Forward vs. drag filing action comparison - video

[Toolmaker51]

Frank, it must have been someone else who made a knife with a leather handle, although I’ve made a drawknife from a file. To lose a knife your father made, presume it was stolen, would have been really annoying. I had a penknife swiped from where I was working, one I’d fixed. Have I forgiven the bloke I think had it? God help me, hardly!

"Forgiveness", looked up "origin of...". There is all kinds of contradictory theorizing of when and where it formed. Anyway Forgiveness, not regarding the noble gesture, the give part doesn't work for me, being post of Fore. There should be a requirement to earn it, to initiate forgiving.
I had a friend since we were in 4th grade, right up to last September. Until same person misunderstood and mischaracterized sincere suggestions regarding grief. Same person well known for holding a grudge, it's apparent being stubborn is what makes that work. Not admitting guilt can't be much different.

[Frank S]

I don't and won't drag files, regardless results of automated test.
People don't push in direct reciprocation, equally consistent pressure, or parallel to the file itself. Proper filing angles just less or more than angle of the teeth, partly reason file widths and lengths vary. The only file regularly used 'square' is the lathe file, which has severely (in comparison) angled teeth and safe edges to not alter corners
I separate files for brass from those for other materials.
Like Frank S, knocked down surfaces that wouldn't seal before, not engines, but various industrial pump faces. No choice when it won't fit a machine, or on location.
The better and selected files are stored not in contact with each other, and will chamfer a corner that passes for being hand sanded 250 grit or better. That kind of work was common in tool work, molds, dies, fixtures, prototypes etc.
Long files have a better working life because the wear is distributed over greater area.

The 'system' of filing as taught by Swiss, German and Belgian (3 most prevalent) is how I started, and still use; having 95% of the files I started with.

Once , caught a guy working for me at the time, using one of my files like a bow on a fiddle, and the music he was trying to make sounded horrible to my ears. First off it was not a high end file, just one of those bastard cuts on one side and rasp on the other you find in the bargain bin. Really poor excuse of a rasp for wood and even poorer as a metal file but it had its uses at times mostly for dressing up the edges or removing quantities of excess. plastic left over from a molding process. Here he was sawing away on the edge of a piece of 10 ga metal using the rasp side trying to remove a torch bur.
Dude do us all a favor #1 learn how to use a torch, #2 find a chipping hammer or a chisel or one of my old dull files that I have ground the end to a chisel edge stop abusing our ears with your rendition of the Devil's in the house of the rising sun.

[Toolmaker51]

Files, hacksaws and bandsaws, the Abuse of Shop Equipment poster children, most often by those who aren't buying files and blades.

[Frank S]

Files, hacksaws and bandsaws, the Abuse of Shop Equipment poster children, most often by those who aren't buying files and blades.

The same can be said for almost any piece of shop equipment, flat tipped screwdrivers as prybars rank very high on the list.