45$ for a sriber and a small file are we serious?

Try Micro-mark (micromark.com). g.l.

Try www.MSCdirect.com , they have tons of tools. Their book is over 3000 pages long and they have it on CD too (just ask). I go to the drug store for files (nail files) tweezers, clippers and other tools...

I will throw in my 5 cents worth, i have got some things here from some cheap shops, like plain files, needle files, rattail files and curved files plus some from my wife her emery files, not one set has cost me more than $4 to$5 here plus also have nippers too for cutting parts from sprue all under $5 each so i think ive got it easier than you do in the U.S.A.
been using them for more than 18 years now still in perfect order.
regards
Sean Sewell

My favorite scribe is a micro chisel blade held in a small tool handle that is supposed be holding pecision screw drivers. I got it at Big Lots for $1.99. I was there last weekend and bought a 18 X 26 inch self healing hobby mat for $7.99 and a neat mirco file set with handles for $2.00(they are very nice, I like them much better than a more expensive set I have)!

try a place called j & l industrial supply there web site is jlindustial.com , also you can try a company called grizzly industrial , theres is grizzly.com
hope this helps.

I buy a lot of tools for the hobby at wood or metal tool supply houses, and seem to avoid the 'hobby markup' usually.

Also some good ideas on creative tooling here, thanks guys!

I bought a set of 3 dental picks on e-bay fro $2.99, and Radio Shack has a good set of precison files (5 in the set) for 6.49. Even with shipping I have less than $13.50 in both sets.

I get my scribes from my dentist for free. He even gives me oldd rill bits and teeth files. It dosen't hurt to ask... well it might if you faven't been in for a while.

The back edge of a #11 blade works great as a scribing tool.
Remember, if the word "hobby" is used, that equals a 300% price increase.
At a hardware store, they're just tools.
Ray

Get a catalog from an industrial supply company (e.g. W.W. Grainger, Travers, etc...) and you can buy some steel tool stock and grind any type of scriber you like. You will need access to a grinding wheel -anyone who is into tools should be able to help you with this. these catalogs are a great source of moderately priced, high quality tools.

Well, there is something a little bit fishy about 'specialist' tools and materials prices when you stop and look at them...

I mean for instance, a tin of 14ml Humbrol paint retails at £1 here (that's $1.60 to you in the US). Well, that makes it $114.28 per litre... That's $519.51 a gallon...

It does pay looking around and compare prices!

I wouldn't pay it, either, unless they were diamond tipped with gold inlays. I just purchased both of those tools for less than $20 TOTAL, and that was for a full set of 10 jewelers files. Caveat emptor.

demono69