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His name was William Cyngisser; he was a leather scyther, I believe in New York. Not completely sure where he is in photograph. View full size.
skiver, n
1. (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Tanning) the tanned outer layer split from a skin
2. (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Tanning) a person, tool, or machine that skives
The British or Scottish slang word means "a person who persistently avoids work or responsibility," and I'm willing to bet Grandfather didn't fit that!
I've got a couple skiving knives similar to this modern version among the leather tools from Dad's collection.
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