After using the file I like to use 240 grit sandpaper and then 400 or 600 grit.
Sometimes I use 0000 steel wool at the end.
What ever you do once it is sanded or wooled you should have a polished shiny look to the wood.
At this time many people think it is time to oil or varnish the wood.
Nothing could be worse to do in many cases.
You will find yourself putting on more and more coats to get that nice smooth look.
What I and many others do is what is called to whisker the wood.
What you do is wipe the wood down with a damp cloth and let it dry.
This will raise wood fibers that you dont see as they are embedded in the wood from sanding.
After it dries you will again feel as thought the wood wasn't sanded.
Sand or wool again and re-whisker the wood.
Keep doing this until you get no more whiskers.
Sand or wool one more time, clean and now you are ready for the oil.
The hickory handles I am doing lake about 3 whiskerings.
Some woods you will never get it to happen it is just too soft and open grained.
The oil I use is raw tung oil with japan drier or turpentine in it.
DO NOT let the rags you use to do this sit in a pile they can and will catch on fire.
I keep mine in a closed jar.
What they sell at homedepot lowes and other places called tung oil finish is not tung oil.
I remember my first experience with it, what a nightmare.
It isn't that it is a bad product it is the fact that I was following procedures for real tung oil.
Raw tung oil is non toxic and smells like nuts, because it is made from tung tree nuts.
Worth