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You might want to read the Sticky thread called "BEFORE You Heat Treat Your First Knife" .
The file test is subjective, you can skate a file across a blade - which shows that the blade is hard - but it could still have lousy grain. Hardness isn't everything. You won't know much of anything about the grain until you break the blade.
Start with coupons and heat treat those. A coupon is simply a piece of blade steel 2" or 3" inches long with a notch cut into each side so that it resembles an hour glass. Faster and easier to make than a blade and cheaper too. When you think the grain is good then make a blade, test it hard, and then break it. Probably have to adjust your HT and try again but you should be close ...
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