Leather Knives

Leathercraft Guides

Cutting Leather Cleanly: Knife Control, Blades, and Layout
ByMagnus Enslin 3 July 20269 October 2026

Clean leather cutting starts with a properly sharp blade used on a self-healing craft cutting mat. I use a half-head knife or Japanese knife for most cutting and a snap-off utility knife for finer detail. Mark the cut clearly, keep the blade controlled and vertical, and use additional deliberate passes rather than forcing a heavy cut.

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Leathercraft Guides

Skiving Leather by Hand: What It Is and When to Use It
ByMagnus Enslin 3 July 202610 October 2026

Skiving is the technique of thinning leather at specific points by removing material from the flesh side with a sharp skiving knife. It is used at fold lines, edge joins, and overlapping construction areas where full-thickness leather would create excessive bulk. A gradual taper — not an abrupt cut — is what makes it work. It is a targeted technique applied to specific zones, not a general way to thin leather.

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