How to skive leather with a shoe knife?

9th March 2020


How to skive leather with a shoe knife?


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		What is skiving?
		Skiving is a term for slicing or scraping away the edges of a piece of leather at an angle to gradually reduce the thickness. It’s most often done to make it easier to join two pieces together without creating bumpy seams.Various specialised skiving knives are on the market, but you can also use some types of shoe knife. They need to be as sharp as possible.

		In addition skiving is used to create smoothly sloping edges on leather parts which are not joined together, such as the sole, toe, heel and uppers of shoes and boots.

		You can also use it to even out pieces of leather to a consistent thickness across its width. For instance, shoemakers sometimes emphasize the shape of the heel by thinning out the rest of the leather on the sole.

		Skiving is used in all kinds of leatherwork, from shoemaking to bookbinding, making bags and belts, and even repairing bellows.

		It’s a difficult technique to pick up, so practise on pieces of scrap leather first. Always skive on the underside where possible.

		Which shoe knife should you use?
		To cut away a slanted edge, a strong knife with a short pointed blade is the best option. This will give you more control than a long blade.It should be razor sharp and have a single slanted edge so that you can use it at an angle.

		For thinning larger areas which aren’t at the edge of the workpiece it’s best to use a knife with a round tip and a longer, thinner and more flexible blade.This kind of knife is less likely to dig into the leather when you’re pulling it across the surface.

		How to skive the edge of a shoe sole
		Step 1 – Position knife Turning the shoe upside down, position the knife with the cutting edge of the blade pointing up towards you. Push the knife a little way into the sole at an angle, so that the blade is slanted towards the outer edge.

		Step 2 – Pull on knife Very carefully pull the knife upwards through the leather towards you, pushing down onto the sole all the time. You may have to use a gentle sawing motion to get through the leather. Keep a steady pressure on the blade with your index finger and try to maintain a consistent angle all the way so you end up with a smooth, even slant.

		How to skive a leather book cover
		You usually need to thin the edges of a piece of leather before covering a book. This is so you can fold the seams neatly over all four corners, as well as over the spine, without leaving a bulky ridge.

		Step 1 – Position leather Place the piece of leather on a cutting board or granite slab with the reverse side uppermost. Holding the shoe knife at a low angle, position it over the leather parallel to the edge you want to thin out.

		Step 2 – Push knife through leather With your dominant hand, hold the knife and start cutting through the leather at an angle, keeping the pressure even. Use the index finger of your other hand to push the knife smoothly along, while your remaining fingers hold the leather steady.

		Step 3 – Cut right across With the blade of the knife protruding just beyond the edge of the leather, continue cutting with even pressure. The blade should skim over the cutting board, barely touching it. Try to keep the same distance from the edge of the leather all the way along.