Swivel Knife Tutorial

Swivel Knife skills are essential in the leatherwork trade and it is by far one of the most difficult tools to master. In this video, I show you some quick and easy fundamentals of the swivel knife that you can immediately put to use in your shop to master this tool.
This video along with others found on my channel are designed to help you improve your leathercraft skills and artwork. If you would like to read more information about leatherwork as well as available tooling patterns, visit www.dgsaddlery.com.
Be sure and let us know what you think of this video and subscribe to this channel for the latest videos we produce as they become available.

[@Tarbashh]

This is my favorite swivel knife video on KZbin. Thank you, man.

[@cheriromain9538]

Thanks Don, I have been struggling with quality curves and especially scrolls. Your scroll technique is gonna be super helpful.

[@williamedwards735]

You sure do make it look easy, your right, most difficult tool to master. Appreciate your how to videos. Thanks, Tom

[@willloveless9327]

Best video ive come across for beginning swivel knife tips. Thank you!

[@linkinpark6478]

for me starting this video was really helpful and I really need a lot of practice

[@freezinweasle1]

Thank you so much for sharing your expertise! As an old guy just beginning, your videos are so helpful.

[@cuptonmillerlpnful]

Thank you for the tutorial on carving. Im just getting started with the carving, but looking forward to it. Want to learn the right way, and not have to unlearn. Your tips are awesome.

[@1632gbl]

Great tutorial, very detailed and explained thoroughly in an easily understood manner, full of info. Answered a lot of questions I've had. I'll be watching this one again and looking at your other ones too. Thanks for the help.

[@brianlash7298]

Really appreciate your videos Don. Extremely helpful.

[@ageorge7140]

very nice video for all us new to leather work. great to see someone with your experience and craftsmanship passing on your knowledge thanks

[@Whisper911202]

You are such a wonderful teacher! Thank you so much for sharing your skills, know that you are well respected and appreciated!😇👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼. If you ever decide to hold live workshops/classes I would love to come and learn from you in person!

[@Buckskinleather]

Great video Don! Very concise and educational!

[@Fat2Fit5k]

This was well orchestrated. Alot of helpful tips and tricks, alot of instructions and well prepared. It showed me where I was wrong and how I can improve. Hopefully this will help me to improve more. Thanks you so much. Definitely was worth watching as everyone has suggested you!

[@bretthouser8330]

I really enjoy watching your videos. They are succinct and to the point. Thanks, Brett

[@jessicafrankland7443]

Awesome vid man, you're a natural at teaching. You explain things really well, I just find it very easy to learn from the way you explained the technique. Thanks for the help!

[@rich6489]

That scroll tip with moving your hand is huge. That first one you showed that was wonkey is exactly what the last scroll I did looked like. Going to practice turning my hand for the next one.

[@darksi226]

Great vid! Some awesome tips delivered in a clear and easy to understand way. Thank you

[@azsaddledoc]

Thanks for the info Don. The swivel knife is so difficult to "master". I have hacked my way to moderate success but will use these tips to practice. Also, decorative cuts have always been difficult for me. I developed poor habits (self taught) and have done it wrong for so long (40 years). Practice will be the only way to improve. Thanks for the tips!! RJ

[@INFIDEL82AA]

Don! One of, if not THEE, best tutorials I have had the privilege to watch, in quite a while. This is exactly why I am a subscriber of your work! Very simple, and very impressive! Your style, just those simple little flowers and embellishments that you made around 7:45 looked great! Thank you!

[@kassandrawohlbrandt3724]

Your cap is the first thing I noticed.. my home town.. Thank you so much for your video .. your video's are so helpful..

[@davidwellenstein2381]

Your skill level is awesome! Very good presentation, very fluid. Thanks for posting this.

[@REDCRANE1944]

Thank you for your very detailed and easy to understand instructions

[@C4FMnews]

New to Leathercraft and this is one of the best How-To's I have watched on KZbin for Swivel Knife techniques and practice. Thanks Don ... FIVE STARS

[@DonGonzalesMaker]

+Larry Baker thank you so much brotha!

[@chopzrodriguez5851]

Brother!!! Thankyou for this schooling! Most old school guys will not teach you , I am a pinstriper I do scroll work and gold leaf work with my brush , and always wanted to learn leather work. Thankyou again for explaining the basic right way. Cheers!!!

[@barbaradvojatzki2852]

Awesome tutorial! Definitely very helpful for beginners ! Thanks a lot

[@milom.2057]

Excellent video!

[@DWHanham]

Great video. I'm a beginner at 78 yrs. old and this helps.

[@Tahitoherreríatradicional2]

Thanks for your tutorial!

[@eugenereynolds5977]

Thank you so much for showing me that that was a lot of help I was having trouble cutting it came out lousy but you showed me a lot of good ideas and stuff thank you

[@selenadiaz1642]

Huge help! Thanks Don.

[@stevecuthbert8856]

Good lesson. You are easy to listen to and follow.

[@mlopezrossi]

Many thanks for sharin! I will practice a lot with your recommendations!

[@charliesullivan7546]

Thank you for a very good video. I have trouble sometimes using my swivel knife,but your video helps me quite a bit.

[@DonGonzalesMaker]

+Charlie Sullivan thanks so much!

[@billmccaffrey1977]

Thanks for all of the tips! Great tutorial. One things you did not state, but practiced was to keep your wrist resting on the surface (hand not up in the air). I learned this carving wood and you demoed good technique.

[@Ivan-hj1kd]

Thanks for the heads up,I just noticed this after your comment.

[@APlagueOfButterflies]

Thank you very much, this is an excellent tutorial.

[@cutter9009]

Great tutorial and practical tips!

[@bakdraft6578]

Awesome Video.. Thank You!

[@TheSwatmachine]

Great job brother!

[@fromtheuintahs]

very helpful, many thanks!!

[@justinaragon9296]

Great video man!

[@judithwright5084]

Also just learning. Love your videos. So say to understand. Thanks

[@thomasschneider7599]

Hi Don, I like your videos and love your work. You could create a video on sharpening cutting tools. I think most beginners don't understand how important sharp tools are. They torture themselves, their tools and the leather. Show them how to sharpen the different tools and bring them into good condition. Best wishes from germany

[@danielrocha2581]

Thank you, you are a very fine artist, greetings from México

[@tiedemann8225]

Great video. Thanks for making them. - It helps alot.

[@catekatz5855]

Great video! Very helpful!!

[@ellaadventure641]

I'm a newbie and was having issues with my swivel knife skills, this really helped answer a lot of my questions! Subbed :)

[@DonGonzalesMaker]

+EllaAdventure fantastic and thanks a bunch!!!

[@mishamarx6997]

Wowza. You have some talent!!!

[@terrytuite8947]

Thank you this was very helpful

[@fizbinsfire]

Thank you for this video.

[@JackieBaisa]

This was really helpful. Thank you!

[@mistydawn2717]

Hey thank you! I'm new at this and your video was a huge help. In researching how each tool is used before I get full on hitting the leather lol. Ur fan in Oklahoma💜✌

[@JaySmith-rs5wc]

Great video, thanks!

[@wingednomad8423]

I guess I'll be carrying my swivel knife and a piece of leather with me at all times from now on lol. Thanks for the help mate!

[@RoRockerB]

This is awesome! Thank you

[@LikeWeDidOutdoors]

great vid, I've been scared to tool my projects but had a go at the weekend, it came out good with a razor so ordered a proper swivel knife, found it a bit daunting till I saw this

[@mnamous9823]

What swivel knife did you get, and are you happy with it?

[@LikeWeDidOutdoors]

@@mnamous9823 a cheap ebay one mate, and yes it was good though I didn't end up doing much tooling on future projects. Better than a modelling knife etc

[@kendpruitt]

Very informative. ..thanks for making this ...big help

[@rababaabid2065]

Very helpful and interesting tutorial, thank you , greeting from Cairo

[@gayledecker7088]

Great lesson.

[@mariagaribceaeva6348]

Hello Don Gonzales. I work a few years with leather but very little time I practice embossing. That's why everything I find in this domain is very useful for me. Unfortunately I get wrong with the ies very useful for my ngles. But the video is very useful for me because the first time I find practical tips to master a revolving knife in leather embossing. Thank you very much Don Gonzalo. If you have any tutorial in Spanish please let me know.Traductor de Google para empresas:Google Translator ToolkitTraductor de sitios webGlobal Market Finder

[@melissahelsel4728]

Truly a master.

[@jcknives4162]

Great video. Thank you

[@filstewart2380]

Thank you - very informative.

[@johnvineyard1509]

Great video! Subbed

[@TheJamestat2]

Awesome! Just like I learned from my grandfather!

[@philochristos]

That was very helpful. Thanks.

[@ILuv2learn]

Excellent video. Very informative and well presented information. Impressive skill and artistry. Thanks!

[@DonGonzalesMaker]

+H. Hall thanks a bunch!

[@rbliven]

Good stuff thanks

[@chumbolucas7337]

Parabéns pelo ensinamento brigado

[@dmaciel2830]

Big help!! Thanks 😊

[@markbrooks324]

Hi Don thanks for the tutorial learned a lot from it ! Mark 🇬🇧

[@DonGonzalesMaker]

+Mark Brooks thanks so much man! Appreciate the support!

[@DonGonzalesMaker]

+Mark Brooks thanks so much man!

[@gilbertdurand6873]

thanks...very informative

[@Guido_78]

hi don, just a qick question, is that a barry king swivel knife? what is the barrel size? the blade it seems to be 1/4 " but i can't understand if it is the thick or the thin one.....thanks a lot for all your video it helps me a lot to hear from an experienced leathercrafter

[@mirafrenkel7929]

Awesome video, thank you! I was struggling to carve some leaves and this cleared up a ton of other things I had missed as well

[@tannaeros]

Yes, his instruction really helped me a lot.

[@sewsewon1541]

Thank you Don.

[@juliangonzales2916]

Excelente explicación 👍👍👍

[@melanieansolabehere1989]

Very good video excellent Thank you

[@mattariety955]

Thank you for this

[@MrCosmos110]

Cool stuff Brother ! ! ! ....................

[@scviking831]

Hi Don, I've been practicing the swivel knife on belts and you're right, it is a really hard but awesome tool. There are a bunch of tutorials out there, but I keep coming back to this one! I really appreciate the way you make this and all your advice videos, they have helped me practice better. That leather looks like belt weight (9oz?), I'm curious how often you dampen it for carving. Thanks for your time!

[@DonGonzalesMaker]

Thank you so much! I use a spray bottle to dampen and I don’t want it to wet... it’s better to be a little dryer than wet and mushy... especially on thinner leathers.

[@chrisstatom481]

Hey Don, I've been carving or lets say trying to learn how to carve, and I have a question about the different blade types. I have purchased several different blades, and as they arrived and after a little use I noticed a difference in the thickness of the blades. I have two 1/4" angel blades in my small collection,one said for filigree and is thinner than the other. I have been in the Electric Sign industry all my life and I have a pretty good idea what the difference is, but I;d like a professional explanation of the use and types of different blades. Please explain Thank you

[@jessegarykevinstanroach4799]

thanks for the lesson, one question is the whole blade in the leather when carving or just the tip ?

[@jackiekittridge-steele385]

Hi Don - great vid, thanks! Q: are all swivel knives created equal?

[@damesydneyleatherworksprie9136]

Love your videos they are very informative. So I’m using 1.8mm leather. I’m casing it but don’t really get the nice clean line you get when I swivel cut my leather. My lines are thin and don’t open very much at all. Is this a casing issue or lack of pressure issue?

[@takes2home]

HI Don, I really really Enjoy the Video, thank YoU. Some body tell me that before i start to cut my patter with the Swivel knife i should case the leather with a mixture of saddle soap and water this way it should go thru the leather easier, but when i did that i noticed that the leather became sealed; and i am having a hard time to get the leather wet again to continue to work with it. i think because of the saddle soap. Do you think is it wrong to wet the leather with this mixture of water & saddle soap? what do you do to make the leather softer so that the swivel knife can cut thru the leather easier? sorry for the long question and thank you again for your instructive videos ( : ps can you actually sharp a swivel knife carefully with a cheap sharpening or wet stone first before strapping it on a piece of leather like you do?

[@JayJay-sf2wn]

THANK YOU!

[@mikevan8555]

Don, Thanks for all the Videos great job ! Hey what is your opinion of the Steele swivel knife blades -vs- Ceramic ones ? Is one better than the other for fine carving or detail ? Thanks!!

[@ArcticFlies56]

Your not kidding when you say this is a hard tool to learn. I just started out in leather works and I tried for two hours to cut a flower on a piece of leather from a drawing I made, it was a disaster!!! I was so frustrated after two hours that I just through the whole thing in the garbage.

[@frankyantosca5012]

When students would complain about how long it took to get good with a swivel knife, Al Stohlman would tell them to keep a swivel knife and cased leather next to the phone and doodle while talking on the phone. So many people have learned to draw with this method so it makes sense to try this. Of course the phone is now always with you so you will have to decide where and when. Maybe at your desk in the office.

[@kevinames8080]

Hi DonI like your you tube videos. The question is why do you add the oil to your strop? From when I was doing may craving I never use any oil. the 1 thing that was a big thing that beginner was keep your knife sharp. 1 thing I might add is when your done for the day is sharpen your day

[@justingaspar2554]

Great video!! What type of knife is that?

[@iraklibaxsoliani8428]

good job don :)

[@kbaxterpackwood]

The knife blade that you used in the first half of this video, was it straight or angled?

[@pattiargoff3824]

Is carving on a piece of leather that's already been dyed advisable? I'd like to carve on a chrome-tan leather guitar strap that's colored opaque white. Is there a particular blade you could recommend? Thank you.

[@takiel-dien8107]

hello don, can you tell me which leather will be better for carving and molding wicket & craig leather or hermann oak one ?? Thanks

[@ranchero5595]

Should I use the knife sharpener in my kitchen to sharpen it?

[@justingaspar2554]

What would you recommend for a first swivel knife. 1/4 blade 1/2 barrel?

[@sfkid57]

I am looking to buy a manual leather splitting machine any recommendations

[@jhunnail505]

Awsome

[@ianpemb9324]

Hi Don, Thank you for posting you video. I am very very new at leathercrafting. What weight of leather do you suggest for beginners to practice with? Also could you explain how wet that you like to have the leather when carving with the swivel knife? Thanks, Ian

[@DonGonzalesMaker]

+ian pemb any weight is good to practice with. The biggest thing on moisture is to not have it too saturated. Dryer gives nicer cuts and better color during tooling

[@gabrielrasa4852]

Hi! Unrelated person here, but I did a tutorial on casing a while ago that sounds like it has the information you're looking for: armory-rasa.tumblr.com/post/158239827168/leatherworking-lecture-casing As for leather thickness, most any weight will work; I prefer 7 oz and up because it's thick enough that you can get some very nice depth in your tooling.

[@user-cj2xl3qo9y]

Good