Files are used to work nearly every material, metals, wood and plastics. Blanks are forged out of alloyed tool-steel, and then the teeth are cut or milled as continuous lines. The lines can cross, to more easily remove material.
The arrangement of the lines differentiates the file from the rasp, where the teeth are cut individually. The blank’s pointed tang will take the handle. The worked steel is then hardened, although the tang is then softened through heat, or not hardened, to keep its elasticity.
The file is a classic hand tool, but is also used in machines. Files are classified by their tooth cut, shape, cross-section and use. They are mainly used for machine and tool building, model making and sharpening and deburring.
