What Is a Skiver?
A skiver, often referred to as a skiving knife, is a specialized tool used in the leatherworking process known as skiving. This process involves thinning leather to a uniform thickness appropriate for its intended use, particularly crucial in the creation of leather products.
While machines are commonly used for skiving larger leather pieces, skivers are indispensable for manual skiving, especially for intricate parts of the leather such as the ‘heli’ (edge) and ‘koba’ (corner).
Skivers are available in various designs, with some featuring a blade similar to a narrow chisel or gouge and others having a broader blade. The choice of skiver depends on the width of the leather area to be skived. During skiving, the blade is expertly used to shave and process the leather, achieving the desired thickness and finish in specific sections.