Crystal Glass Foot File 6 mm, red-purple case

A file for shaping nails and smoothing hardened skin, washable and reusable — unlike disposable emery boards, which lose their bite within weeks.

This one has two abrasive surfaces — worth checking against what you already own, since that detail decides which jobs it does well.

Made in Solingen — the German town that has produced blades for six centuries and whose name is legally reserved for instruments finished there. The edge is put on by hand and checked before the piece leaves the workshop.

Rinse after use and dry before putting it away. Stored dry in its case, an instrument like this stays sharp for years rather than months.

The included case is genuine leather, with each instrument held in its own loop so the blades do not knock together in a drawer or a suitcase.

It also makes a straightforward gift. A hand-made German instrument in a leather case reads as considered rather than last-minute, and it suits birthdays, Christmas, Father's Day or a wedding equally well — there is no size to guess and no taste to second-guess.

• Made in Solingen, Germany
• Length 6 mm
• Sharpened and checked by hand
• Genuine leather case included
• Colour: red

Photography is illustrative. Finish, leather grain and set contents may vary from the images shown.

Dry the instrument after contact with water and return it to its case. Stainless steel resists corrosion but is not immune to it, and standing moisture dulls an edge faster than actual use.

The instrument can be sterilised. A forged edge holds its cut for years of regular use; when it finally softens, any competent sharpening workshop can reset it.

Orders placed before 2 pm EST ship the same business day. Shipping within the United States is $5.99, and free on orders over $100.

Thirty days to return an unused instrument in its original packaging.