9 Shinto Saw Rasp

Didnt know what to expect as Ive never owned a rasp before - but this one came highly rated. After getting to know this tool over the past weeks, Im amazed at what it can do. The design is incredibly functional and efficient. Ergonomics are good, all things considered. Both the rough and finer faces are quite sharp and the tool is overall very sturdy and well-made. Ive used it so far on pine, cherry, and oak and it has performed flawlessly - eats through all of them, soft and hardwood, without any hesitation or difference in effort. Some reviewers noted that the stiffness of the overall unit ( wooden handle connection with metal rasp) eventually loosens - I havent experienced this so far. I plan to do a long-term review after Ive really put it through the paces on an upcoming furniture build. So far, a great tool at a reasonable price!

With a rough side and a fine side, this thing can buzz through material with little effort. I could favorably compare this with an angle grinder for stock removal, but with more control because you have manual control of the pressure and speed youre using.

Ok, this is a pretty cool idea. I build primitive wooden bows and have years of experience working wood with a variety of hand tools. Once I lay down the carpenters ax, its all about the rasp for me in bow building. I typically use a farriers rasp, then a fine Nicholson #49. Sometimes I follow that with a small 4-in-hand before I move onto scrapers. I bought this rasp along with a Stanley Surform to provide a breadth of experience in the use of various tools in a bowmaking class that I am teaching. My impression after my first few uses of the Shinto Rasp are very favorable. It looks and feels very well made. It is light in the hand and removes wood very well without tearing out the grain or gouging the wood. Its aggressive, but smooth and easy to handle. It was instructive to watch the first-timers handle the different rasps. First the farriers rasp, then the Surform, then the Shinto. The Shinto got all the Ooohs and Aaahs. The farriers rasp ($20) is effective for roughing off lots of wood, but its long, heavy, harder to handle, and more likely to tear out wood. The Surform ($11) seems very cheaply made, like the cheese grater it resembles, and it snags and tears at the wood. It may work for rough shaping if you use a vise and both hands. One advantage is that the cheese grater design wont clog with wood. Ill know more soon. The Shinto ($33) is lighter and better quality. You can use both hands and the coarse side to remove lots of wood fast, or one hand and the fine side for smoothing and finishing. It doesnt hang up, tear out chunks, or leave gouges. It wont clog at all. The Nicholson #49 ($60) is also awesome. Same sort of advantages as the Shinto with the added advantage of 1 flat side and 1 rounded. It will clog. But I hear that they are not as well-made as they used to be. Your next step up would be an upscale rasp from a woodworkers supply ($100). Ouch. I look forward to using the Shinto more and exploring its potential. Right now, I feel like I will pick it up over the farrier or the surform. The only real disadvantage is that there is no curved surface. The narrowness and curved side of the #49 keep it in my starting lineup for shaping curvy areas. But the wide flat face of the Shinto is great for most applications. Combined with its aggressive, smooth cutting, choice of fine and coarse sides, no clog design and good price, the Shinto will probably wind up on my very short A-list of must have tools.

My brother has one , so I had to get one and I love it came in handy for school projects especially for trimming foam boards

Excellent tool, better surface finish than I expected, very easy to use and controll.

This is absolutely the best rasp that I have used to date. Easy to clean and runs threw the hardest of lumber like butter. I love it and would recommend it to everyone. 5 Stars!!!

Works well

I do not do a lot of woodworking, but Ive done enough to know when something works - and this thing is awesome! I read some of the reviews, but was skeptical - if you are doing any type of wood working project that needs shaping or even adjustments, do yourself a favor and order this! I l almost never bother writing reviews, but in this case, felt I had to.

I bought this on a whim but now love it. At a house move in a few months ago many doors were just a bit off. I used to use a hand plane to shave door tops, but this tool blows the plane away. It takes away a lot of material without collateral damage.

Brilliant tool, works better than I could possibly imagine. Not so great for inside a curve - swap to a rounded file for that- but this did a great job on a mahogany guitar body, didnt split the wood at all and the fine side left with a surprisingly good end that was easy to finish.