Leather Skiving Demystified 

Well, I've been in the leather business for over twenty years and owned two large shops. I avoided skiving like the plague because I hated using the Tandy skiver and couldn't justify a bell skiver. This morning a friend lent me his Japanese knife and let me tell you, it is beyond belief. I'm sitting here staring at this razor edge I got after skiving two layers of 3oz, down to 3oz combined. Like you said, it took about 20 minutes of practice . What a game changer, and BTW, that is thanks to watching your vid. So many thanks for that.

Amazing information. Thanks for taking the time to share. I'm just starting with leatherwork and I'm pretty sure this will be the kind of lesson that's forever useful.

We are new to leatherwork, and were looking into the super skivers. Soooo glad I came across this video!! Thanks so much for sharing and for all the great info!

Thank you so much for this explanation of the Japanese Skiving knife. I have been avoiding using mine but now I think because of this video I have the confidence to achieve my goal. Thank you! Thank you!

I was struggling to use this tool but after watching your video I'm skiving like a pro. Thank you!

Hi Michael Mays, t=Thanks so much friend for taking the time to do this video. It did make a differnce. I have/had the same dilemma with the exact tools and now I see the light!!!! Keep it coming man....I look forward to returning the information that I have learned back to YT learners like I am with you videos.

That sweeping motions tip was really helpful for me. Great info!

This is the most helpful video I have ever seen on skiving. If you dont have 7 million dollars for a skiving knife pay attention to this video.

I'm so glad I came across ur video because I just bought this exact tool off of Ebay for $3.75 lol. I honestly expected it to be horrible, but it's been really useful & much easier to use than the other tools I've used. Great video, thanks for the help!

Thank you for this video. I have been wondering about skiving "tools". Thanks to this video I will be hitting the forge and making a skiving knife instead of buying the super skiver or safety skiver. I will be subscribing and coming back for more of your videos.

Thank you for showing the proper technique!

I just bought this same knife and was doing the same as you...5 minutes out of the box I felt like a pro! Of course, I find your video after the fact, but it makes me feel good that I got the right tool for the job on the first try!

That's exactly what I need. God bless you.

Just bought the Since brand from Tandy yesterday. It was sharp but not scary sharp which is what I like. Going through different grits of sandpaper up to 3000 grit and then buffing I had a mirror polish and a very sharp knife. On 9 ounce vegtan it cut through with very slight pressure. Haven’t tried any projects yet but have it ready. Your mention of the first two has been exactly my experience.

Yo, i bought this knife based on this video and this review is 100% accurate. I've also tried a bunch of different styles of knife and had similar problems. I'm to happy to have seen this vid man. tx

Thanks for this useful information. I have all 3 of the skivers mentioned but like you struggled to use the Craftools. I knew the Japanese skiver would be sharper and the way to go but was unsure exactly how to use it. Thanks for demystifying that. Any of the other videos I've watched really didn't say one way or the other how to properly prep and perform the skive. This was very clear and easy to follow. I'm not so apprehensive to attempt skiving after viewing this video. Thanks again.

Very nice, I made mine from an 1.5" stiff blade putty knife. I sharpened and honed it and it works great.

I have recently started leatherworking and looked at the video to learn technique. Imagine my surprise to find I have already bought the exact same knife from Amazon. Fabulous knife!

cheers from the UK..great video dude ,helped me out!!..im still practicing leather embossing on dog collars mostly Celtic stuff ,but skiving is a must have skill skill to move onto different projects nice one, subscribed

This same knife was in a starter leather craft kit I received as a gift. I didn’t really know how to use it except for cutting leather. The safety skiver that came with the kit didn’t do the job. Like you, I worked with it and just couldn’t get any good results. Your video is very helpful and I am happy to report that I finally know how to use this knife to get a good skive. Thank you so much for sharing your experience.

I has the same problem my whole life doing leather. This Japanese knife is the best👍

I have just started working with leather and this tool is the only tool that I can get to work for me. Great video.

Great video you make it look real easy!

Ive got this same knife and i love it. I use it for several different functions and it works great.

I really appreciate this, thank you!

I live in a place where buying online isn't an option because of shipping costs and taxes, and all stores sell Tandy super skivers and the replacement blades are expensive here and I've ran into all the troubles you've mentioned when using it. Ended up buying locally a wood chisel and sharpened it myself for some hours to a razor-sharp edfe and mirror finish.. and I was still lacking something. Now, after your explanation and demonstration, I just grabbed a scrap piece of leather and imitated what you did and oh boy, I made a really clean and neat skive. For that, I really thank you.

I was just about to buy one of those other tools. Thanks for sharing this!

I just purchased a skiving knife like the one you recommend. Also off of Amazon but by a different maker. I really needed your tips to use it properly as I am just getting into making items from leather. Thank You!

Appreciate the video brother, great content

Good advise. I am having the same problem. I will use your technique. I have the same tools as you do. Thank you and God bless.

Hi, I'm fairly new to leatherworking and because of arthritic hands I don't do much. I also bought this knife and used it for the first time today for about four minutes, and in that time I was able to produce an edge better than any I've been able to do before - not as neat as yours yet, but not far off. I'm going to choose to believe that's because you had five minutes' practice and I had only four :) . The knife cost me a fair bit more than you paid, but hey, it's worth it to me anyway:). It's actually really comfortable to work with too, involving no need to press or grip the knife very hard either, so it's pretty much pain-free. With the great results and the physical ease of use, it's a winner for me. Glad you posted, I did want to see the technique again, thanks.

Thanks bro. I just started leathercraft. I figured that simple is best and sharpness is key.

Great subject. I had a friend that happen to have a Japanese skiver. He let me draw out a pattern from the tool. Later made a skiver from a hacksaw blade made to cut like a foot thick of stainless steel from a metal company that throws them away after so much use. Beautiful knife. Keeps a sharp edge too. It's razor sharp an is no joke sharp. Cuts through leather like warm butter. I sure am glad to have this tool. I think if it ever sprouted legs, I would cry. I think one thing that makes it such a good blade is not just the high carbon steel, it's the mirror shine finish that helps so there is no drag at all going through the leather. This is just my opinion. It took me hours to finish this skiver.

I also had the issues you described with either of two other skiver that you showed. I also recently bought the knife skiver and with just a little practice was getting much better sliced edges.

Thank you!! Thus video helped me so much!!

Thank you so much for a great video.

Yea I totally have ruined more wallets than I can admit trying to get it feather thin...totally bought a Japanese skiving knife because of you! Thanks

Just what i need. Tks!!

Thank you so much for this!

Came out awesome mate , I’ve had the same issues for a while now using the craftsman skiver. To the point where I have been using a sander to sand the skive. I just brought it now hope I have the same results 🙌🏼

This is what I finally needed. Tried so much else, and it just so happened I have that exact knife and was using it wrong.

I just tried your technique....... What an improvement, Thank You very much I subscribed :)

Just ordered mine I’m impressed just looking at it I have some skiving projects coming up and I was dreading it hopefully this’ll ease the pain

Thank you.Useful.

another option to using the wing dividers is to use a v gouge or stitching groover to create a hard line to work off of

I just got a 1/8" th inch thick scraping chisel at the hardware store and honed it up on a diamond stone with strop at the end. Very similar to the skiving knife. But can be bought in the paint section of the hardware store.

Thank you, I’ve been hesitant to buy an expensive skiving knife or this one here. The super skivers haven’t worked for me either

Top notch instructor. 👍 skive on a stone slab to get even better result and give your cutting mat a longer life 🙂

I absolutely agree 100% with this video found exactly the same things myself, The exact same knife is cheaper on eBay these days works out at about $5.

Skiving edges has been a challenge for me the last couple years, I also bought the other 2 skivers n yep, ... the only thing I can use them for is thinning the fold/crease in a bag, lol, n that's messy. Incidentally I got the knife with the first "Starters" leather working kit I bought from ebay when I started, but never tried to use it like that.. BIG THANKS

Thanks for the video - I’m always trying to up my skiving game. You should check out some of the French and Italian veg tanned leather that’s available- it skives like a dream and is so so nice. Walpier buttero, baldassi Carlo and other boxed calf leather- it’s totally worth it. Edges burnish beutifully....

I'm a fabric artist, just branching out into leather and skiving, to my mind, is one of the more frightening processes , and you put it in easy-to-use instruction. Glad I found you.

Did you try different levels of wetness on the leather when you were using the tools?

Once I started using a high quality kiridashi as my skiving knife, it changed my game big time. I use an Ikeuchi Hamono white steel kiridashi. Anyone who knows anything about Japanese knives knows that white steel is perfect for this. The sharper the better, and a quality white steel edge is as sharp as you can get

Thanks for this ! I have this tool too... I just don’t know how skive curves with this ? Also If I want to skive the middle of a chrome tanned leather to place a zipper would it be possible to skive with this too? Or is it only useful for skiving edges?

Same issue. Hell handy video to know I'm not the only one. How wide is the blade? If you could choose would you prefer thicker or thinner blade or is that perfect?

nice. I just ordered that same one yesterday.

Sharp is very important. Spend good time sharpening the leather tools before each use.

I literally just got intrigued in leatherworks due to my car I had no idea or had any dabble in it before and I am not even started the process of getting what I need to do things but when would you use this skill in what application do you need to thin leather out or what reason would you need to or when do you want to to be more malleable?

Have you tried using this knife with thin leather used in book-binding skiving to a very fine feather edge?

Thank you! I took leatherwork classes at a really bad school and we never used the knife.

I had a cheap box plane that was difficult to adjust, so I hardly ever used it. But the blade was quite good, so I made it into a Japanese style leather knife. I spent some time sharpening & polishing the blade edge. Once I'd got used to the asymmetric shape it worked well, and I use it for both skiving and cutting leather. Search RU-vid for 'Japanese Leather Knife'

Skiving is one of those things that you just end up doing what works for you. I've got the same Japanese skiving knife and hate it. You can't get a thin degree shave with it. That big ol bulky handle gets in the way. I prefer the safety skiver. I have far more control and can way down low with it. It's fast and good results. I probably have at least four more skiving knives but I always come back to the safety skiver. I put in a fresh blade in each time, a blade that I first strop mind you.. One other tip is that depending on the leather and if its not skiving smooth, I find that that wetting it can help a lot. Sometimes wetting it is like night and day and will skive like butter. If you want to totally geek out on skiving....I mean see the ultimate skiving in action, you need to check out Lisa Sorrell here on RU-vid (Cowboy Boot Maker Extradionaire). She sells skiving knives too and other leather supplies and she bitches constantly that nobody does skiving right. Her catch phrase is "You're not skiving, you're fuzzing". She's a hoot ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ip-40ym0cxw.html EDIT: Pardon my poor manners for not having stated this earlier. Your skiving looks great. It really does.

You'll really love using a nicer Japanese skiving knife (shirogami aka white steel). Reason being the knife you are using has a double bevel, but the regular Japanese skiving knife has a single bevel and gets ridiculously sharp and just glides through like butter. But the only issue is you have to maintain it as it is high carbon steel and needs sharpening as well as extra care because it is scary sharp. Look up rocky mountain leather tools, they carry nice Japanese knives. Cheers!

I bought one, I'm new to skiving and noticed my blade went dull after practicing. How to I sharpen it?

I purchased the Chartermade skiving knife and if you are familiar with this knife, you know it is not cheap. After using the knife on one leather edge, it became dull. My husband sharpened it for me but again became dull very very quickly. Someone said that knife was made to skive veg tanned leather only so I am really confused. I am tempted to purchase this knife that you are using but maybe it is me and not the knife that isn’t working right?

Do you have a video on how to sharpen the knife? I’m knew to this. Thank you!

Watched a dremel being used Thought possible to use a electric knife sharpener to shave down the edges, maybe! Jig for thickness and sander? No idea as just watching.

I have been watching quite a few Korean leather working tutorials (often in Korean ! ), And not only is this type of knife used for skiving, but also for general cutting,. ie no box cutters or craft knives just straight in with this type of knife.

I ordered the skiving tool off amazon you love and am anxious to try it out. Can you explain how and why you use the jewelry rouge you mentioned please? Does this sharpen the skiver or just polish it? Also, if you could include the rouge you'd recommend, Amazon or other. That would be great! Thank you Michael!!

Very helpful. I found, for me that going with the length of the edge works better than going across the edge and works well. With that said I would rather have a $1000 machine skiver - taking a 30 minute job down to 2 minutes!

Do you have a video on how to sharpen the knife?

I have only ever used that type knife and technique. Never had any issues skiving. Terrible that you had 2 years of frustration.

*writes down full title* "I'll put a link below" Me: dammit

Bingo. Thanks buddy.

Tyvek is great for card slot pockets. Super thin, super durable.

Thank you so much for this! I've been working with fake leather so far, and just made my first real leather wallet. I didn't skive it at all, and when I was done, the five layers looked like a Club Sandwich 🤣 So I decided to make another one, this time skiving the leather. Turns out, we already had that tool at home, but I used it the wrong way 🫣 Could you explain once more how you sharpened yours once more, please? I tried to replay that section, but I'm not a native English speaker - I think I didn't get that part. Thank you!

Where is the link please?

im gonna get me a ninja skiver too

nicely done on this video sir, I've been looking for a better option, i have been doing leather work a really long time, not enough to justify a skipping machine, but looking around again, i found your video, so i am going to try it before i buy a 1000 dollar machine.. those first two tools are junk, they may work great for something, tandy sales possibly, but they are not good skivers,. thanks for sharing already added to my cart, should be here sunday :) work it similar to a chisel, bevel up,. thank you sir. i so appreciate you sharing this, your a good man. loved your video , so we subbed your channel as well. yes sir, your right this works, shame on tandy for pushing that other junk for so many years, they know those tools don't work. thanks again, have a blessed week. dale. ha, yeah i have several for sale too buddy :)

Hun I hate to break it to ya but you’ve got the wrong side up on the blade. With the Japanese skivers the beveled edge is supposed to be down towards the leather.

I have this exact same knife… I had to hone a new edge on it as the very corner had a big chip in … I was so upset… but, thankfully, I’ve been sharpening my own blades since I was 8 years old and I'm 50 now… thankfully I know how to do it… I could have sent it back and probably would have if after honing a new edge it would not have held… those other two "skiving knives" you have there just flat out suck…but the real knife does a nice job…

Why do so many call products things like jewellers rouge in stead of what it actually is finely ground iron 2? oxide (rust) and wax

It will make your skiving easier on a granite or marble surface.

I have one of these cheap knives. Very good but the handle is a little too fat.

Wouldn't it be easier, if you turn the knife around, like japanese leatherworkers do? Like that, there is no risk to cut through the leather

they sale a 600 dollar skiver machine on amazon.

I just opened mine and jabbed by finger tip haha

time is money ....

I sharpened the edge on an old putty knife. Same thing.

I purchased a costly purse from a well-know, national brand. The seams will not lay flat due to leather thickness .. I love the purse & have even exchanged it once with them. I’ve opened the lining & have access to seams… can they be ’sliced’ without taking the seam stitches out ? Thank you

Ciao peccato che non conosco inglese 😊

this video could be edited down to 20 seconds.

It is not a knife made in Japan 「Made in China」 日本製の革包丁ではありません。 日本でAmazonに注文しても中国から届きます。 MADE IN JAPAN↓ 「Craftsha」⭐⭐⭐ 「Seiwa」⭐⭐⭐⭐

Those "Super Skiver" SUCK… period… complete waste of money…

Ни хуя не понятно