how to use a skiver?

[rmr]

I have Heritage skiver- I think its fashined after the osborne model. I cant seem to skive anything worth a flip. I have sharpened the blade on a 1000 grit hone - as I try to pull the leather across the blade- the blade just doesnt want to cut into the leather- any advice???

RMR

[bruce johnson]

RMR,

It sounds like a blade edge problem to me, and a few things can cause it.

One is the edge may not be sharp enough to get a bite into the leather. We've all done it and especially on a new blade. You sharpen and strop, and thing everything is good. My problem with some is that I never quite got to the edge. I had a microscopic square or rounded front to the blade, and all my sharpening was above that. Once I have finished sharpening a splitter blade I test the edge on some scrap leather. It basically should fall through some firm leather held on edge. I make a few random slices. Then I stick it part way through a piece of scrap and draw and slice the rest of the way with the blade to feel for any dragging areas that indicate not as sharp along the width of the blade. I do it a few times. Wire edges can get you sometimes too. I have also had some blades I got so thin on the edge they chipped out. Putting a secondary microbevel helps with that. The other big thing I have seen on some of the used splitters I have gotten is a bit of bevel on the flat side of the blade. Even a very small microbevel can make it so some firm leather will ride down that bevel and the edge won't get a bite into the leather to start.

[Kevin]

Another possibility is the alignment of the blade over the roller. Too far forward, the leather just goes under the blade, too far back it will cut right through it. I think I got that right.

Don't get frustrated,

Kevin

[rmr]

RMR,

It sounds like a blade edge problem to me, and a few things can cause it.

One is the edge may not be sharp enough to get a bite into the leather. We've all done it and especially on a new blade. You sharpen and strop, and thing everything is good. My problem with some is that I never quite got to the edge. I had a microscopic square or rounded front to the blade, and all my sharpening was above that. Once I have finished sharpening a splitter blade I test the edge on some scrap leather. It basically should fall through some firm leather held on edge. I make a few random slices. Then I stick it part way through a piece of scrap and draw and slice the rest of the way with the blade to feel for any dragging areas that indicate not as sharp along the width of the blade. I do it a few times. Wire edges can get you sometimes too. I have also had some blades I got so thin on the edge they chipped out. Putting a secondary microbevel helps with that. The other big thing I have seen on some of the used splitters I have gotten is a bit of bevel on the flat side of the blade. Even a very small microbevel can make it so some firm leather will ride down that bevel and the edge won't get a bite into the leather to start.

[rmr]

Bruce- thanks for the insight-

do you use any type of jij to hold the blade while sharpening?? I use one when I sharpen plane blades but havnt been able to find one that will hold a thick and wide a piece of metal as this 8" skiver blade.

RMR

[tonyc1]

Bruce- thanks for the insight-

do you use any type of jij to hold the blade while sharpening?? I use one when I sharpen plane blades but havnt been able to find one that will hold a thick and wide a piece of metal as this 8" skiver blade.

RMR

I just reverse my blade and screw it down tight again and go from there.

Tony.