The Pferd coarse cut flat hand file has a handle, a rectangular shape, and double-cut American pattern teeth on both sides for smoothing and shaping straight surfaces. The file tapers slightly toward the point in width and thickness to ease access into slots. It has double-cut American pattern teeth on each side for rapid material removal, and single-cut teeth on the edges for finishing, sharpening, and deburring. An ergonomic plastic handle helps provide secure gripping.
Hand files are used to remove material and smooth and shape workpieces. They have forward-facing cutting teeth and cut when pushed over either a stationary or rotating workpiece. Single-cut teeth are single rows cut diagonally across the width of the file. Double-cut teeth have two sets of rows cut in opposite directions. American pattern files have three coarseness grades. Coarse, also known as bastard cut, is suitable for efficient, heavy material removal where finish is not a concern. Medium, also known as second cut, offers average material removal and finish quality. Fine, also known as smooth cut, provides the smoothest finish. Swiss pattern files have eight coarseness grades, from 00 (coarse), 0 (medium), and 1 to 6 (fine to finest), offering a smoother finish than equivalent American pattern files. For Swiss pattern files the length of the tool is the length of the blade, not counting the tang, which is the pointed end fitted for a handle; for American pattern files the length of the tool is its entire length, including the tang.
Pferd manufactures abrasives and cutting tools for grinding, finishing, and cutting. The company, founded in 1799 in Germany, has its U.S. headquarters in Leominster, MA. It meets International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard 9001.