If you're only going to buy one file for your jewellery making toolkit, this is the one. We've been using the Grobet half-round slim in our studio for years and they hold up exceptionally well. The cut quality is consistently good, the teeth stay sharp through a lot of use, and the slim taper makes it genuinely useful for the kind of detailed metal work jewellery making requires.

The half-round slim profile is what makes this hand file so versatile. The curved side is shaped to follow the inside of a ring, so you can file and smooth the interior without the file catching or leaving flat spots. The flat side handles the outside of rings, bezels, solder joins, and general shaping work. One file, two working surfaces, and between them they cover a huge amount of what you'll do at the bench.

The slim profile tapers to a point, which lets you get into tighter spaces than a regular half-round hand file would allow. If you're working on a narrow band or getting into a corner, that taper matters. For even finer detail work in very tight spaces, our Glardon-Vallorbe needle file set is worth looking at alongside this one.

This is a Cut 2, which is a medium-fine cut. It removes metal efficiently without being too coarse, making it a good all-purpose metal file for most general filing tasks. It leaves a surface that doesn't need a lot of cleanup before you move to emery paper.

This file is sold without a handle. You'll need the Twist on Wooden File Handle to use it, and it's worth keeping a File Cleaning Brush on hand to clear the teeth as you work.

Worth knowing:

• Half-round slim profile for filing both inside and outside of rings
• Cut 2 (medium-fine) for efficient metal removal and a clean finish
• Slim taper reaches into tight spaces a standard hand file can't
• Requires the Twist on Wooden File Handle (available separately)
• A File Cleaning Brush will extend the life of the file
• Also included in most of our jewellery tool kits including the Premium Jewellery Tool Starter Kit and the Ultimate Lost Wax Jewellery Tool Kit