I have one of these cheap knives arriving today. I'm so glad you showed this, I was worried the knife wouldn't be good. I feel better! Thanks! I'm new to leather working and this is my first Skiver.
I recently bought the exact same knife on Amazon (for about $10 USD), it was surprisingly sharp right out of the box, but the edge was a little nicked and marred up. After sharpening out those defects with an oil stone, stropping and polishing it, it's become an invaluable tool in my shop. Completely worth the money; and for someone with a tight budget, this is an excellent alternative to some of the far more expensive knives of its kind.
Thank you for the insight. I am new to leather and have learned a lot from you. Ordered a knife today. Working at it at a reasonable pace, lots to learn. Thanks again and thanks for the internet and TH-cam.
I got one of those knives for about £5. They're very good value for money, but are obviously made down to a price, and can be improved The finish on the handle is a bit cheap & nasty. I sanded it back to the wood to remove the varnish and make it smoother. Now it is more comfortable to hold, and as the grain is revealed, it actually looks quite attractive Knives work better with a long, shallow angled bevel, especially for skiving I ground back the cutting edge on three progressively finer oilstones to remove the small secondary bevel and produce a bevel about 5mm long This is much better; now it is very sharp, and one of my favourite knives The grinding did take a few sessions spread over a week, but it's worth doing
i just received the same knife off amazon. it did come with a nick on the edge but i'll get that cleaned up and other than the nick, i was impressed with its sharpness as delivered. Definitely a few minutes on the strop board will go a long way too as always. a dull tool is a dangerous tool.
I agree with you in regards to the ferrule/tang. It does get in the way. If you do rework it in some fashion, would you please share it with us? Thanks!
Thanks for the skiving info Harry.....very helpful man....PS - the snow in the window background shot was pleasing as it is 90deg F and humid herein Atlanta, GA summertime.....Cheers until next time man.
Hi...that's good. I think this is fantastic value and overall very good, I use it alongside a different bladed pro one and still like it, and I am tempted to rehandle it with a scrap of oak and epoxy! Rgds Harry
I just bought a 100 piece leather working kit from Amazon knowing that the quality would not be that great but I would get the full range of tools I need to get started. Lo and behold it has the same knife and it was pretty sharp as well.
My Dad used a cut throat razor and he used a fine stone and spent more time stropping than he did grinding the blade. He became a wizard of sharpening so kitchen knives were never blunt in our house.
Another great video. I just ordered me new hi dollar knife from a name I cannot pronounce. I,m sure it will do great. Thanks for your video. By the way nice strop. The ones to buy are to narrow and short for me. Mine is older than dirt but still works. "haha"
Hello Harry, I'm new to the whole leather-working hobby and am trying to make a belt. (Your videos are a tremendous help) Anyway I found that the color of the leather wasn't dark enough so I tried dying it. When the dye dried however it made the leather very stiff and difficult to work with. Is there a good way to soften leather and if so would it be possible for you to make a video?
Hi Harry, it may be a silly question, I am making a strop. What side of the leather do you strop on? or stick down. The flesh side or the smooth grain side?
Hi Harry, useful video as always. By the way, that’s Japanese on the knife blade, but whether that’s just Chinese copying every detail of a Japanese tool or not I couldn’t say. Regards, Gerry
@@harryrogers Thanks. I think I ordered that one looking at your knife before I got a reply from you. It is damn cheap or cheapest, but I paid with ePacket, which takes 7 to 14 days in Canada. www.aliexpress.com/item/32885581453.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.55b84c4d1caxDn
Looks good Harry! Good 2 see your getting all the good equipement for the courses😊 I have recently bought a quarter moon knife (headknife?) how to strop the circle of the knife???
Josh Luijsterburg Hi Josh...same approach...I did three of those yesterday for a course....head knives are a good shape and size....had to extend the cutting edge on one with a 1200 diamond stone...then a few strips...and super sharp.
Harry, you or anyone else have a link to the knife you have purchased and found to be of good quality? I'm finding some at 4x the price, and I can't tell if they are even the same knife you're recommending. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm trying to buy off amazon, but ebay will work too!
Harry, What brand of diamond stone and is it reasonably price for someone in the USA? Most diamond stone I see, are little stones place serval mm apart. In your video, when you held it up after cleaning quickly, I did not see and obvious diamonds mounted on the face. Thank you.
@@harryrogers Thank so much Harry. The brief moment this 1200 grit diamond stone plate appears well built, a very solid plate. Many sold at woodworking to leather shops flex when pressed on. I understand the expense as it looks like high quality. I Enjoy you're videos and pleasant personality. Thanks again.
Hi, thank you for your videos! It has been extremely helpful. I’m wondering does the expensive tools really make a difference? I’m just beginning, haven’t really invest in tools yet. At the moment I feel that money spent on better leather and threads make more of a difference. But I would like to know, would say Vergez Blanchard pricking iron and skiving knife really do a much better job than the average Chinese made tools? Like the one in your video?
Isabella wang Hi Isabella...I think your priorities are spot on...the more expensive tools are often a little more refined...perhaps in time worth looking out for nice used ones by Dixon etc on EBay and gradually get a collection....but good leather and thread is more inspiring in my opinion.
I don’t know why we keep encouraging people to buy cheap tools from around the world which are without doubt not as good as quality British (Sheffield / Birmingham) or USA made tools. The old adage buy once and buy well still rings true.
I have one. i have stropped this knife like crazy lol and yes it is rather sharp but I find it doesnt hold a sharp edge for very long. Cutting leather is ok but it seems skiving is rather hard and needs to be re stropped after 2 or 3 skives.
Hi Harry, I have some old scissors which need sharpening. Would the stropping help them too? They are steel, one is Victorian I think. I want to use them in my dressmaking as well as a pair just for leather work. Thank you. Claire. Nottinghamshire.
Hi Harry, I have one of those knives, and it is very sharp. I was just wondering, how much better is an expensive one? I see you have a couple, is it worth the investment, do you think? All the best . T
Personal opinion ... I think its fine, but then I do not do a lot of hand skiving. I do have a couple of higher quality skiving knives but I don't think you get a lot more bang for your buck, and I would personally spend available funds on better punches that are easier to extract....but then I do punch a lot of holes. Rgds Harry
Harry, I always enjoy your videos and information. Two point to make; #1 this is white jewelers rouge as commonly sold in the US? #2 The leather is mounted flesh side up, not the side with hair, correct? #3 The leather should be mounted to a hard surface like your wood board for accurate final sharpening, right? Just trying to clarify. Thanks for all you show someone who doesn’t do this everyday. Regards and thank you.
Hi Dean..any compound will work...jewellers is fine...some compounds like green will be slightly coarser. Firm board ....yes. you can use smooth or rough side....I use smooth leather side mostly for blades etc and rough side for polishing rivets.
Thanks Harry for the reply, comments and help. I have all of these while using an old “Real” leather belt more mounted to a strip of plywood. As an auto tech of 40+ years, I have polished a number of parts for restoration or those I have fabricated. I enjoy learning and new ways of doing things. I find your thick Proper English accent pleasantly enjoyable from a farm boy now in Omaha, NE. Blessings and be safe for the Holidays. Enjoy.
That also is my complain about the handle. I have been wanting to make a simple one sided handle that i rivet the blade flush on so i can skive at very low angles compared to what i possible with this handle
If you do decide to re-profile the round handle, can you please record video doing so? The wood would be no problem to flatten down, but the ferule or collar has me puzzling how to reshape it or replace it. Thanks Harry.
@@harryrogers You could do that. One question: I purchase an inexpensive skiving knife similar to the one you have. It has a secondary bevel on the cutting edge. I don't really like secondary bevels. Wondering if I should just grind it down on my diamond plates to achieve a single bevel. What do you think. Do you like the secondary bevel on your knives?
I do have the same skiving knife i did the impossible to sharpen it used the leather the red and white rouge and it is still dull any suggestions thank you.
The monocrystaline diamond stones are...for rough grits any will do, but for 600 and say 1200 grits I think the monocrystaline ones are worth it if you use tools a lot.
Hi yes you can whet grind the blade to a curve...assuming it is good and hard steel away from the existing cutting edge...I think it probably is as the blade tang is brittle.
Hi Harry, I just got one of those knifes and I was wandering if you can show us how to make a leather cover to protect the edge and ourselfs, I really enjoy your videos, thank you
Thanks Ingrid....I will see what I can do, a quick fix is to make a leather bag with a tie to wrap around the handle...I have just made 6 of those! otherwise its a proper welted seam a bit like the axe cover film I put up a while back.
There is nothing to stop you from slapping another on, is there? But I don't think I have ever worn one out myself. I have several, fine and medium, and one I keep just for gauges, but I never wear them out. I just saw the back of that huge diamond stone and glueing a stop on it seemed like the logical thing. But I don't mean to tell you what to do. But something else, I made a good skyving knife from an old chef's knife I bought at a rummage sale. Good steel, broad enough and long enough. Shape it how you like. It works well for me. Good luck.
Those knives are based on a Japanese design. I have the same one and found it works really well if you use the cutting method shown in this video th-cam.com/video/GScGT44oPA0/w-d-xo.html. I've found mine particularly good for long straight cuts, but have the same issue with the handle when skiving.
I have one of these cheap knives arriving today. I'm so glad you showed this, I was worried the knife wouldn't be good. I feel better! Thanks! I'm new to leather working and this is my first Skiver.
You're a man after my own heart with all your skiving knives. I seem to keep collecting the cheap ones too. Why is buying tools so much fun? 😁
I recently bought the exact same knife on Amazon (for about $10 USD), it was surprisingly sharp right out of the box, but the edge was a little nicked and marred up. After sharpening out those defects with an oil stone, stropping and polishing it, it's become an invaluable tool in my shop. Completely worth the money; and for someone with a tight budget, this is an excellent alternative to some of the far more expensive knives of its kind.
Thank you for the insight. I am new to leather and have learned a lot from you. Ordered a knife today. Working at it at a reasonable pace, lots to learn. Thanks again and thanks for the internet and TH-cam.
I've just ordered a couple of those knives Harry. They look good value.
Yes stropping is the way to really refine an edge.
Sandy
I got this knife too, and was amazed at how good it was. The wooden handle quality is so so, but the blade is very very good. Great bargain!
I also ordered one of these and thought I would have to stop it thanks for showing me how
Thanks Harry! For the novice you you are very good at explaining the leather crafting use of tools
I got one of those knives for about £5. They're very good value for money, but are obviously made down to a price, and can be improved
The finish on the handle is a bit cheap & nasty. I sanded it back to the wood to remove the varnish and make it smoother. Now it is more comfortable to hold, and as the grain is revealed, it actually looks quite attractive
Knives work better with a long, shallow angled bevel, especially for skiving
I ground back the cutting edge on three progressively finer oilstones to remove the small secondary bevel and produce a bevel about 5mm long
This is much better; now it is very sharp, and one of my favourite knives
The grinding did take a few sessions spread over a week, but it's worth doing
I actually re did my handle on that cheap knife as well, just for fun, and now I really love it.
i just received the same knife off amazon. it did come with a nick on the edge but i'll get that cleaned up and other than the nick, i was impressed with its sharpness as delivered. Definitely a few minutes on the strop board will go a long way too as always. a dull tool is a dangerous tool.
I have the same one. Came in an Amazon kit. Thanks for the video. Sharpened mine, work great
Thanks! Just what I was looking for.
I agree with you in regards to the ferrule/tang. It does get in the way. If you do rework it in some fashion, would you please share it with us? Thanks!
Yes, thanks Ken. Rgds Harry
I watched this video and ordered one, and it actually is quite good. I've used it to skive leather strap I made for my watch. Good value for money.
Absolutely! I bought mine from Amazon, quite pleased.
Thanks for the skiving info Harry.....very helpful man....PS - the snow in the window background shot was pleasing as it is 90deg F and humid herein Atlanta, GA summertime.....Cheers until next time man.
Cool!
thank god u pointed out your criticism at the end. the width of the handle and the fact that itll probably interfere didnt even cross my mind o:
Hi...that's good. I think this is fantastic value and overall very good, I use it alongside a different bladed pro one and still like it, and I am tempted to rehandle it with a scrap of oak and epoxy! Rgds Harry
I just bought a 100 piece leather working kit from Amazon knowing that the quality would not be that great but I would get the full range of tools I need to get started. Lo and behold it has the same knife and it was pretty sharp as well.
It's a good move as you have a good selection to get going.
My Dad used a cut throat razor and he used a fine stone and spent more time stropping than he did grinding the blade. He became a wizard of sharpening so kitchen knives were never blunt in our house.
I wasn’t sure it had worked...then I saw the blood. Top job mate :-)
Thanks Harry, one more time for the tips!
Great vid. Thank you sir
Very helpful. Thank you.
Another great video. I just ordered me new hi dollar knife from a name I cannot pronounce. I,m sure it will do great. Thanks for your video. By the way nice strop. The ones to buy are to narrow and short for me. Mine is older than dirt but still works. "haha"
Hello Harry, I'm new to the whole leather-working hobby and am trying to make a belt. (Your videos are a tremendous help) Anyway I found that the color of the leather wasn't dark enough so I tried dying it. When the dye dried however it made the leather very stiff and difficult to work with. Is there a good way to soften leather and if so would it be possible for you to make a video?
Tenho uma dessas, vou afiar.
Ive had that same cheap skiving knife for a year. I only strop it and its still sharp.
Hi Harry, it may be a silly question, I am making a strop. What side of the leather do you strop on? or stick down. The flesh side or the smooth grain side?
Hi Paul...not silly at all apply glue to the flesh side and strop on the top grain.
@@harryrogers Thanks Harry, your my rock! Stay well. Talk soon Paul
Hi Harry, useful video as always. By the way, that’s Japanese on the knife blade, but whether that’s just Chinese copying every detail of a Japanese tool or not I couldn’t say. Regards, Gerry
Gerry Heynes oh wow..interesting!
Harry Rogers it is a great Chinese copy of a Japanese product. Thanks for the great video!
Thank you.
Hi Harry! Among the cheap, which one the sharpest. I spent hundreds of dollars buying all kinds of knives, but not 100% satisfied. Thanks
This model is very sharp and cheap!
@@harryrogers Thanks. I think I ordered that one looking at your knife before I got a reply from you. It is damn cheap or cheapest, but I paid with ePacket, which takes 7 to 14 days in Canada. www.aliexpress.com/item/32885581453.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.55b84c4d1caxDn
Looks good Harry! Good 2 see your getting all the good equipement for the courses😊 I have recently bought a quarter moon knife (headknife?) how to strop the circle of the knife???
Josh Luijsterburg Hi Josh...same approach...I did three of those yesterday for a course....head knives are a good shape and size....had to extend the cutting edge on one with a 1200 diamond stone...then a few strips...and super sharp.
Harry Rogers thanks so I need to strop the round part of the knife in a circular motion????
How can I sharpen the blade of the tool that thins out leather strips? (it's a long flat blade) I'll try stropping it after sharpening
Harry, you or anyone else have a link to the knife you have purchased and found to be of good quality? I'm finding some at 4x the price, and I can't tell if they are even the same knife you're recommending. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm trying to buy off amazon, but ebay will work too!
Harry, What brand of diamond stone and is it reasonably price for someone in the USA? Most diamond stone I see, are little stones place serval mm apart. In your video, when you held it up after cleaning quickly, I did not see and obvious diamonds mounted on the face. Thank you.
It's a DMT stone, and is very nice quality and expensive...unfortunately!
@@harryrogers Thank so much Harry. The brief moment this 1200 grit diamond stone plate appears well built, a very solid plate. Many sold at woodworking to leather shops flex when pressed on. I understand the expense as it looks like high quality. I Enjoy you're videos and pleasant personality. Thanks again.
Hi, thank you for your videos! It has been extremely helpful. I’m wondering does the expensive tools really make a difference? I’m just beginning, haven’t really invest in tools yet. At the moment I feel that money spent on better leather and threads make more of a difference. But I would like to know, would say Vergez Blanchard pricking iron and skiving knife really do a much better job than the average Chinese made tools? Like the one in your video?
Isabella wang Hi Isabella...I think your priorities are spot on...the more expensive tools are often a little more refined...perhaps in time worth looking out for nice used ones by Dixon etc on EBay and gradually get a collection....but good leather and thread is more inspiring in my opinion.
Harry Rogers Thank you Harry! I will look into it now :) I actually ordered the knife after watching your video.
I don’t know why we keep encouraging people to buy cheap tools from around the world which are without doubt not as good as quality British (Sheffield / Birmingham) or USA made tools. The old adage buy once and buy well still rings true.
I have one. i have stropped this knife like crazy lol and yes it is rather sharp but I find it doesnt hold a sharp edge for very long. Cutting leather is ok but it seems skiving is rather hard and needs to be re stropped after 2 or 3 skives.
Hi Harry, I have some old scissors which need sharpening. Would the stropping help them too? They are steel, one is Victorian I think. I want to use them in my dressmaking as well as a pair just for leather work. Thank you. Claire. Nottinghamshire.
cerchocolate I have stropped mine and they were better for it...though I think they really need a regrind or hone!
Harry Rogers Thank you. I shall do that with the best pair and follow your advice with one of these knives too!
Thanks a lot!
Hi Harry, I have one of those knives, and it is very sharp. I was just wondering, how much better is an expensive one? I see you have a couple, is it worth the investment, do you think? All the best . T
Personal opinion ... I think its fine, but then I do not do a lot of hand skiving. I do have a couple of higher quality skiving knives but I don't think you get a lot more bang for your buck, and I would personally spend available funds on better punches that are easier to extract....but then I do punch a lot of holes. Rgds Harry
Harry, I always enjoy your videos and information. Two point to make; #1 this is white jewelers rouge as commonly sold in the US? #2 The leather is mounted flesh side up, not the side with hair, correct? #3 The leather should be mounted to a hard surface like your wood board for accurate final sharpening, right?
Just trying to clarify. Thanks for all you show someone who doesn’t do this everyday. Regards and thank you.
Hi Dean..any compound will work...jewellers is fine...some compounds like green will be slightly coarser. Firm board ....yes. you can use smooth or rough side....I use smooth leather side mostly for blades etc and rough side for polishing rivets.
Thanks Harry for the reply, comments and help. I have all of these while using an old “Real” leather belt more mounted to a strip of plywood. As an auto tech of 40+ years, I have polished a number of parts for restoration or those I have fabricated.
I enjoy learning and new ways of doing things. I find your thick Proper English accent pleasantly enjoyable from a farm boy now in Omaha, NE.
Blessings and be safe for the Holidays. Enjoy.
@@deankay4434 Thanks very much Dean.
@@harryrogers Polishing Rivets?
@@shirleymalar2773 Yes very good for getting saddlers traditional copper rivet tops clean before setting them!
That also is my complain about the handle. I have been wanting to make a simple one sided handle that i rivet the blade flush on so i can skive at very low angles compared to what i possible with this handle
If you do decide to re-profile the round handle, can you please record video doing so? The wood would be no problem to flatten down, but the ferule or collar has me puzzling how to reshape it or replace it. Thanks Harry.
Hi Bruce I guess one could just epoxy the blade in a handle and dispense with a ferrule like a lot of spoon carving knives.
@@harryrogers You could do that. One question: I purchase an inexpensive skiving knife similar to the one you have. It has a secondary bevel on the cutting edge. I don't really like secondary bevels. Wondering if I should just grind it down on my diamond plates to achieve a single bevel. What do you think. Do you like the secondary bevel on your knives?
@@bbrachman Hi Bruce, one of my knives has a single BEVEL and works great.
I do have the same skiving knife i did the impossible to sharpen it used the leather the red and white rouge and it is still dull any suggestions thank you.
Perhaps some 600 grit and then some 1200 can use emery but ideally monocrystaline diamond bed, like DMT, followed by a strop.
Harry Rogers Thank you
When you make a strop do you have the grain or flesh side exposed?
Hi usually the grain side.
Are the diamond stones expensive?
The monocrystaline diamond stones are...for rough grits any will do, but for 600 and say 1200 grits I think the monocrystaline ones are worth it if you use tools a lot.
Where do you purchase the knife?
EBay etc
Harry, Do you have a tutorial on how to make a round knife sheath?
chrisa pattee hi sorry no but you can use the techniques from my other films.
Harry Rogers which ones would you suggest?
Do you ever have to replace the leather?
Hi Chris...yes it wears out or gets cut or both!
Made in Japan, it looks like.
Yes thanks...others have suggested likewise....I am sorry I incorrectly assumed China as that is where I purchased it.
ÇİN MALI DİYE ENDİŞELENDİM AMA .KARGO GELDİĞİNDE DENEDİM GAYET İYİ KESİM YAPIYOR. FİYAT UYGUN. BEĞENDİM.
Can you put up a link where you purchased the skiving knife?
andrew hodgkinson Amazon and Ebay
Just search on aliexpress, its about 2 dollars lol
Can you actually whet the new blade until it has that curve as the blade at 0:28?
Hi yes you can whet grind the blade to a curve...assuming it is good and hard steel away from the existing cutting edge...I think it probably is as the blade tang is brittle.
Sir I want leather crafting used tools can you please help me to find some.
EBay is a good place to start.
Hi Harry, I just got one of those knifes and I was wandering if you can show us how to make a leather cover to protect the edge and ourselfs, I really enjoy your videos, thank you
Thanks Ingrid....I will see what I can do, a quick fix is to make a leather bag with a tie to wrap around the handle...I have just made 6 of those! otherwise its a proper welted seam a bit like the axe cover film I put up a while back.
Where can I order those knives at?
Richard Ash EBay and Amazon
Harry Rogers thank you. Just ordered 2 from eBay.
Show us the materials to make the strope
👍
A course? Do tell?
Hi I am not running any more at the moment...too many other projects on the go...but thanks for asking.
Do you have instagram Harry?
I will strop my chisels between uses... just to maintain a edge...
John Hammack Hi John...yes really works well on chisels...carving tools..in fact everything here is getting a strop!
Why wouldn't you put your strop on the back of your diamond stone?
bomaite1 Hi the diamond stone will last a lot longer than the strop.. .I get through strops!
There is nothing to stop you from slapping another on, is there? But I don't think I have ever worn one out myself. I have several, fine and medium, and one I keep just for gauges, but I never wear them out. I just saw the back of that huge diamond stone and glueing a stop on it seemed like the logical thing. But I don't mean to tell you what to do. But something else, I made a good skyving knife from an old chef's knife I bought at a rummage sale. Good steel, broad enough and long enough. Shape it how you like. It works well for me. Good luck.
Thanks....thats a great idea with your chefs knife, and will hopefully help a lot of others here....I might give that a go..thanks again..
Traditionally, use a coarser grit on the flesh side, and the finest grit on the hair side. I use tripoli on the flesh, and rouge on the hair side.
it costed me 10 euros
Those knives are based on a Japanese design. I have the same one and found it works really well if you use the cutting method shown in this video th-cam.com/video/GScGT44oPA0/w-d-xo.html.
I've found mine particularly good for long straight cuts, but have the same issue with the handle when skiving.
Mark Phillips Thanks Mark..very helpful.
That’s not Chinese sir. It’s japanese
Thanks Michael.