What is leather skiving?
Skiving is when the leatherworker thins the leather using a skiving knife. This process aims to reduce its thickness on part or the whole of a leather piece. Not to be confused with tanning, which is the process of preparing animal hide into leather.
In the field of craftsmanship, there are a multitude of techniques and methods to perform skiving and thinning of leather. These operations can be carried out either mechanically mechanically, using machine tools for cutting and skiving widely used in the industry, or more traditionally, with meticulous manual work. Although large machines are commonly used in splitting and skiving industries, it is rare to find small similar machines in a craftsman's workshop.
What is a leather skiving machine?
A leather skiving machine is an essential tool used in the leatherworking industry. Also called a leather skiving machine, a skiving machine is designed to remove excess material and and to even out the leather’s thickness. It features a rotary blade that cuts the leather precisely and regularly, enabling a smooth and uniform surface. Thanks to this machine, leather artisans can improve the quality and appearance of finished products by eliminating imperfections and adjusting the leather thickness according to needs.
Leather skiving machines come in various sizes and configurations, ranging from large industrial machines to more compact models suitable for artisanal workshops. They offer increased precision and efficiency compared to manual skiving, allowing leather professionals to save time and produce high-quality items.
Types of leather skiving machines
Thanks to the skiving machine, leatherworking becomes more precise and better quality. The skiving machine can operate according to two different principles:
- Skiving wheel: which reduces leather thickness by rapid and regular friction.
- Plane principle: which gradually thins the leather piece using a rotary blade.
These are the most common principles, but in detail there are skivers that require the direct action of personnel and others where this action is assisted.
Manual skiver
Often preferred by artisans for whom precision and control during leather skiving is very important. Manual skivers are generally equipped with a sharp blade and an ergonomic handle allowing ease of handling.
Electric skiver
Known to be installed on a table, electric skivers offer a higher cutting speed and more practical use for leather professionals. The electric motor turns the blade, allowing more efficient and faster skiving.
They also have recurring features:
- Speed adjustment.
- Adjustable bell.
- Blade sharpening.
Industrial skiver
Dedicated to large-scale leather production, this type of industrial skiver focuses on performance.
They are robust, powerful and offer features aimed at handling large quantities:
- Automatic thickness adjustment
- Programmable cutting
How to skive leather with your machine?
The skiving or the leather splitting gives you the possibility to reduce its thickness while ensuring uniformity, which is essential for working the material optimally. These processes allow you to obtain a smooth and regular surface, guaranteeing a flawless result in your work.
There are two types of skiving in leather work:
- Full skiving which consists of leveling the leather by reducing its thickness halfway. This process allows you to obtain the desired thickness for various delicate creations such as leather goods, saddlery, and luggage, offering both suppleness and lightness.
- Edge skiving, where you go down to the upper layer of the leather, as thin as a cigarette paper. This extremely precise skiving allows obtaining a smooth and uniform surface, ideal for high-quality finishes.
