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Sharpen a hand saw with a file, or replace the blade

Updated: 22 October 2026

A tenon saw or a pruning saw that drags makes a £4.89 taper file look like the whole repair. Sometimes it is. Sometimes the gullet is the wrong shape, the blade is too hard, or the maker expects a screw-on replacement. This page stays with the WYZBEN feather-edge file, B07KGG1CZW, in the [saw blade sharpener comparison](/hub/saw-accessories/saw-blade-sharpener). The amazon.co.uk line on 20 October 2026 is 4.4 from 317 reviews. There is no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Carbide circular saws belong on the [TCT saw blade sharpening service](/hub/saw-accessories/saw-blade-sharpener/sub/saw-blade-sharpener-tct-or-service) page, not under this file.

A tenon saw or a pruning saw that drags makes a £4.89 taper file look like the whole repair. Sometimes it is. Sometimes the gullet is the wrong shape, the blade is too hard, or the maker expects a screw-on replacement.

Our top picks

WYZBEN WYZBEN feather-edge file

Best overall

WYZBEN WYZBEN feather-edge file
8.8/10about £4.89
View offer
Bahco Bahco IRSHARP-INS

Rank 2

Bahco Bahco IRSHARP-INS
8.8/10about £13.75
View offer
Draper Draper Storm Force 98486

Alternative

Draper Draper Storm Force 98486
7.2/10about £89.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Which hand saws this file is for
  2. 2.The listing does not state the file size
  3. 3.A thick file flattens the gullet
  4. 4.When to buy a blade instead

Which hand saws this file is for

The listing names hand saws, pruning saws, and pull saws. It is a push-stroke feather-edge taper in alloy steel, 15.2 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm and 100 g, with no vice. Manufacturer field: Xucus. UK lines are a minority. One sharpened a tree saw and avoided a £30 replacement. One liked it on a tenon saw. One UK buyer wore the edge on a 22 inch crosscut, and that saw is the skip. US and Canadian reviews say it is too thick for fine pull saws and leaves a flat gullet. Do not read 4.4 from 317 as a British verdict. The other tools are on the best saw blade sharpener page.

The listing does not state the file size

Teeth per inch and taper length are not on the card, so you cannot order this as a 6 mm file. Paul Sellers pairs handsaws around 6–10 tpi with an 8.5 mm file and tenon saws around 12–14 tpi with a 6 mm file, and he does not recommend filing finer than 16 tpi. That chart is not the WYZBEN specification. Seat this file in the gullet before a stroke. Wonkee Donkee and Jeff Gorman assume a vice. This box has none, so use a vice you own or a wooden kerf. A 12–14 tpi tenon saw is the tooth a UK review called well made. If you cannot see a gullet the corner will sit in, put the file down.
WYZBEN WYZBEN feather-edge file

Testsieger

WYZBEN WYZBEN feather-edge file
8.8/10about £4.89
View offer

A thick file flattens the gullet

The file face should be a little more than twice the tooth height, so the corner reaches the gullet. If it is thicker, the bottom goes flat, which is what US reviews describe on fine pull saws. This listing cuts on the push. Register the file in the gullet. If the corner will not seat, do not force it. A notch can continue. A flat means stop. This parcel is a taper file, not a round file. A file that left the handle is a fault in the parcel, not a technique.

When to buy a blade instead

Buy a blade when the file cannot cut the steel. The 22 inch crosscut that wore this edge is the first stop. Tinker and Fix say many pruning blades are too hard to resharpen. Silky Fox replace the Gomboy blade with one screw. A BuildHub thread on a Kent and Stowe saw settles on another saw at about £10–£15. A steel tree saw a file can still cut is the yes case. A hardpoint blade the maker says not to file is the stop. The word pruning on the listing does not override the maker. A TCT tooth and a Bahco insulation saw are other tools.

Common questions

Will this taper file sharpen my tenon saw?
It can, if the tooth is steel and the corner of the file seats in the gullet. A UK review in the amazon.co.uk file says it worked on a tenon saw and felt well made. The listing is a push-stroke feather-edge taper at £4.89. You still have to hold the saw. The box has no vice. If the file is too thick and the gullet goes flat, stop rather than finishing the blade.
What teeth per inch is the WYZBEN file?
The amazon.co.uk card does not state teeth per inch, file cut, or the taper length in millimetres. Dimensions are 15.2 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm and weight is 100 g. Paul Sellers’ chart, which pairs tpi bands with 6 mm and 8.5 mm files, is a method for looking at your saw. It is not this product’s specification. Check the file in the gullet instead of assuming a size.
What happens if the file is thicker than the gullet?
The gullet goes flat. Sellers’ check is that the file face should be a little more than twice the tooth height so the corner reaches the bottom. US reviews of this file describe that flat on fine pull-saw teeth. A flat gullet does not improve if you keep filing. Lift the file after a light stroke and look. If the notch has gone, the file is the wrong thickness for that saw.
Should I file a pruning saw or buy a new blade?
File it only if the teeth are steel the file can still cut, which is what one UK reviewer did on a tree saw. Buy a blade if the maker says the saw is not sharpened. Silky Fox replace the Gomboy blade with a screw. Tinker and Fix say many pruning blades are too hard to resharpen. A BuildHub consensus on one Kent and Stowe saw was to buy another for about £10–£15. Hardpoint and replaceable blades are the stop.
Are the 317 reviews from UK buyers?
No. The 4.4 from 317 is the amazon.co.uk star line. In the sample that was read, UK reviews are a minority. Many texts are from the United States, Canada, Australia, and the UAE. The UK lines cover a tree saw, a tenon saw, and a 22 inch crosscut that wore the edge. Do not treat the full count as British experience.

Related pages

Saw blade sharpener buying guide

Saw blade sharpener

Best saw blade sharpener UK: one pick, and one skip

How to use a circular saw blade sharpener on the bench

TCT saw blade: UK sharpening service or a home disc

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings stored for this comparison on 20 October 2026. Page updated 22 October 2026.

  1. Draper 98486 product page (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. Draper 98486 instruction manual (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. HSE HSG17: abrasive wheels and PUWER (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. HSE SR21: grinding dust at work (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. Saw-Tech: TCT versus HSS saw blades (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. Revivablade multi-tool blade sharpener instructions (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. Paul Sellers: saw files (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. amazon.co.uk listings B0B8N55PPB, B006TTX1SE, B0D3CDNRYM and B07KGG1CZW (retrieved 20 October 2026)