Hypothetical Question

[Chris623]

I'm just getting into leather working.  I'm a blade maker and will be making sheaths.  Yesterday while browsing sheath pictures, I saw a lot that had snake skins and other exotics inlaid in them.  If I'm doing a stacked sheath, each layer (obviously) adds thickness to the finished sheath.  Not wanting to end up with a knife sheath that's too thick, I'm wondering how to thin the top layer of Veg-tan down uniformly to compensate for the added thickness of the exotic. ???  I've seen skiving machines that look as if they'd do a fine job, but that's a tool that will never sit on my bench because of the cost.  How can this situation be addressed economically?

[billybopp]

Powered skivers are fairly pricey, but pull skivers are more affordable, but limited to 3-4" width.  That should be plenty for all but the biggest sheaths.  We're still talking about a couple hundred $, but far less than the thousand $ for a power skiver.  You can also skive by hand using a safety skiver, but that takes a lot of skill and practice.

- Bill

[Chris623]

Thank you for responding so quickly.  Even a "couple hundred" would be out of range for the few number of sheaths I'll be making.  And as few as I'll be making, I doubt I'd ever acquire the skill to hand-skive the leather.  Thanks much, Bill.  Learned something new today.  I feel like a sponge soaking up all this stuff I'm picking up on the site.

[chuck123wapati]

30 minutes ago, Chris623 said:

Thank you for responding so quickly.  Even a "couple hundred" would be out of range for the few number of sheaths I'll be making.  And as few as I'll be making, I doubt I'd ever acquire the skill to hand-skive the leather.  Thanks much, Bill.  Learned something new today.  I feel like a sponge soaking up all this stuff I'm picking up on the site.

make your self a skiver! if you can make a blade you can make a skiver.

[DaveP]

I don't think the overall thickness will be much more than any normal sheath with 3 layers of veg tan. The inlays are cut out so the snake or whatever has a place to go. Some even put padding between to raise the inlay. The layer on top of the blade is much thinner. You can order it that way ...split is what it's called... down to like 3-4oz. Then you have an outline piece of 7-9oz range on top, plus your back piece. 

[Chris623]

Oh, I have no doubt I'll be making a skiver for my leather work.  But I was looking for a way to thin down a full piece...........as if I were running it through my wood planer.  I've considered attaching a piece of leather to a piece of wood and running it through my planer.  It's a Helix-bladded one that might do a pretty good job.  We'll see................................if I ever get the chance to try it.

1 minute ago, DaveP said:

I don't think the overall thickness will be much more than any normal sheath with 3 layers of veg tan. The inlays are cut out so the snake or whatever has a place to go. Some even put padding between to raise the inlay. The layer on top of the blade is much thinner. You can order it that way ...split is what it's called... down to like 3-4oz. Then you have an outline piece of 7-9oz range on top, plus your back piece. 

Didn't know I could order it that way.  Interesting.  I'm a newbie, for sure.

[fredk]

I use this for skiving the ends of belt straps. It will cope with up to about 60mm wide

This might do strips wide enough for sheaths. You can buy it from about £25 to £95 depending on the seller. Mine cost me £28

[zuludog]

I've never done inlay work on a sheath, or anything else for that matter, but I know the principle -

The front part of the sheath is sewn at the edges, and has a hole in the middle for the inlay 

The decorative/exotic inlay piece is placed under the front part but doesn't reach as far as the edge; it is sewn just around the border of the hole

Skive the edge of the inlay and under the perimeter of the hole so that it isn't too thick, and doesn't have a step on the front piece

 Alternatively use an inlay that reaches to the edge of the sheath, and skive both the inlay and the front piece so that the edge of the sheath isn't too thick . Skive and sew down around the edge of the hole 

Search YouTube for 'leather inlay knife sheath' and 'skiving leather', there are several videos

For skiving larger areas than just the edges or ends of leather I use a razor plane, which is like a finer version of a carpenter's plane It is a reasonably priced compromise between the ease of  an expensive skiving machine and the difficulty of using a freehand skiving knife or even a Safety skiver on larger areas 

Edited September 23, 2020 by zuludog

[Chris623]

8 minutes ago, fredk said:

I use this for skiving the ends of belt straps. It will cope with up to about 60mm wide

This might do strips wide enough for sheaths. You can buy it from about £25 to £95 depending on the seller. Mine cost me £28

Thanks for that.  Never have seen a tool like that one!

 

4 minutes ago, zuludog said:

The decorative/exotic inlay piece is placed under the front part but doesn't reach as far as the edge; it is sewn just around the border of the hole

Skive the edge of the inlay and under the perimeter of the hole so that it isn't too thick, and doesn't have a step on the front piece

 Alternatively use an inlay that reaches to the edge of the sheath, and skive both the inlay and the front piece so that the edge of the sheath isn't too thick . Skive and sew down around the edge of the hole 

Appreciate that.  I was under the impression the exotic went all the way to the edge of the sheath and was stitched in with the rest of the layers.

[Rahere]

A wood planer is perfect for the job, if you have one. It's just that leather companies want to split hides which may be an unusable 7-8mm thick into a top split and a suede, each 3-4mm.