Skiving Leather by Hand: What It Is and When to Use It
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.