Reef Report post Posted November 30, 2014 (edited) Hi all. Just starting out, looking to buy my first tools. Going to try and make a watch strap. I've bought a knife for cutting, looking for a skiving knife now, I would like to buy quality tools, heard Barry King's name mentioned on here, but he doesn't seem to make a skiving knife? I've now got myself confused as I've come across the terms skiving knife, safety skiver, super skiver and paring knife...so any help which would best suited for watch straps and any recommendations of a quality maker. I'm in the UK, don't mind buying from the USA, if they will ship overseas. Thanks P.s any other recommendations for tools I will need would be useful too. Edited November 30, 2014 by Reef Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwinOaks Report post Posted December 1, 2014 If you have a round knife, you can use that. A "skiving" knife is just one that makes it easier to keep the blade at a constant acute angle to the edge of the leather. Safety skivers do it by having a uniform radius holding the blade, so no matter where you are on the curve, it's the same. Other knives are at certain angles, have certain grinds.....gobbledygook. Work on keeping whatever knife you have at a constant angle while you slice the corner off the leather. If you need to go "feather thin", you'll need shallower angles over a longer taper. If it's going to be a LOT of production, then you should look at a motorized knife like a bell skiver. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
