DictionaryskiveShaving material
verb

skive

To thin leather or similar material by shaving off layers.

She skives the leather edges so the seam lies flat.

Etymology

The older verb concerns slicing. Leatherworking preserves that action in shaving off thin layers to reduce thickness.

More examples

  • Skive the strap ends before folding them around the buckle.
  • He skived the leather too thin, and it tore.
  • Skiving removes thin layers without cutting through the leather.

Forms

skive · skives · skived · skiving

skiver noun — A tool for shaving leather thinner.

Similar words

pare
Means trimming away an outer layer, not necessarily thinning leather.
shave
Emphasizes removing thin slices from a surface with a blade.