What shoe knife accessories are available?

9th March 2020


What shoe knife accessories are available?


	Shop for Shoe Knives


		Finger guard
		A few shoe knives come with a finger guard already fitted, but some others let you attach one separately. This helps stop your hand slipping down on to the blade during cutting.

		You can also buy or make small leather guards to wrap around your index finger for extra protection while you’re cutting.

		Sheath
		A sheath is a snugly fitting cover made out of leather or plastic. It’s useful to keep your knife dry and will protect it from getting knocked or scratched.

		Some sheaths only cover the blade, but many have a folding flap that completely encloses the knife.

		Another type of sheath, usually leather, is designed to fit over the knife handle but leave the blade free. This gives you extra grip and comfort when cutting, and is especially popular with shoemakers.

		Some sheaths, like this rigid plastic one, come with a hook which you can attach to your belt.

		Sharpener
		It’s important to look after your knife. If you let the blade go blunt you’ll find it much harder to restore to its original state, so sharpen it regularly.For more information see: How to sharpen a shoe knife.

		Cutting mat
		Cutting mats are rectangular boards that protect work surfaces from sharp blades. They come in a range of sizes, starting at A4 and going up to the size of a dining table or desk. They can be made out of: Plastic Rubber Granite Glass

		Plastic cutting mat Plastic boards are the most versatile and widely used, as they won’t blunt the edge of the blade as much as a granite or glass surface. They are suitable for all types of cutting tasks. Many of them are imprinted with grids and geometric shapes to help you measure your piece of material. For cutting leather you should choose a mat at least 3mm thick.



		Rubber cutting mat Rubber boards are softer than plastic ones so offer more protection for the knife blade, which can quickly become blunted when used on harder cutting surfaces. However, they are not very durable. Like plastic boards, they are often imprinted with measuring grids.

		Granite cutting board Granite boards, or slabs, have an extremely hard, smooth surface that can’t be scratched by knife blades. They are not designed to be cut into, but instead allow the leather or other material to be held perfectly flat for skiving. The knife should never come into contact with the board but be held just above it, to avoid damaging the blade.

		Glass cutting mat Glass mats provide a hard, durable surface and sometimes include measuring grids. They are most suitable for precision cutting of paper and card. Unlike granite, they can become scratched over time.