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StewMac has just come iwth a handle for your fret files

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... C_20201106

Seems like an interesting idea, especially for the thinner ones that want to flex. Does anyone have a solution they want to share?

Ed M

Don't force it?

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Pull, don't push.

I watched the video. Dan didn't use one.

It doesn't look like a bad idea, but for the price I would buy a few more fret files rather than the holders. It does look like something you could make in the shop easily enough if you were so inclined.You could cut a kerf in a piece of wood and make a long thin (removable) wedge to hold the nut file in place.
I usually saw the nut slots with various width kerf saw blades and use the nut files to smooth and refine the size of the slots. I don't force them.

When I make a nut, I go back and forth between the individual files a lot during the process. That means I would want to buy multiple handles so I wouldn't have to be constantly tightening and loosening four hex screws to swap the handle between files. For my file set, I would want three handles for the three thinnest, most flexible files. That's about $36.00.

I suspect that the handle would make it harder to see what's going on right at the nut since it would block the view from above and behind.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

That was my thinking also - swapping files in a single holder would be a PITA, which sways it to the make side of a "make or buy" decision. But so far I've lived without, so that could work too.