Skiving Very Hard Leather

[Schpacko]

Hi guys

First of all:

Have been lurking for a while, Great forum, lots of good advice and so many good folks. Thanks to all of you, i learned a lot.

So, here we go:

I'm pretty new to leathercrafting and i want to specialize in making belts. Since i'm from switzerland, i want to use a swiss leather. So i found this leather called "cowbell leather". According to the tanner, it has been stuffed with fats in hot air, and the fat is then being "burnt in", whatever that means. Its also rolled or compacted or something like that

Its pretty thick (about 5mm) and really, really hard and stiff (See last picture i attached). It gets much softer with use and i actually like the belts made out of this leather.

http://imgur.com/JAO8i

http://imgur.com/CFcZI

http://imgur.com/GxoD0

http://imgur.com/qeP2W

The problem is: SKIVING. It's incredibliy hard to skive, its almost like wood.

Is there anything i can do to increase the workability? The only real skiving tool i have is the super skiver from Tandy.

Do i have to take a completely different approach? A planer?

thanks in advance

[Art]

Hi,

First of all I will preface by saying that you have to experiment with any new leather.

That being said, you may be able to take some advice from the bootmaking trade. When skiving leather (soling leather) that has been compressed a lot (jacked hard) you wet the leather pretty thoroughly then skive. If you are just doing a small part, try soaking that portion in 50/50 isopropyl alcohol and water (most of it (isopropyl) is already 30% water so add about 20% more water). If you are doing light colored leather, water marking can be a problem, so try different things.

Art

Hi guys

First of all:

Have been lurking for a while, Great forum, lots of good advice and so many good folks. Thanks to all of you, i learned a lot.

So, here we go:

I'm pretty new to leathercrafting and i want to specialize in making belts. Since i'm from switzerland, i want to use a swiss leather. So i found this leather called "cowbell leather". According to the tanner, it has been stuffed with fats in hot air, and the fat is then being "burnt in", whatever that means. Its also rolled or compacted or something like that

Its pretty thick (about 5mm) and really, really hard and stiff (See last picture i attached). It gets much softer with use and i actually like the belts made out of this leather.

http://imgur.com/JAO8i

http://imgur.com/CFcZI

http://imgur.com/GxoD0

http://imgur.com/qeP2W

The problem is: SKIVING. It's incredibliy hard to skive, its almost like wood.

Is there anything i can do to increase the workability? The only real skiving tool i have is the super skiver from Tandy.

Do i have to take a completely different approach? A planer?

thanks in advance