Knife for skiving

[threeravens]

Does anyone have a particular kind of knife that you prefer for skiving, or a brand that you'd recommend?

-J

[Johanna]

What kind of skiving? Big area, little area? Scoring for a fold, or splitting latigo? For general all purpose "skive it so it lays together nice and neat" jobs, like buckle ends of belts, the cheap Tandy skiver with the replaceable, easy-to-get razor blades is fine. For splitting saddle skirting, or doing big jobs regularly, there are a few specialized machines available. Maybe describe what you are trying to do to get a more specific answer, because I'd bet we all have a couple of favorite different tools to use for different situations.

Johanna

(My spell check didn't recognize any variation of the verb "skive". I wonder if skiving is unique to leatherwork? Any woodworkers out there? Well, I guess skiving would be "planing"? Off to look it up now...)

[threeravens]

At the moment, I'm focusing on skiving edges for sewing and cement-joining leather lace. I've got one of the clunky Tandy skivers, as opposed to the Skife, and I don't find it as precise as I'd like. Out of all the knives I own, of one kind or another, my Murray Carter kiridashi does the best job...I just don't want to ruin a semi-custom blade if I can avoid it.

Thanks,

Jim

[abn]

Jim, I posted a similar question on another forum several years ago, as I recall. Sandy Morrissey, a sheathmaker of high regard, recommended the Skife as the best all-around skiving tool (and one of the least expensive, too).

I got mine from Tandy (they call it a "Safety Beveler"), and it's served me well.

http://www.tandyleather.com/products.asp?number=3001-00

I think there's a good chance your custom blade will still outperform the tool listed above, but at least there's a lot less worry associated with nicking the edge of a $4 Skife. Good luck, -Alex

[Roger]

i have one of those also but, i prefer to use my headknife. i feel like i have better control.

most of the skiving i do is on the buckle ends of straps and belts

[Billsotx]

I agree the Safety Beveler is good even if it appears cheap. The roundknife works too.

Jo, someone posted a tutorial on another site regarding skiving with the roundknife; I don't know if you remember that. I think it was Verlane. I think I printed it and will try to find it. The reason I think it was her, is it was a PDF - at least I think it was. Anyway, since she gave you permission to use some of her others, she might share that with us too. Not trying to be the preacher ... lol ... I know you're busy.

[Johanna]

Bill, I found three tutorials she did, two on skiving with a knife, and one with a jig and a splitter. (Gosh, I love GMail!). Sending her an email now asking for permission to post them here.

Johanna

[Billsotx]

Cool! I had forgot about the one with the splitter. Her files are the next best ... where's she at? I'm going to have to save my pennies and buy her a new computer. Verlane! Verlane! Where are you? ...

[joet]

Verlane is located in Cody, Wyoming where she has her saddle shop, just a short drive to Sheridan. She is one smart lady. I had the opprotunity to take a class she gave in Sheridan last year on the headknife and it was worth the trip and the money spent.

[Billsotx]

Yep, and I'm planning a trip up to theCuster Battle Field and the Cody Museum next spring and hope I hope I can meet her - put a face with all the emails we've done. She's forgot more about leather than I'll every know. Maybe, I'll get lucky and catch one of her classes like you did. I'll bet you got your monies worth and then some.

[joet]

I felt the class could have been an hour longer as there was still a lot of things to do when it came time to close. Yes, I got my monies worth and then some and she is a great person. Informative, funny and full of knowledge. I'll be going back (didn't make it this year) and when you go, bring a list of things you want and a lot of money or plastic. A lot of the vendors take plastic.

The battlefield was very stirring. I have heard a lot about how, it being wide open that Custer should have been aware of what was to happen, but one has to know the history and be aware of the feelings of the time. Also, we are looking at the event from hindsight and we were not there at the time to get a true feeling of what was going on. And things happened rather quickly. Some people put estimates of the battle at a little over 30 minutes from beginning to end while others say that it took most of a day for the battle to be fought and won/lost depend on which side you are rooting for.

While I was there I ran into Tony Laier, so a lot of leather people go there to see the battlefield.

What does this have to do with leather? Nothing, just that I have a wide interest in not just leather, but history also. Check out the leather shops at Williamsburg, VA sometime.

[Billsotx]

I felt the class could have been an hour longer as there was still a lot of things to do when it came time to close. Yes, I got my monies worth and then some and she is a great person. Informative, funny and full of knowledge. I'll be going back (didn't make it this year) and when you go, bring a list of things you want and a lot of money or plastic. A lot of the vendors take plastic.

The battlefield was very stirring. I have heard a lot about how, it being wide open that Custer should have been aware of what was to happen, but one has to know the history and be aware of the feelings of the time. Also, we are looking at the event from hindsight and we were not there at the time to get a true feeling of what was going on. And things happened rather quickly. Some people put estimates of the battle at a little over 30 minutes from beginning to end while others say that it took most of a day for the battle to be fought and won/lost depend on which side you are rooting for.

While I was there I ran into Tony Laier, so a lot of leather people go there to see the battlefield.

What does this have to do with leather? Nothing, just that I have a wide interest in not just leather, but history also. Check out the leather shops at Williamsburg, VA sometime.

What does this have to do with leather? Heck Joe, leather runs deep in our history and always will. For instance, fifty years from now there's gonna be an ol' 2006 Chopper with a veg-tan hand tooled seat by Bad-A** Seats sitting in a museum and some two kids are going to be checking it out and oooing and awwing and one of them is gonna ask, "Why's that old naked lady carved on that seat?" ... lol ... now that will be history, but I won't be around to see it. [How long will it be 'til Shirley finds this one? ... lol!] Now I better cool it before she Armor-All's my seat ... lol

[joet]

Good point. What I like is knowing that, at this time, the leather industry is going great. Or maybe it's just that I am finding more and more people every day who are doing it. I look at all the web sites that are out there and find a warm glow in my stomach; gee it is almost like Christmas to open a web page and see all the good things that are being done.

Your right though, 200 years from now people will see all that has been done by us and wonder how it was finished. Places like Williamsburg and other living history museums keep the interest going as well as all the people that are presently at work pounding leather. There are many items that are not normally found in leather, like the 30 Christmas decorations I am currently working on. We need to educate the public more so they will see that motor cycle seat with the naket lady long before it gets put into a museum case. Got any pictures?

[Romey]

Jim, I posted a similar question on another forum several years ago, as I recall. Sandy Morrissey, a sheathmaker of high regard, recommended the Skife as the best all-around skiving tool (and one of the least expensive, too).

I got mine from Tandy (they call it a "Safety Beveler"), and it's served me well.

http://www.tandyleather.com/products.asp?number=3001-00

I think there's a good chance your custom blade will still outperform the tool listed above, but at least there's a lot less worry associated with nicking the edge of a $4 Skife. Good luck, -Alex

Sandy is a close friend of mind, infact i just posted a sheath of his in the sheath section if anyone is of interest

[JAFO]

I made my own skiving knives out of old straight razors. Pick them up at flea markets for $8.00 to $24.00 each, depending on age, maker etc. I prefer the older ones from high carbon steel rather than the newer stainless. I just replace the handles with bone or antler.Just make sure you have an edge protector for it. Makes them also period correct when I'm at an 1814 event and want to do some leather work.

[esantoro]

I've been using the safety beveler mentioned and it works fine, except when I have a partially stitched gusset and I need to get into a small area to skive, especially if I need to reduce bulk around corners.

I'm in need of another method for my skiving needs. Have any of you used the paring machines that book binders use. It's a vise-like device with a razor blade that allows you to skive up to 2 inches from the edge. Binders call it a paring machine, even though it's all manually operated. I've seen them on Ebay for no less than $450, but I keep telling myself it's got to be something you can get for $50, if you just wait and look around.

I did, however, just order an Osborne 479 skiving knife from Siegel, though I need to learn how to keep such tools sharp. Speaking of sharpening tools, do any of you know good methods for sharpening edge bevelers?

Ed

Edited February 21, 2007 by esantoro

[The Major]

...... I need to learn how to keep such tools sharp. Speaking of sharpening tools, do any of you know good methods for sharpening edge bevelers?

Ed

Pick up the book "Leathercraft Tools" from Tandy or Hidecrafter. It goes into the care and sharpening of most tools including bevelers.

[esantoro]

Pick up the book "Leathercraft Tools" from Tandy or Hidecrafter. It goes into the care and sharpening of most tools including bevelers.

Thanks, Major.

The book is one the way. I ordered it from Tandy a week ago, but UPS lost it.

Ed

[whinewine]

esantoro:

hidecrafters also has vhs videos on sale for $5.00 till the end of the month. there is a video called 'use and care of handtools' by andy stasiak, #0050-00. it is an excellent audio-visual that supplements any book-type sharpening guide. i bought it & learned a lot, especially about head knives & swivel knife blade sharpening.

for $5, you can't go wrong. they have lots & lots of other titles at the same price, too. their # is 888-263-5277

[esantoro]

esantoro:

hidecrafters also has vhs videos on sale for $5.00 till the end of the month. there is a video called 'use and care of handtools' by andy stasiak, #0050-00. it is an excellent audio-visual that supplements any book-type sharpening guide. i bought it & learned a lot, especially about head knives & swivel knife blade sharpening.

for $5, you can't go wrong. they have lots & lots of other titles at the same price, too. their # is 888-263-5277

thanks, Whine,

I will order that video. What do you think of these other videos?

#0052-00 Secrets of Lacing and Stitching by George Hurst

#0049-00 Basic Assembly Techniques by George Hurst

#0017-00 Rolled Edges with the French Knife by George Hurst

[Regis]

The rolled edge video is great (although slow/monotone as most of these). I could not skive properly and then watched the rolled edge video. I can now (ater some practice) skive more evenly that I thought I ever could. The other 2 are pretty good and certainly worth more than the five bucks.

Regis

thanks, Whine,

I will order that video. What do you think of these other videos?

#0052-00 Secrets of Lacing and Stitching by George Hurst

#0049-00 Basic Assembly Techniques by George Hurst

#0017-00 Rolled Edges with the French Knife by George Hurst

Edited February 21, 2007 by Regis

[whinewine]

Esantoro:

I've not purchased the secrets of lacing video, nor the basic assembly video, so I can't comment on those. I did purchase the rolled edges video, but I haven't viewed it yet. If you haven't done much lacing or stitching, I'd say, yes, go for it (especially the lacing video- lacing is something that it really helps to see it done, rather than conceptualize it from a 2 dimensional source [i.e.,book]). What can you lose by investing $5 each for a tape? Now, please note: these guys who present the material are not 'motivational speakers'... not by ANY stretch of the imagination. They can be so boring it's easy to have your mind wander away without you noticing it, but the information presented IS very valuable- you just need to be able to stay awake. (Otherwise, they can tend to whip their audiences into a stupor).

[ClayB]

Now, please note: these guys who present the material are not 'motivational speakers'... not by ANY stretch of the imagination. They can be so boring it's easy to have your mind wander away without you noticing it, but the information presented IS very valuable- you just need to be able to stay awake. (Otherwise, they can tend to whip their audiences into a stupor).

I have to agree with the statements that the videos are instructional and not much on entertainment value. But don't get the idea that the guys doing them are boring in real life. George can be quite entertaining in person. I even heard that once in Japan he did a little karoke after consuming a little saki. Now that I think might have made an entertaining video.