Sarmaticus Report post Posted June 5, 2009 Hi all, I've got a little problem with a leatherworking term that I'm translating from Polish. It appears in a passage about forging documents during WW2, where resistance agents in Poland would cut out sections of pages from a passbook then *smooth down* the edges and then paste in a patch - also with a *smoothed down* edge. The writer compares the smoothing of the edges and subsequent glueing to leatherworking practice. In Polish the word for *smoothing off* the edge is zszarfowac'. I can't find this in any dictionary, on-line or off. Thanks for any help! Sarmaticus Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Johanna Report post Posted June 5, 2009 It sounds like the verb "skive" in English. A tool to do this is a "skiver". It means to "scrape off some of the inner edge to make the item lay more flat." I will ask my dad (who speaks Polish fluently) if he has anything he can add. Let us know what you find out. Johanna Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dbusarow Report post Posted June 5, 2009 Just a guess but given the context I bet it is referring to skiving. So it would be thinning down the edges rather than smoothing them. Or both actually. Thin then smooth. Dan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rdb Report post Posted June 5, 2009 I can't come up with that word in any Polish dictionary. But I did find these... wypolerować - burnish ugłaskac,UGŁASKIWAĆ- smooth down MIZDRZYĆ SIĘ; SZPALTOWAĆ - skive smooth: RÓWNY; GŁADKI; PŁYNNY; OŚLIZGANY; ŁAGODNY V GŁADZIĆ; PRZYGŁADZAĆ; UGŁADZAĆ; UGŁADZIĆ; WYGŁADZIĆ; WYGŁADZAĆ; OBRÓWNAĆ; ZESTRUGIWAĆ; ZESTRUGAĆ; PRZYLIZAĆ; WYPROSTOWAĆ; WYPROSTOWYWAĆ; WYMUSKAĆ; WYMUSKIWAĆ; CYZELOWAĆ; WYCYZELOWAĆ; ROZCHODZIĆ; ŁAGODZIĆ slick: SLICK A ZRĘCZNY; ZGRABNY; SCHLUDNY; SPRYTNY N F TŁUSTA PLAMA; M PRZYSIEK V PRZYWIEŚĆ DO PORZĄDKU; WYGŁADZIĆ; WYGŁADZAĆ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarmaticus Report post Posted June 5, 2009 Thanks folks! I think 'skiving' must be the word. I've been puzzling over this word for weeks. A quick post here and a few hours later I get an answer to the riddle. Just to tie up the loose ends: does the phrase 'the edges would be skived to nothing' make sense? Thanks again, Sarmaticus Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dbusarow Report post Posted June 5, 2009 Thanks folks! I think 'skiving' must be the word. I've been puzzling over this word for weeks. A quick post here and a few hours later I get an answer to the riddle. Just to tie up the loose ends: does the phrase 'the edges would be skived to nothing' make sense? Yep. Dan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Craw Report post Posted June 6, 2009 (edited) Hey Sarmaticus! You might also see the term, skive to a "feather's edge" which means the same as skive to "nothing." Other than that, I can't help with the Polish. I can barely handle English! Mike Edited because I can't type either! Edited June 6, 2009 by Mike Craw Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
