Ottawa, ON, February 2012 - Lee Valley has announced a number of new products, including a line of Japanese Milled-Tooth Files.

These files cut with surprising speed, yet leave a remarkably smooth surface. This is because the teeth – which are milled, then chemically etched to a sharp edge – don’t abrade material; they shear it, leaving shavings instead of dust. The diagonal groove pattern enables the teeth to act as a series of chip breakers by decreasing the width of each tooth, reducing clogging.

Suitable for wood or plastics, their aggressive action allows short detail strokes without sacrificing speed. Safe-edged to avoid damaging adjacent surfaces, they are available in double-sided flat and single-sided half-round patterns. The cushion-gripped detail files permit a short stroke for work in confined spaces. Useful for concave surfaces, the bent detail file is approximately 7-1/2" long and has a 3-1/2" cut length. The full-size 8" and 10" files have tanged ends and are for general shaping. Regardless of their overall dimensions, files with an identical grade of cut have the same number of teeth per inch.

Made in Japan, these are wonderful shaping tools.

Visit the Lee Valley web site for a list of sizes and prices.