damage them.

Hand file set prices

We usually like to give inexpensive, mid-range, and expensive examples of the products we’re reviewing. That’s difficult to do with hand file sets because they’re all very affordable. You can find a cheap set of needle files for just $6 or $7, but even the best quality engineer’s files are unlikely to be more than $35, and you’ll get at least a half dozen tools for that money. That’s great news because it means you can focus on the suitability of each set for the task you have to perform rather than the cost.

"A file card is essential for cleaning your files properly. It’s nice when a set includes one, but it’s not common."
STAFF
BestReviews

Tips

  • Use the right file for the job. You can use metalworking files for shaping wood, but woodworking files (and rasps) are usually too soft to work on metal.

  • Use the files correctly. Most files are designed to cut on the forward stroke. You should lift them off the material to pull them back. Dragging the file, particularly across steel, will blunt it more quickly and could damage the teeth. There are a number of online videos that show proper technique. It’s worth practicing because it will make you faster and more accurate.

  • Clean your files with a file card. A wire brush will do a reasonable job of cleaning your files, but a file card has closer bristles to do the job more quickly and effectively.

  • Take care of the handle. File handles, particularly wooden ones, can loosen over time. Don’t be tempted to use a file without a handle; the tang can cause a painful injury to your palm. If you can’t replace the handle, replace the file.
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A set of needle files is great for detailed metalworking, jewelry making, and model making. For maximum precision, choose a mini diamond file set.

FAQ

Q. What’s the difference between cross filing and draw filing?

A. Cross filing is what you’re usually doing with a file: pushing forward across a surface to remove material or sharpen an axe head, for example. Draw filing is usually used for metalwork. Both ends of the file are gripped and the file is moved backward and forward across the workpiece, usually to create a smooth finished surface.

Q. What is a “safe edge”?

A. Some rectangular and square files have one edge without teeth, the “safe edge,” but it has nothing to do with protecting the user! It’s created so that when you’re filing a step or a corner, you can cut into the horizontal section without removing material from the vertical, or vice versa.

Q. What’s the difference between a file and a rasp?

A. This one usually causes some debate, but here’s our take: files are solid, with teeth on the surface. They can be used for metal, wood, and other materials. A rasp is usually a woodworking tool. Most have teeth punched out of a thin sheet, leaving a series of holes that allow for clearance of the wood shavings as you work. Another kind is round with coarse teeth and used for removing material quickly, not for finishing work.