Faithfull FAIKSHOER Shoe / Leather Knife Hardwood Handle Stainless Steel Blade Length 112mm (4.3/8in)

Product Information

A shoe knife blade includes a cutting edge, blade end and tang. These are made in various shapes and sizes to suit different uses. Another type of sheath, usually leather, is designed to fit over the knife handle but leave the blade free. This gives you extra grip and comfort when cutting, and is especially popular with shoemakers.

A lot of people will erroneously tell you that a shoe knife is a loafer with a dagger in it or a mashup of a sneaker and a switchblade. Shoe knives are often found in factories producing rubber and plastics, where they’re used for jobs such as trimming excess material from the rollers, removing flawed pieces and cutting items to size. You can also buy or make small leather guards to wrap around your index finger for extra protection while you’re cutting. Curved lip knives are used for trimming excess leather from shoe soles and uppers, and are available for both right- and left-handed users.

Skiving is what shoemakers call the act of cutting away thin layers of leather to create a desired shape and a smooth finish. Skiving the leather calls for a flexible blade that’s usually pretty thin—a little bit different than the tool previously mentioned. A taper tip is often used to trim leather and cut through stitches in both shoemaking and bookbinding. You may have to go round several times until you’ve trimmed enough off, but it’s best to be cautious and take too little off rather than too much. The curve makes it easier to work your way around the sole or upper of a shoe in a smooth movement. You can also use the lip as a lever when removing soles and heels. A stub tang is also known as a pin or whittle tang. It only runs a little way into the handle and is generally found on cheaper knives.

You can also use the flat of the blade to spread adhesive, as long as you clean it properly afterwards.Cobblers also use shoe knives to remove unwanted bumps from the bottom of their creations. Shoemakers turn over the knife and use its non-cutting edge to determine if the sole is flat. After the sole, also called an outsole, has been glued on, you need to trim away any excess material from around the edges. A strong knife with a short, sharp blade is best for this. A sharp tip lets you be more precise and is useful for delicate and difficult work such as cutting out leather parts in shoemaking, and removing bookbindings for repair. The most famous example of a “shoe knife” is found at the end of the 1963 James Bond film, From Russia with Love. The character Klebb (played by actress Lotte Lenya) tries to kill Bond (played by Sean Connery) with a poisoned knife that’s attached to the tip of her clog.

All of our shoe knives are made with high-carbon steel that’s painstakingly hardened, tempered, and polished. These long-lasting blades are expertly fitted into easy-to-grip, hardwood handles. Shoe knives are also used to scrape away and smooth over any lumps and bumps in the heel as it’s built up layer by layer. A straight-edged blade is the most popular type on a shoe knife. It’s suitable for many kinds of cutting. They use a sharp blade for cutting out the shape of the uppers, and also for trimming excess leather from around the sole and heel. The tang is the part of the blade that runs up into the handle. A full tang is where the metal extends the entire length of the handle in a single piece.When you’ve finished trimming, use a broad file or flat-bladed knife to smooth off any rough edges around the sole. We’ve been making knives since 1885. Our “Made in America” knives are the best money can buy and we have a huge selection of styles. There are actual tools called shoe knives and as the name suggests, they are used in shoemaking. That’s why the tool is sometimes called a “cobbler’s knife.” Granite boards, or slabs, have an extremely hard, smooth surface that can’t be scratched by knife blades. They are not designed to be cut into, but instead allow the leather or other material to be held perfectly flat for skiving. Technically, Klebb’s pointed pump is a kind of “shoe knife” but it’s not the kind of shoe knife that concerns us.