Caught myself using an old file handle trick I picked up in Ohio

Last week I was reshaping a damaged tang and without thinking I grabbed a piece of scrap leather to wrap the shank, same way this guy at a shop outside Toledo showed me 12 years ago. He swore it kept the file from biting into your palm on long sessions, and it honestly works better than any rubber grip I've bought since. Anyone else still using little hand-me-down tricks from a stranger they met once, or am I just stubborn?

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1 Comment

robertgreen8d ago

That Toledo guy would probably be happy to know his trick is still going around. I picked up something similar from an old machinist in Pittsburgh, he used a strip of inner tube instead of leather and wrapped it spiral style so the sweat could still evaporate. Took me a while to realize his method also helped with vibration on longer draws, which leather doesnt do as well. Now I keep a couple of those strips in my toolbox and I still think about that dude every time I use one, funny how a total stranger can leave a permanent mark on how you work.