Looking for Some Decent Rasps on a Budget

I have been using these 10in rasps that are in your price range. I have not used any high end rasps so I can’t compare, but they are much better than any machine cut rasps I have used. I would consider them coarse.

-- Scott Smith, Southern Illinois

Love me some Shinto rasp, one side is coarse and the other is fine & it works well.
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=65692&cat=1,42524

The basic $20 Iwasakis cut very fine compared to the
patternmaker’s rasps I have (Nicolson). I started with
the pair of cheapest ones and then acquired 1 fine
3/8” straight one to refine joints (getting down in
mortises to taper them for wedges) then a curved
half-round one for sculpting round inside areas.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=63451&cat=1,42524

The Japan Shinto saw rasps are very aggressive and stay
sharp for a long time. Not available in anything but
flat though. They stay sharp a long time compared
to Microplanes, which I stopped buying when I discovered
they didn’t stay sharp long.

I have the rat-tail version of that Lee Valley rasp mentioned
by SASmith. It’s pretty aggressive and while it cuts predictably,
it leaves marks than can take awhile to file out. It also
is easy to mistakenly damage work with it if you aren’t
careful. I use it on classical guitar pegheads and I am
very cautious with it.

I’ve invested in Iwasaki, very pleased.

I have a set of Pfeil rasps from Traditional Woodworker:
http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/Rasp-and-File-Set-8-pc-w-Leather-Roll-File-Card-Made-in-Germany/productinfo/825-0017/

Per piece it works about to your budget. They’re quite good.

-- ian | "You can't stop what's coming. It ain't all waiting on you. That's vanity."

http://www.amazon.com/Four-Hand-Shoe-Rasp-8/dp/B003CPGEVY I find this rasp the most useful although I do have others.

I have the Dragon Rasps from Stewmac.com. It is a Luthier tool site. They are amazing and perfectly in your price range. It is hand cut like the expensive ones and the shape and taper is really nice. I have carved a couple instrument necks with them. It’s hard for me to imagine a better quality to price ratio. I have a Coarse and a Fine. I find I almost always use the Fine one. The Coarse is a little grabby, but it removes a lot of wood.

-- Cypress Jake, New Orleans

Best bang for buck are the Iwasaki Carving Files, Shinto Saw Rasp and Dragon Rasp. The Dragon comes to a point making it uncomfortable to hold with 2 hands. A bit of painters tape on the tip really helps. The Iwasakis are amazing – sharp and cuts smoothly….........Wes

-- "After a year of doing general farmwork, it was quite clear to me that chickens and I were not compatible"-George Nakashima

That dragon rasp looks really cool. I might add that one onto the wish list. Seems like with a combo of that and the Iwasakis you’d be pretty set. After reading explanations of the iwasakis and the dragon rasps, it sort of seems they might have some different applications. I might just NEED to get both. ;)

-- The Wood Is Your Oyster