 AURIOU hand stitched rasps - precision shaping tools for woodAuriou's world renowned shaping tools from France are now available once again to the delight of craftsmen and tool connoisseurs from around the world.
They are being made at Forge de St Juery (FSJ) which is the new name for the old Auriou Toolworks. It is in the same forge as before with just 4 ex Auriou employees who wish to keep the tradition of fine toolmaking alive in this small corner of France.
FSJ's principal stitcher ("stitching" is the name of the technique of raising teeth onto a polished blank by means of a the drop of a rasp makers hammer onto a special barleycorn pick) is called Denis, he's a very hard worker and extremely skilled but try as he might he can only stitch 150 - 180 rasps each month. However - he now has some help! Since we started in 2008 Thierry, our very skilled grinder, has been quietly practising stitching under the tutelage of Michel Auriou, He is now sufficiently skilled to stitch the coarser rasps which gives us greater capacity to meet the ever growing demand. Our very experienced blacksmith (over 30 years a blacksmith) is called Bernard,
Quality control to ensure we make the best rasps is monitored by Michel Auriou. So, you can see we are a very small team! Please be patient if we are out of stock, we will do our very best to make your rasp worth any wait.
Our rasps are tapered to allow them to be used more easily and to add to their versatility. They are stitched to the tip and to the edges. Our initial range includes cabinet, modellers, rat tail, ironing & combination rasps.
FSJ rasps are produced for right handers but all can be handed for left handed use by special request - this is one of the unique features of our rasps.
Each individual cutting tooth is raised on a polished blank by the drop of a traditional rasp-makers hammer onto a special barleycorn pick. This gives a slighly random pattern to the cutting teeth resulting in a smoother finish to your work.
There are over 30 separate operations in making our rasps of which "stitching" is just one. The finer grade rasps will take a highly skilled stitcher like Denis as much as 90 minutes to complete. The blank is then heat treated by a special process used only by Forge de Saint Juery.
Rasps made by us have been used and appreciated by woodworkers all round the globe. By the violin makers in Cremona, Italy, by Sam Maloof and his 'boys' in his Californian workshop, planemaker Konrad Sauer, woodturners Michael Hosaluk, Jean Michel Escoulen & Mark Sfirri, Popular Woodworking's Chris Schwarz, Chairmaker's Brian Boggs & James Mursell, sawmaker Mike Wensloff, and many more, too numerous to mention. |
Care and Use InstructionsPlease download Use and Care instructions |
 Stitching GrainThe grain is on a scale of 1 -15 where 1 is super coarse (only every used in industrial special orders) and 15 is super fine. The grain is prefixed by the letter G. You will see that we are offering the 10" cabinet rasp as a Grain 15 special order item, this is very unusual. Most work is accomplished in the G5-13 range. The modellers 6" G15 rasp is a beauty for very delicate shaping works. |
Special Order NotesOrders that include (Special Order) rasps may add 2-5 weeks to the delivery time. Where combined with standard range tools the whole order will not be shipped until complete. These include the left handed options and some superfine cabinet rasps. |
HandlesOnce we fit our French walnut handles they are very difficult to remove. If you do not want your rasp handled then please advise by covering e-mail. |
 NEEDLE RASPS1/2 round, flat, rat tail and knife shaped needle rasps, very fine grain (14) for detailing work. Approximately 7-1/4" long with a 2-3/4" blade, these are well suited for making models or musical instruments and shaping keyholes or pierced carvings - anywhere a larger tool would be awkward or too aggressive. Stickmakers love using these for detailing work on their sticks.
All needle rasps are stitched grain 14 (very fine) The flat, 1/2 round and knife needle rasps have a 2 3/4" stitched area, 1/4" wide x 1/16" thick. |
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 THE "ALBI" COMBINATION FLAT RASP - Double sided tapered flat rasp, 2 grains, with one file edge & one safe edge.These are stitched on both sides with one "safe edge".
The rasp is thinner close to its tip to allow ease of entry into your workpiece. For flat and convex work only.
As normal, the longer the rasp , the coarser it is. We offer 2 sizes. The size shown are the rasp dimensions without the handle.
The ALBI Combination rasps represent an excellent investment for general work.
The 10" (250mm) long combo rasp is "stitched" grain 5 & 9 (coarse/medium) whilst the 8" (200mm) is stitched 11 & 14 (fine & extra fine). |
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 THE RAT TAIL RASP - Tapered round raspThis tapered round rasp is stitched to the tip and is useful for shaping round mortises or for creating a spiral on a goblet stem. Use with twist action to utilise all the teeth. 2 options here, the 6" long with max diameter of 1/4" and the 10" long rat tail with a max diameter of 3/8". Not available as a left handed option. |
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 ROUGHING RASP - 1/2 ROUNDThis is "the hog" to do the most amount of wood removal in the shortest possible time. 1/2 round section with grain 3 stitch, carried as usual all the way to the tip and to the edges. The "hog" reduces your band saw blank to more closely resemble to the shape you want (think cabriole leg, guitar neck, gun stock, decoy duck blanks etc). It is more agrressive than the wider grain 4 cabinet rasp which would be an alternative rasp for this kind of work.
NOTICE - OUT OF STOCK - SHIPPING FROM FEBRUARY 2010 |
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 THE CABINET RASP - Tapered, wide rasp with flat & convex sidesThese are the basic rasps used for general shaping work. They are relatively wide in proportion to their length - this gives you considerable cutting power and you will get achieve surprisingly smooth finishes to your work.
As a general guide you should chose a rasp which is 3/4 times longer then the width of the piece you are shaping.
As an example - For shaping guitar necks you should chose need either the 12" or 10" rasp before moving on to a smaller, finer rasp for more refined shaping.
Auriou rasps do not tear your edges so you can work to a line with the utmost confidence.
The coarsest grain for the cabinet rasp is the 12" grain 4 and this will remove a lot of material very efficiently. (1 is the coarsest grain - 15 is finest grain).
If you are buying your first rasp for general work then we would suggest 10" grain 9 cabinet rasp - it was the best seller in North America. If you need help deciding then please e-mail us for advice. |
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 MODELLERS RASPThese are similar to cabinet rasps but are not as wide relative to their length. This allows you to work in tighter spaces. They are for more delicate shaping work and complement the work done by cabinet makers rasps. Due to demand from our Welsh stickmaking friends we have now added a coarser 7" rasp to the modellers range.
NEW = MODELLERS 7" (175mm) RASP GRAIN 10 - AVAILABLE from June 2009 |
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 CURVED IRONING RASPS - Short rasp - stitched one side only - with cranked handleThese are very useful for working in small areas. The rasp is short and is curved along its length so you can enter your work easily.
The tang is cranked to allow knuckle clearance. |
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