Why Use A Round Knife?

[barehandcustoms]

Most of the professional leather makers I know have a round head knife that they are just head over heels for but I have always used a Roberts Big Fatso Carpet Knife. I love the angled down razor blade and large handle for grip. I just throw a new razor blade in every so often and it glides right through leather like butter. I have come close to buying a round head knife several times just because thats what everyone else is using but I don't understand the benefits that justify the price.

What are the benefits of using a round blade over a regular razor utility knife?

Are the benefits of a nice round knife worth the extra cost and time spent keeping it sharp?

[Hi Im Joe]

I use a head knife for making scallop cuts as well as cutting tight curves. You can basically use just the tip of the knife to maneuver around tight spots.

For straight cuts I use a normal non adjustable stanley knife and it works great.

[Bob Blea]

There are a couple of reasons I would say the round knife is better than the razor blade. First off I feel I have more control pushing the knife away from me, and I feel safer that no part of my body is in the path of the knife. I'm not familiar with your particular type of knife but with a standard utility knife you're always pulling towards yourself. I also feel I have more control when making small scalloped cuts or curves like Joe says above. A round knife also allows you to make a roll cut, where you roll the round part of the blade forward to make a cut which is sometimes really helpful when cutting short straight lines. Also, the round knife can be turned on it's side and used for skiving leather, which you just can't do with a razor blade.

Finally if you have a good steel in your blade you don't have to do much maintenance on it. I have a Leather Wrangler round knife and I rarely need to do much more that strop it occasionally, so maintaining the edge isn't much of a problem.

[papaw]

I like the round knife for the ease of cutting thicker leather and long lines just works better for me as I can stay right up against my edge guild with a thicker heaver blade than a thin blade wobble off a little its happen to my times before with razor knife. Also love the sharpness that I can get it too skiving and use of the differ edges /or parts of the blade.

Edited June 20, 2014 by papaw

[JoeSnuffie]

I prefer mine because I can skive very easily with it and it's perfect for cutting out smaller thin pieces with straight lines, like wallet pieces. I mark the cut lines on the flesh side then place rock the round knife from one end to the other. This produces a straight cut without the dragging you sometimes get when dragging a blade.

[billybopp]

I think about getting a round knife now and then, and know that I'd love some of the things to be done with it. At least for a time. Then I remember how much I like my fingers they way they are. I'm just too accident prone to trust myself with one! LOL!

Bill

[JoeSnuffie]

When I first made my knife I sliced the tips of my fingers a lot as I got used to it. I'm happy to report that there hasn't been any blood spilled in over a week.

[Macca]

I like to roll the knife while pushing through the leather, means no dragging/distorting the leather (especially on soft leather), properly sharpened it cuts so easily compared to a stanley knife, very little effort required.

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

I'd close the shop if someone took my round knives. I do keep a razor skife on the bench, but for cutting and most skiving I use the round knives. I have one that's my favorite and use it 95% of the time. Making cuts with a razor blade just don't work for me; can't make a nice, smooth, straight cut. I think the main issue that people have who have trouble using a round knife, is that they think it is sharp and it really isn't. It needs to be scary sharp. Should be able to shave hair off your arm with it, and not big gorilla hairy arms--it should be able to shave girl arms! It is fun to use a round knife that is that sharp, and it requires care to keep it that way. I've cut myself with razor type blades and my little "clicker" knife or pattern knife with the removable blade, many more times than I've ever cut myself with a round knife, and they don't get used nearly as much as the round knives.

[billybopp]

Does anybody have experience with using a kevlar glove in leatherwork? They've made inroads into kitchens in the last couple of years, and supposedly they work well to prevent slicing cuts. They are probably useless for pokey sharp things, but might work well for slicey sharp thing.

Bill

[papaw]

I have a set but use to cut deer up I would not be able to use cutting leather unless it was straps or something like that.

[barehandcustoms]

So tempted to just buy a good one now.....

I get the itch to make some knives every few months but I doubt I'll make a round knife.

Edited June 22, 2014 by barehandcustoms

[JoeSnuffie]

So tempted to just buy a good one now.....

I get the itch to make some knives every few months but I doubt I'll make a round knife.

I was going to buy one but I hate buying something I can make. My first try was with a stainless paint scraping knife but it didn't hold an edge for long. I ordered a 5.25" round industrial fabric cutting wheel made of high speed steel. With my dremel, belt sander, piece of steel and wood for a handle and tin solder to hold it together, I made a great round knife. It's perfect for me and that high speed steel blade gets as sharp as the straight razor I shave with and holds an edge for a long time. The fabric cutting wheel cost me $16 shipped and will make 2 or 3 round knives depending on the style you need.

[Colt Hammerless]

Do you have a picture of that knife?

[Tesla Ranger]

Does anybody have experience with using a kevlar glove in leatherwork? They've made inroads into kitchens in the last couple of years, and supposedly they work well to prevent slicing cuts. They are probably useless for pokey sharp things, but might work well for slicey sharp thing.

Bill

I've never used a kevlar glove in leatherwork but I use one frequently when carving (wood, not leather). They will certainly prevent nicks, gouges, and lacerations but they'll do nothing to stop a puncture since they're fairly porous. I don't know if they come in pairs but the one I have just fits over the left hand on the assumption that the right hand will be holding a knife. You could always make a pair of them though just by buying one for the left hand and one for the right.

They don't limit your dexterity as much as you might think, but they do get pretty warm. And since they're more of a kevlar mesh than a kevlar fabric any sweat or oils from your hand are probably going to get onto the surface of your leather with any amount of handling. I can certainly see the argument that a few errant fingerprints might be preferable to a few errant bloodstains though. If you want to try them out, I think I got mine from a chain called Woodcrafts for probably around $20.

[BAD HIDE]

I was going to buy one but I hate buying something I can make. My first try was with a stainless paint scraping knife but it didn't hold an edge for long. I ordered a 5.25" round industrial fabric cutting wheel made of high speed steel. With my dremel, belt sander, piece of steel and wood for a handle and tin solder to hold it together, I made a great round knife. It's perfect for me and that high speed steel blade gets as sharp as the straight razor I shave with and holds an edge for a long time. The fabric cutting wheel cost me $16 shipped and will make 2 or 3 round knives depending on the style you need.

A good round knife is a work of art. I can't speak from experience, as I only have a couple old Osbornes from snatching up old tool sets, but I drool over what some of the pro knife makers on this forum can do. There are some tools I can make, but knives are a specialty that I'd rather leave to an expert.

Does anybody have experience with using a kevlar glove in leatherwork? They've made inroads into kitchens in the last couple of years, and supposedly they work well to prevent slicing cuts. They are probably useless for pokey sharp things, but might work well for slicey sharp thing.

Bill

As Tesla said, they get hot. I think with leatherworking though, I'm just more careful with knives. If I'm butchering a deer or something, I'm moving pretty fast and that knife is hacking it's way through meat just to get it apart. A cut that's 1/4" off isn't a big deal. Proper use of leatherworking knives are much slower. All cuts are done away from you, in a controlled and accurate manner through harder material. 1/4" is a huge mistake, and will probably mean the project is ruined. Developing good habits and being conscious of where your left hand is will be better off than relying on a safety device that hinders some of your grip and tactile feel of the work. There will be blood, but hell, this isn't stamp collecting. Every injury I've received was my own damn fault, and it's a lesson I don't revisit too often anymore.

[JoeSnuffie]

I'm certainly no pro but this thing is perfect for me. It's the right length, width and the handle fits my hand. Might not be pretty, but it does the job well.

Edited June 23, 2014 by JoeSnuffie

[rawcustom]

There's a sticky over in leather tools where some guys made head knives. Sounds like you've made knives before so depending on your setup, a head knife may not require a lot on your part. Like anything it all comes down to what your time is worth to you. If you have time and resources (skill helps) than you can get by. If you find you're better off paying someone else for their time so you can spend yours on others projects than guys like me can help. I have to admit the only head knife I made was my own, but I've been itching to make another. After making mine I got caught up in the leather tool knives and went on to make my own skiver and trim knife as well. In fact I have my new trim knife tempering right now since I sold my last one. So maybe if you make your own you'll end up like me and find yourself making a few specialty knives for the trade...rather than leatherworking, only so much time in the day. And as far as the head knife vs the stanley, after you get to using one you'll find it has its perks.

[Handstitched]

G'Day,

I guess every leather worker has their own personal preference of tools , but the knife that I prefer is a Kingchrome folding knife. (see pic)

God gave me small hands, so this knife suits me just fine.

I can get into all the 'nooks & crannies' of cutting a pattern. Its sturdy & can take a lot of pressure cutting heavy leathers

The blades are safely & easily changed, and, I have also noticed that the KC brand of blades seem to last longer than some others. I do sometimes use a stone to extend their life.

I have tried using a round knife, but I just found it a bit too big.

HS

[barehandcustoms]

This is the Roberts Fatso Utility knife I was referring to in the original post.

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/utility-knife-big-fatso/938040

I just love that donward angle razor blade and the fat round handle.

[Colt Hammerless]

JoeSnuffie, thanks for the pics. Do you do mostly straight cuts with it, or are you able to do sharp curves as well?

Paul

[JoeSnuffie]

JoeSnuffie, thanks for the pics. Do you do mostly straight cuts with it, or are you able to do sharp curves as well?

Paul

75% of my cuts are straight and the curved cuts I do are pretty mild, consisting of bag and case flaps and and the curve in wallet pockets. I don't think I'd be able to manage sharp curves with it but I'm not a pro and don't have experience.

[Handstitched]

G'Day

I've just found another good use for my KC knife.

Scoring the skin on my roast Pork for the crackling.

My Mothers carving knives couldn't quite penetrate the tough skin,( they obviously need sharpening professionally)

so I used my KC knife.

I put new clean blade in first. It was 'super duper' sharp and worked perfect.

(My apologies for being off topic)

HS