mo, were you able to put a file to the Barr chisel? I often take the soft steel off of my framing chisels with a file, so that I only have to work on the hard steel with the coarse diamond stone. The file won't touch the hardened steel on my chisels or slicks. I mostly use my slicks for working on large surfaces, like parts of a scarf joint. Sometimes for paring off tenons. Large tenons, like those on an anchorbeam, I use the broadaxe, the same as when they were built originally.