Finally got my head around that tricky leather paring technique

I was working on a custom journal cover in my basement shop last night, trying to pare down a piece of veg-tan for the spine. My knife kept catching and leaving these awful gouges, ruining two pieces. I took a break, watched a short video from a binder in Seattle, and realized my angle was totally off. I came back, held the blade almost flat against the leather, and it went smooth as butter on the third try. Has anyone else had a breakthrough with a specific hand-tool method that just clicked?

3 comments

3 Comments

paige5142mo ago

What video was it? Might need to see that angle.

robinson.holly1mo ago

Same thing goes for kitchen knives. Most people push way harder than they need to, a light touch and sharp blade does all the work.

iris_mason882mo ago

Had the same thing happen with my skiving knife. Was pressing way too hard until I saw a guy just letting the weight of the tool do the work. Total game changer.