Can you really fix a dull file though? I mean, maybe it's just me but I feel like once a file is shot it's shot. I've tried sharpening them before and it never works right, just makes them worse. I end up just tossing them and grabbing a new one. Idk, maybe I'm just not patient enough but it sounds like you had more luck with yours.

Man, I gotta disagree with you on this one. I've been using the same cross peen for close to ten years and I can move metal just fine with it. The trick isn't the shape of the face, it's how you swing and where you hit. I watched a guy forge a full set of tongs with a 1.5 pound ball peen once, just took him longer and he had to be more careful. Switching to a heavier hammer can hide bad technique, especially if you're just trying to muscle the metal down instead of reading it and working it right.