Since the tool maker thread/name has begun to take on a life independent of it s title ,with the reference rasps, i thought it might be interesting to ask, just what does a professional farrier/horseshoer/blacksmith/iron hanger , expect and or desire in this tool that we call a rasp? if you say Quality: please explain Good Price/Value: please explain Sharp: please explain Finish: please explain who knows ,it might be helpful ray
Ray, The way I look at it is, I like my Save Edge Beast rasp, the extra wide and extra long model. I have a wider surface to get a hoof flat easier and faster and can dress the wall easier and flatter with less work with that wider surface. They seem sharp, leave a smooth finish, and last me about a month. I would buy a different brand if it were the same size or a bit bigger, just as sharp or sharper, lasted just as long or longer, and was less expensive. I'm really not hard to please.
first and foremost would be consistency in the tool itself. To me that means the same steel is used, the same heat treat and the machinery used to produce the rasp is well maintained. I have not found any manufacturer that has been willing to do this and the retail price doesn't seem to matter.
Brian, i think that retail price does matter, as an example stand on the side of the table that i stand on and 99 out of 100 1st questions about a p4roduct, esp a rasp or file is"how much". on of the things that i think happens is that manufacturers seeking to gain entry try to chase price of existing products and fail to calculate the cost of keeping the tight quality standards demanded despite the need to keep up quality. The mill tooth is to me a good example, when i 1st inquired bout it i was told by the manufacturer that they sell for around 121.00 usd in Europe, there was a time that i could purchase in the usa, make my profit,charge shipping back to Europe and have a product selling for less money than the European dealers. and that American pricing was based, I believe, upon American suppliers saying,no way would it be stocked because it would not sell to American Farriers for those prices. Now it is quite interesting to be told so often bout the lack of quality in all the rasps across the board from time to time. That i know of no dealers have ever been concerned with the cost to manufacture and maintain quality in a product, I would say only how much could be profited and how many could be sold. To this day I know of dealers who will not carry a product because it will hurt the sale of more profitable or perceived profit, and who could blame them, there job is to have inventory to sell and to go to the bank. these are some of the reasons that i believe "retail"does matter. ray
My point was that, without mentioning any names, a company trying to enter the market with a $66 rasp couldn't or wouldn't maintain consistent quality for very long. So there certainly isn't much of an incentive for a $24 dollar rasp company to care if the $66 rasp company doesn't.
I want it to be consistent, sharp and have a finish that wont leave lines. I also would like it to not plug up on the first horse or any horse for that matter. If it is going to cost $60 it better last more then twice as long as a $25 rasp. I would like a rasp that works all seasons as well. I want cake and I want to eat it too.
hell, even if these rasps were consistently crappy, at least you could plan or know what to expect...
I have never noticed any quality differences in the Save Edge Beast. It seems to give all the requirements asked for from every one above. Happy camper here.
So today I was a-raspin' with this discussion in mind, and found that there was no clogging on the wet muddy feet, The Beast seemed to clean it's self as I went along. Michael, I like to get a month out of a rasp, but if I have a bunch of money I don't know what to do with, I'll go just three weeks. I will contact the IT department as to a photo, but that means I'll have to find a hoof somewhere with a straight nail line and decent clinches.
20-30 a week Gary. A bit less in winter. Ten tomorrow. The daughter got a new camera, so I'll have photos soon
Bill, So estimating a four week month,therefore a 80 to 120 head per beast , as per your calculating...would you agree? Ray
Bill, must work in a dry environment. The beast I bought home last spring, just barely lasted 1 week (35 horses). I didn't get the value I expected and I found it too heavy for my liking
John, the Belottas we used at the track 3o yrs ago were wicked sharp but were fragile like glass. When I quit doing race horses I got away from using them. Just bought 50 Heller Legends; I hope that wasn't a mistake
