Auriou Needle Rasps
Auriou Needle Rasps are amazing quality tiny rasps for ultra-fine detailing. They are suited for carvings, keyholes and instrument making - anywhere you need a delicate, precision tool. Needle rasps come without wooden handles. The handle is 4.5mm (11/64") square.
The flat needle rasp has a flat, rectangular blade that is stitched on both sides and on the edges.
The rat tail needle rasp is round, tapers towards the tip and is stitched all the way to the tip. For best results, twist the rasp as you push it to use all of the teeth.
The half round needle rasp is like a miniature modeller's rasp. It is flat on one side and rounded on the other. It tapers towards the tip.
The knife needle rasp tapers from one side to the other and towards the tip. It is stitched on both sides and the back.
Needle rasps are not available in left-handed versions.
Auriou Needle Rasp Specifications
| Shape | Cutting Length | Width | Thickness | Overall Length | Grain |
|---|
| Flat | 70mm (2-3/4") | 6mm (1/4") | 2mm (5/64") | 175mm (7") | 14 grain |
| Rat Tail | 70mm (2-3/4") | N/A | 4.75mm (3/16") | 175mm (7") | 14 grain |
| Half Round | 70mm (2-3/4") | 6mm (1/4") | 2.25mm (3/32") | 175mm (7") | 14 grain |
| Knife | 70mm (2-3/4") | 6mm (1/4") | 2.25mm (3/32") | 175mm (7") | 14 grain |
Auriou Rasps
Those who haven't used a well-made hand-stitched rasp have a revelation coming. Rasps are a mainstay for sculptors, patternmakers and chairmakers, but the aggressive cut and smooth finish left by these steel works of art will endear them to anyone who works wood. They excel at breaking up sharp corners, trimming patches flush in restoration work, and other wood-shaping tasks requiring finesse, control, and no risk of tearout; shaping bandsawn cabriole legs comes to mind.
Hand-cut Teeth
The teeth on ordinary machine-made rasps are stamped into shape with square leading edges and teeth arranged in regular rows. This tends to leave a telltale furrowed pattern on your workpiece. Auriou's rasps are "stitched" one tooth at a time by hand. Hand stitching produces sharp teeth in an irregular pattern. The triangular teeth, which resemble shark teeth upon close inspection, cut aggressively into the wood. The irregular pattern prevents furrowing. Auriou rasps are top-quality cutting tools that provide a superior finish.
Quality
Rasp blanks are shaped by forging and hammering rather than stamping. Any distortion caused by initial heat treating is corrected by more hand-hammering rather than grinding, and finally the blank is polished. The result is a cohesive structure in the steel body of the rasp making the teeth remarkably strong. While the teeth appear tiny and their pointed shape suggests delicacy, Auriou's manufacturing process assures durability. Still, we recommend you respect the cutting surfaces and store these rasps where they won't bang against other metal tools.
Grain
Auriou Rasps are graded for coarseness of cut in a unique system called grain (similar to grit in sandpaper). The grain scale runs from 1 to 15 - with 1 being the coarsest and 15 the finest.
Additional Information