Head Knife Vs. Skiving Knife

[MonicaJacobson]

I want to start buying a few nice tools over the next year or so. I don't own a head knife or a skiving knife - I've been using the super skiver from Tandy.

Which knife do you guys find the most useful for skiving? I assume people like head knives because they're multi-purpose.

I'm talking about a normal (or small one, which I'd probably prefer) head knife as opposed to the (for example) vergez blanchard high speed paring knife:

And some prefer this:

http://www.handtools-uk.com/product_info.php?products_id=1605

[Wicked Welts]

>BUMP<

Here's another area in which I have no expertise whatsoever so i thought I'd check in and I hear nothing but crickets........so.... I'm hoping you don't mind a cheesy story with a possible idea;

Last week I was poking around in the storage room in my basement and came across a little box containing a tiny marble cutting board and a weird looking set of small knives. The knives looked sorta like these here, only with wood handles;

I had no idea where this came from or what it was for but after a little head scratching I determined it was someone's idea of a fancy-doddle cheese slicing/service set. A closer look revealed razor sharp single bevel edges in some form of stainless steel and off to the bench I went. Well, what do yah know, their small size gives excellent control for skiving even the thinnest of shavings from small welt pieces and straps too and one of them has an edge on the end for pushing like a chisel and one on the side for pulling like, well, a knife. So, at last, I now have a few skivers in my collection!

Now, I'm not suggesting you go raiding your china cabinet, I'm just tossing the idea out there in case you come across a decent looking version at a thrift store or some such. YMMV, but these things are perfect for what I do.

Edited April 8, 2015 by Wicked Welts

[MonicaJacobson]

LOlL, that's hilarious. Come to think of it, I might be able to steal something from my husband's wood carving tool set. However, it's unlikely to be better than my malfunctioning super skiver.

[DavidL]

I wouldn't get the vegez knife for one reason. HSS steel is difficult to sharpen, only diamond stones can sharpen HSS. Some ceramic stones can sharpen HSS. If diamond stones are something you already have that would be a good choice.

I have a japanese skiving knife that works well for skiving. Would prefer a left handed version so the bevel is on the right side of the blade. When held vertically on a left handed blade, flat side is on the left, bevel is on the right creating a 90 degree angle cut (cutting on the right side of pattern always). The labelling of left hand and right hand knives are switched around for some reason.

A japanese skiving knife from leathercrafttools.com Nobuyoshi 38mm- right hand (Super blue steel according to a reviewer - known to have long lasting edge, can be sharpen to a beyond keen edge).

yujin left handed knife 38mm - don't know much about the steel but is japanese steel. \

Youtuber under leathertoolz who is one of LW member has a review of the knife.

Edited April 8, 2015 by DavidL

[billybopp]

Hmmm. I'm thinking that the cheese knives sound like a gouda idea! And if we combine that with the wine that we drink in order to use the corks as awl backers, we're pretty darn close to having a party! ( but if any o' the folks that live in the big square states offer to bring cow chips to the party, do NOT partake. They are NOT really what we out east call chips and most certainly nothing like English chips )

Bill

[MonicaJacobson]

Thanks for the knife recommendations, David. Yes, I've seen those and wondered how they would work, especially with such a thick handle. I felt it might get in the way, but I see the yujin has a much smaller profile.

Aika mentioned she got a head knife and that she loved it from here: http://www.knipknives.com/leather.php

They're full tang, good steel, and the handles are good wood. I'm leaning heavily in that direction, even though they're pricey. My question is really would I like a head knife or a skiving knife better? I've never had either, so I have no idea. I'm considering the small head knife (Texas rosebud) or the angled skiving knife, but I wanted to get a feel for the designs of knife people like best for skiving.

Rosebud:

Angled skiving knife:

@Bill, you're a genius. We're going to Texas soon. I could bring back some of those chips you like so much.

[zuludog]

A friend has a set of knives & little marble slab like those in your photograph, Wicked Welts. They're a set of cheese knives, intended to be used & displayed in the dinner table, to be used with different types & textures of cheese

Still, if you can use them for leatherwork, do so

[DavidL]

I have a clicker knife from Knip. Amazing knife to hold and look at, came sharp out of the box. You wont be disappointed with his products.

He does do custom projects for not much more than the prices on the site. I was quoted under 100 for the below style knife from knip, full tang cocobolo handle. I figured a smaller length blade can help control the cut.

Edited April 8, 2015 by DavidL

[MonicaJacobson]

Cool, I was thinking of asking him. Thanks for the picture and the review.

[bruce johnson]

Here's another choice. I'd get a fair amount of the old flat handle paring/skiving blades in and they never stayed a day on my website. I sent Terry Knipshield one to duplicate in a right and left. He got these right and pretty handle scales to boot. I'd sure ask him about these. Terry is a really good guy. He patterned the Texas Rose after a 100 year old Rose knife pattern I sent him, and I told him that some people like a smaller knife too - hence the "Rosebud". He has also duplicated English and French pattern plough gauge blades for me too. They all have been dead on good users.