American File Co., Pawtucket, Rhode Island

American File Company, chartered May 1863, was unusual in that it started as a stock company with a large capitalization. It was also one of the first American file makers to mechanize. In 1882 they employed 200 men and had a capital of $500,000. Despite these advantages, American struggled financially and was bought by Nicholson File in 1890.

American File Works box

American File Co., photo by Gary S.

1890 Sanborn fire insurance map, New American File Co.

American's first works was at the corner of Main St. and Pine St., Pawtucket (see Google Street View below). The company failed, and this works was sold to Slater Cotton Co. The reorganized business incorporated in 1875 as New American File Co. The new works was at 152 Dexter St., Central Falls, adjacent to Pawtucket. The third location was in the block bounded by Dexter, Rand, Pine, and Mowry Streets, in Central Falls.

Pawtucket was a center of file-making, with about 9 firms in the late 19th century, with more information available at Early RI Toolmakers & Tradesmen.

McCaffrey File Co.

Photo by Gary S.

Hugh McCaffrey and his younger brother John, began manufacturing files in Philadelphia, PA, in January 1863 under the name of McCaffrey and Brother. In July, 1889, the business was incorporated under the title of The McCaffrey File Company. McCaffrey File Co. was bought by Nicholson File Co. in 1926. This link is for several pages about McCaffrey in the 1913 Hardware Dealers' Magazine. McCaffrey's address was 1839 N. 5th St., just south W. Berks St., in the Kensington neighborhood. The factory was just north of the famous Stetson Hat Co. factory complex.

McCaffrey & Brother bill head, 17 Sept. 1885

McCaffrey file box

1917 Sanborn map, McCaffrey File Co.

1913 Hardware Dealers' Magazine

How McCaffrey files were made

Whitaker Manufacturing Co.

Whitaker Manufacturing Co. made hardware and agricultural specialties, including files, in Chicago, IL. They were in business from 1903 to at least 1974. The address in 1914 was 509 W. Monroe St., Chicago, and by 1917 it was 409-15 S. Green St., Chicago. Their files were branded Triple Diamond or Whitaker. One source from 1914 gives other brand names, but these may have been made by another company. In 1941, the factory was in Clearing, IL (now part of Chicago). Thank you to reader Gary S. for his assistance.

This link is to the hand tools section of Whitaker's Catalog No. 55 from 1941, and this is the 1941 Dealer's Discount Sheet for all of Whitaker's products.

Who's Who in Chicago and Illinois, Vol. 1, 1905

The Automobile Trade Directory, Vol 19, 1921

Stokes Brothers Manufacturing Co.

Stokes Brothers Manufacturing Co. specialized in horse and shoe rasps. Their factory was at Bannard St. and Vought Ave. in Freehold, New Jersey. The building still exists. Stokes Brothers incorporated in 1888, according to their letterhead, and Heller Brothers of Newark, NJ took them over in 1943.

Thank you to reader Gary S. for the photo of his rasp.

This YouTube video shows Auriou rasps being cut by hand today at Forge de Saint Juery in France, as they were at Stokes Brothers over 100 years
ago.

Stokes Brothers factory

Hayes File Co.

Hayes File Co. made Swiss pattern files and imported them from Switzerland and France. The business began in 1870 according to their advertising, and were located at 474, 476, and 478 Franklin St., Detroit, and later at 1986 Franklin St. Hayes is still in business as Hayes Grinding Co.

The City of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922, Vol 5

Banner File Works

While sorting my file collection, I found one made by Banner File Works, of Almonte, Ontario. Banner occupied part of a stone building built in 1857, originally James Rosamond's No. 2 textile mill.











To see a large collection of photographs of Almonte, click here.
For Google Street View of Banner's probable location, click here.

American Swiss File & Tool Co.

American Swiss File & Tool Co was located at 410-416 Trumbull St., Elizabeth, New Jersey. They were bought in 1944 by Heller Brothers.

The YouTube link in comments is for G.S. McLelland's 1905 American Swiss File & Tool Co., 410 Trumbull Elizabeth, N.J.

This is a short personal history of the videographer's grandfather, who was a grinder at American Swiss File & Tool Co. from 1916 to 1941. It includes a tour of the outside and inside of the building, which JJJ Distributors occupies today.

American Swiss file

American Swiss files in canvas roll

Madden (Eagle) File Works, Middletown, New York

The small Hudson River Valley city of Middletown, New York had a succession of file, saw, steel, and hardware manufacturing businesses with some continuity of ownership from the 1850s through the late 20th century. The family who was most involved with the file business was that of Edward M. Madden (1818-1885), who was followed by his nephew Isaac P. Madden (1836-1888), and Isaac's son Franklin M. Madden (1866-1915).

The saw business was established first, as Wheeler, Madden & Bakewell in 1853, changing to Wheeler, Madden & Clemson in 1860, to National Saw Works in 1890, and closure by Henry Disston in the early 1900s. The saw factory was called Monhagen Saw Works, and was then occupied by Schrade Cutlery Co. Clemson's sons had another business in Middletown, Clemson Brothers, Inc., which made Star hacksaw blades until the 21st century. This occupies the original file works site.

The various file-making business names, in approximate date order are:
King, Cockayne & Co., or Madden & Cockayne File Works (1857) 

Madden & Cockayne File Co. (1877)
Eagle File Co. (before 1900)

Madden & Morrison File Co. (1905)

R. H. Madden Co., Inc. (1922)

The file factory was called both Madden File Works and Eagle File Works*, and located on Railroad Ave. (Erie Railroad tracks) at Montgomery Ave., directly across from the saw works. The files themselves were stamped Wheeler, Madden & Clemson, Eagle Middletown, Eagle, Madden, and Madden USA.

Wheeler, Madden & Clemson taper saw file

Warranted Eagle Files, Wheeler, Madden & Clemson

At an unknown date before 1900, the file factory changed its name to Eagle File Co., or this may have been a labeling change. 

Eagle File Co., Middletown, by Gary S.

On 18 January 1900, Nicholson File Co. purchased Eagle File Co., formerly Madden & Cockayne File Co., with plans to continue operating the Middletown plant. Apparently this did not last long, and Clemson Brothers occupied the file works site for the next 100 years. On Google Street View below, the Wheeler, Madden & Clemson saw works is on the right and the first file works was on the left, where a faded sign reads "VICTOR SAW WORKS".  

Madden File Works, Railroad Ave. & Montgomery Ave. 

A 1905 announcement said that Madden & Morrison File Co., had just incorporated to manufacture files and rasps, and did not mention Nicholson File Co. Another article in 1906 said, "This is the business which was originally established by King, Cockayne & Co. in 1857, whose successors were consecutively Wheeler, Clemson & Co., Madden & Cockayne File Co., Eagle File Co., and Madden File Co." This article also did not mention Nicholson File Co. It's unknown whether Nicholson had closed its Middletown operation, retaining the old names for products made elsewhere. Madden & Morrison occupied 76-78 Dolson Ave., on the edge of town. This photograph from local historical society shows one of the buildings. Madden & Morrison copyrighted "Madden" as their file brand in 1921.

Madden file, picture from Gary S.

A 1922 announcement stated:
Will Operate File Works. Effective Dec. 1 the management of the Madden File Works which has been operated at Middletown, N. Y., since 1857 will be taken over by the R. H. Madden Co., Inc., succeeding the Madden & Morrison File Co.

1922, located at 76-78 Dolson Avenue.

By 1947, Nicholson File Co. had acquired the rights to use 3 variations of "Eagle" as trademarks for files. Nicholson made 2 grades of files labeled as Eagle File Company, with one being a close copy of  the Wheeler, Madden & Clemson "Warranted Eagle Files" label.

Eagle File Company by Nicholson

This article on William Clemson of Wheeler, Madden and Clemson includes more details on this interesting man.

*There were 2 earlier and unrelated Eagle File Works, in northern New Jersey and in Pittsburgh, PA, founded 1840. 

Save Edge

Save Edge, 360 West Church St., Xenia, Ohio offers file resharpening and makes files for laminate, chain saws, and farriers. Thank you to reader Gary for bringing this company to my attention, and for the photo.

From their website:

Save Edge means sharp and reliable, with lasting performance. This is the opinion of file users throughout the world. Since 1976 we have been giving  files the “edge” that professional craftsmen demand. Our goal is to provide the best quality products and service available.

Murcott & Campbell Co.

14 inch mill file

Murcott & Campbell Co. was a file maker in Manhattan and at 296 Union Ave., Brooklyn, NY. According to 1913 Congressional testimony, they were the largest US file maker at the time that cut files by hand. Heller Brothers Co. bought Murcott & Campbell Co. in 1944. I do not know if Heller continued making files with the Murcott & Campbell name.

The Iron Age Vol. 58, 1896

Murcott & Campbell boxes

1929 invoice

New York City property records 1909 

What To Look For When Buying Old Files

Thank you to Darrell, who emailed me with this request:
Do you think you could put together an article about what to look for when buying old files?

These cost $1 or $2 each. From top, mixed taper saw files, 12" Nicholson aluminum file, 8" Simonds, 8" Nicholson (mild wear), 12" Vixen  

This article describes how to choose old files at flea markets, yard sales, junk shops, or other places where used tools are sold. Please keep in mind that I am not a machinist, welder, or expert metalworker, and am relying on my self-taught experience and what I have read. For help identifying files, see this article by Paul Budzik.

Check for the brand or manufacturer’s stamp next to the tang. Avoid Asian files, which are inconsistent quality. Common Asian brands are JK and Sunflower. Others may just be labeled China or India. Some files are made in Mexico or South America, but I have no experience with those.

Check for signs of use or abuse. Shiny teeth will show where the file has been used. Taper saw files are a special case. They appear to have 3 sides but actually have 6 sides, with a very narrow row of teeth on each edge. These edge teeth are much more important than the flat sides. A taper saw file with wear on the flats may still be usable for filing saws.

Rust is the enemy of files, but you want to distinguish between surface rust and pitting rust. Surface rust, meaning light rust, can be removed by brushing, leaving the file usable again. Pitting rust will destroy the teeth, leaving the remaining teeth vulnerable to being sheared off in use.

Dirt and pinnings, meaning metal embedded in the teeth, can be removed by brushing or a sharp pointed object. Aluminum is especially difficult to remove. I use a small snap-blade knife, running it in between the teeth. A file is cleaned by brushing parallel to the teeth, preferably with a file card.

A bent tang is easily straightened in a vise, with pliers, or light hammering. The tang is not hardened.

Summary of acceptable files for use: made in USA, dirty, surface rust, light wear, bent tang.

Summary of unacceptable files for use: made in Asia, pitted rust, heavy wear (shiny or broken teeth), broken tang

Thank you to Thomas, a reader from New Jersey, who sent me 2 pictures with this to say:

Some of the bigger files in my collection.  Top two have handles I turned.  The others are mostly Skrooz-On brand, in the biggest sizes.   The German file has such a huge tang, it is in a dowel-filled piece of tubing with a motorcycle grip shoved on.  

I have 2 spares for the 20" which I consider a human-powered milling machine, and mostly use on aluminum.  All of these were gleaned from old hardware and mill supplies in NJ - all of which are now gone.  Most of these were "last one(s) in the box" and nobody buys them anymore deals.

The smallest tanged file I have is a 2" Swiss pattern round file, which looks like a big sewing needle.  I got that in a random batch from a now defunct jeweler's supply.  I have a few 3", many 4" and an uncounted number of 6" through 12". 

Simonds plant, Newcomerstown, OH, 2011