Buying Guide · Grit & Shape

Nail File Grit Guide: 80/100, 100/180 and 180/240 Explained

Grit is the one line on a nail file spec that changes what the product is for. This guide explains what the numbers mean, which pair suits which customer, and exactly how to write grit into an order so your sample and your bulk run match.

7 min read Updated 22 September 2026 Written by the workshop

The Short Answer

Lower Number, Coarser Face —That Is The Whole Rule

A grit number describes how coarse the abrasive is, not how good the file is. A lower number removes more material and is used for shaping and shortening. A higher number removes less and leaves a finer edge, which is what you want at the end of the job. A two-sided file is written as a pair —100/180 means one face is 100 grit and the other is 180 —so one item covers two steps of the same routine.

The Three Pairs We Run

What Each Pair Is For

These are the standard grits in our own range. The pairs below are what the two faces of a single file are usually combined as.

80/100 —coarse: Shaping and shortening hard material: acrylic, gel and extensions, plus files that see heavy salon use. The pair to add when your accounts do sets rather than natural-nail care.
100/180 —all-round: The pair most distributors order, because one side shapes and the other refines. If you are stocking a single nail file and you do not know your customer mix yet, this is the pair to start with.
180/240 —fine: Edge refinement and finishing on natural nails, and the last step before buffing. This is the pair for ranges aimed at home users and manicure kits.
Single grit: Occasionally ordered when a file is meant for one job only, or when the second face carries print rather than abrasive. Confirm the second face in writing, because "single grit" can mean a blank face or a different grit.
Buffers: Buffer blocks work the same way but stack more steps on one item —a four-sided block usually runs coarse, medium, fine and a smooth face for the final shine. See the buffer block range for the formats we make.
Not on this list: If your range needs a pair we have not listed, say the number and the use case. Grit is set per order, so the answer is usually yes.

Matching Grit To Channel

Three Buyers, Three Pairs

Salon supplier

Lead with 100/180 as the working file, then add 80/100 for accounts doing acrylic and gel. Salons reorder files as consumables, so the pair they rebuy is the one worth stocking deepest.

Retail and pharmacy chain

180/240 reads as gentle, which suits a home-use shelf. Coarse files sell to professionals, and a retail shopper is rarely shopping for 80 grit.

Private label program

Pick the pair that matches the use case on your packaging copy. If the sleeve says "for natural nails", a coarse pair is a mismatch you will hear about from customers rather than from us.

How To Specify It

Writing Grit Into An Order

Most grit problems are ordering problems rather than production problems. Four details settle it, and all four belong in the first inquiry so the quotation and the sample are built on the same spec.

Grit is set per order on our catalogue styles, and it is one of the points confirmed on the sample before bulk production starts. Sampling takes 7–15 days and is quoted separately; bulk then runs 15–30 days after order confirmation.

State the pair: Write it as 100/180 rather than "medium", and say which face is which if the print or the packaging implies an order of use.
Say what the customer does: "Salon, acrylic work" and "retail, natural nails" lead to different pairs. The use case tells us when the number and the intention disagree.
Confirm it on the sample: Check the grain is even across the face, that there are no bare patches at the edges, and that the two faces are the pair you asked for.
Keep it in the repeat spec: Record the pair next to the style number, so the second order does not drift into a different grit by accident.

FAQ

Grit Questions

The four questions buyers ask most about grit, answered short. Anything else, ask us directly.

Browse Nail Files More Guides

Does a higher grit number mean a better nail file?

No. The number describes abrasive coarseness, not quality. A 240-grit face is fine and an 80-grit face is coarse; both are correct for different jobs, and both can be made well or badly.

What does 100/180 mean on a nail file?

It is a two-sided file: one face carries a 100-grit abrasive and the other a 180-grit abrasive. The coarser face shapes, the finer face refines, so one file covers two steps.

Which grit should a salon supplier stock?

100/180 is the pair most distributors order, because it covers shaping and refining in one item. Coarse 80/100 is added for accounts doing acrylic and gel work, and 180/240 for natural-nail finishing ranges.

Can grit be changed on a catalogue style?

Yes. The grit pair is set per order on our catalogue styles, which is one of the reasons a sample is confirmed before bulk production.

Next Step

Specify Grits And Get A Quote

Send the pairs you want, the shapes and quantity per style, and the destination. We reply within 24 hours on business days with prices and lead time.

MOQ 1,000 pcs per style
Own design 1,000–3,000 pcs
Production 15–30 days
Sampling 7–15 days

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