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Chaveta for sale

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Jitterbugdude

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I've been looking for a source to buy the proper sheet steel to purchase in managable size or have stamped for a small batch of chavetas, and I came on this interesting article "cigar making tools II"
http://cigarhistory.info/Cigarmaking/Cigarmaking_tools_II.html

My homeade chaveta could be made quite easily as a quality tool with proper steel.

Just fire up the forge, cut off a piece of leaf spring, spend countless hours heating and hammering, tempering, hardening, filing and sharpening and you'll have your chaveta!..:)
 

deluxestogie

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Do forgive me for reposting this, but I'm convinced that this functions better than a traditional chaveta, requires no modification, and is cheap as dirt.
deluxestogie 7/11/11 said:
My son, a professional chef, picked up one of these out of curiosity, but found that it did not suit his needs, so he gave it to me. It is made by Kuhn Rikon, and is called a 6" Kulu. Retail is $20, but it is widely available on-line for about $15.
KuhnRikon6inchKulu.jpg

I don't like the handle at all, so I hold it by the opposite riser, with the handle extending away from my hand. Held in that manner, it makes a wonderful chaveta for cigar trimming, as well as an excellent tool for quickly making a fine ribbon-cut for pipe tobacco. A true chaveta costs in the neighborhood of $40, though you can make one from an old saw blade, if you have the shop tools to do so.

Traditional Alaskan Kulus, and European Mezzaluna knives position the handle too high above the arc of the blade, making them tiresome and clumsy to use as a chaveta. For ribbon-cutting tobacco, this redesigned kulu, when held as described, allows the distant tip of the blade to rest on the cutting board, while the edge is rocked precisely over a tightly rolled sausage of tobacco. I'm able to rapidly cut 1/8" ribbon, and with care, even finer. To limit the length of the ribbons, I rock the blade once lengthwise over the roll of sliced coins. (So a 1" thick roll of leaf cuts into 1-1/2" long ribbons.) No need for pressing a block first. The rocking blade provides good leverage, and requires far less exertion than the razor-sharp tactical folder that I had been using prior to acquiring this handy kulu.

The curved edge, like a chaveta, can be used to trim the frilly leaf edge of a wrapper. Leaning the blade causes it to cut along a curve (like leaning on skis). I now use it in all my cigar making. Each finished cigar leaves a few large leaf trimmings, as well as a small quantity of filler cut from the head and foot of the cigar. I toss the larger pieces into a nearby gallon Ziplock, then squish the filler fragments into a tight roll and ribbon-cut it. The resulting little pile of tobacco is saved in a plastic jar as random-mix pipe tobacco. I would say that the scrap from making one cigar leaves, in addition to the large scrap (for use in future cigars), about one medium bowl of pipe tobacco.

If you search for "Kuhn Rikon Kulu", you'll find numerous sites selling them. They also make a 4-1/2" kulu, which I believe would be too small for use as a chaveta.

I have used my Kuhn Rikon Kulu to make well over a thousand cigars. It has yet to require sharpening.

Bob
 

BarG

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It must be the carpenter in my blood, I like the wood feel above all else, Knives,guns, tobacco tools. My first chaveta works fine but the edge needs to be tempered, and I liked the look of some of the long tobacco knives as shown in article. I 'm certain I saw the earlier post on the "Kuhn Rikon Kulu", and it may have influenced my first attempt.
 

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deluxestogie

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Traditional chavetas are simply the metal, without a wooden "handle." They work great for cutting a single, flat leaf, and for using the straight top edge for scraping away tobacco fragments from a cutting board. The downside of the traditional chaveta is that you can't really use it for cutting a "sausage" of tobacco for making ribbon cut or shred, since it requires the application of considerable hand pressure, even with a razor-sharp blade.

A chaveta with a wood handle can be used for cutting thicker wads of tobacco. Yours is well done, BarG. The Kuhn Rikon Kulu is the inexpensive and functional answer for those who don't have the shop tools or interest in building their own. As with any chaveta with a handle, you need another nearby object for use in scraping the board clean. (Fingers don't work well for that.) I use the back of a tactical folder for this purpose. It hangs from a close-by cabinet knob.

Bob
 

Jitterbugdude

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I have a traditional chaveta but I am going to buy the Kuhn Rikon Kulu. I have a tendency to usually have 2 versions of tobacco related stuff. I like the traditional chaveta, rolling board and cigar cutter because it just feels "right". Kind of like going back in time and working my tobacco like they did in the olden days. But I also have an electric shredder because the modern stuff speeds things up mightily.

Randy B
 

BarG

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Heres a work in progress started last year. The potato box is temporarily functioning for storing bags of whole leaf due to a bum potato crop last year. The cutting board will have legs w/castors and separate storage w/drawers underneath for tabacco tools and leaf on one side and butcher paper,seasonings,bowls and seal a meal on other. The corian cutting surface is easy to sanitize and clean, can even be sanded to remove accumilated cut marks.I usually process a few days worth at a time but it takes up my dining table to do it.
Overall size is 25" x 53" on cutting table with an intended 30" finished height100_1873.jpg
 

tempbond

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I'm gonna try something that someone else uses on an other forum to make cigars with great succes : a rotary cutter. Fiskars and Olfa make quite a few models, ranging from 10 to 15 $ on eBay.

Titanium-Softgrip-R-Comfort-Loop-Rotary-Cutter-45-mm_product_main.jpg
 

BigBonner

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A rotary cutter works great . I use one for both shredding tobacco and desteming for cigars . They stay sharp for a long time . The only thing about one is you can't hardly cut both sides of the stem with your right hand , you have to turn the leaf around and cut the other side . The side of the rotary cutter will bottom out on the stem if you try cutting both sides from one direction .

I'm gonna try something that someone else uses on an other forum to make cigars with great succes : a rotary cutter. Fiskars and Olfa make quite a few models, ranging from 10 to 15 $ on eBay.

View attachment 388
 

tempbond

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A rotary cutter works great . I use one for both shredding tobacco and desteming for cigars . They stay sharp for a long time . The only thing about one is you can't hardly cut both sides of the stem with your right hand , you have to turn the leaf around and cut the other side . The side of the rotary cutter will bottom out on the stem if you try cutting both sides from one direction .

I think I'm gonna buy this one, I think the blade is "free" on both side.
rotary cutter.jpg
 

BarG

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I have a traditional chaveta but I am going to buy the Kuhn Rikon Kulu. I have a tendency to usually have 2 versions of tobacco related stuff. I like the traditional chaveta, rolling board and cigar cutter because it just feels "right". Kind of like going back in time and working my tobacco like they did in the olden days. But I also have an electric shredder because the modern stuff speeds things up mightily.

Randy B

Is that the new pasta shredder your referring to, that does make a nice shred.
 

Jitterbugdude

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No, It's the "knife" Deluxestogie recommended. I might have to look in to the rotary cutters because if the blade gets dull you can easily replace it.

Randy B
 

notcrack

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I know this is an old thread, but I've just purchased a rotary cutter for this purpose and it works perfectly. I also got a A5 bit of 15mm thick perspex as a cigar smoother lol. Once I've got the leaf I will be posting pictures of my finished cigars. I'm just hoping my years of smoking.......urm other types of leaf will have some added benefit to this. I used to be able to roll a killer blunt. Ah to be young again.
 

johnlee1933

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I've been looking for a source to buy the proper sheet steel to purchase in managable size or have stamped for a small batch of chavetas, and I came on this interesting article "cigar making tools II"
http://cigarhistory.info/Cigarmaking/Cigarmaking_tools_II.html

My homeade chaveta could be made quite easily as a quality tool with proper steel.
Have you considered using a dead saw blade? I have one set aside for my next chevetta. I plan to cut it to size using a ferrous cutting disc in my table saw. I have cut steel that way before (successfully). All you have to be careful about is SAWDUST !!! I clean mine up very carefully and them put a damp towel in the spark line. Oh Yeah, the steel gets quite hot so I clamp it before cutting and cool it afterwards (same damp towel.) The new chevetta is another winter project.

John
 

notcrack

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I wish I had some of the talents you lot have. I wouldn't know how to cut wood let alone steel. I might have to take an adult education class and learn some new skills. I've always wanted to know how to make and build things. My skills are more based around how to download pornography while on the telephone to my mother ;)

That of course is a joke BTW
 
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