Metal files are for filing and shaping metals while wood ones are for making patterns and cutting wood. Wood tools are also known as cabinet files or pattern makers. At first glance, both wood and metal files might look the same. But there are a few key differences between them. The first point of difference is that wood products are softer than metal files. Even though you can use metal files to shape hardwood, you cannot use wood files on metals. The teeth on wood files are generally much more pronounced than those on metal ones.