Steve; To sipe a tire, they cut relatively shallow slits 1/16 inch apart and 3/16 deep across the tire. It gives the tread a squeegee effect when starting or stopping on wet/slippery roads. It does not detract in any way from tire life or safety. Ran siped tires for years on the big rigs.
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Thunderman: Above is the explanation I gave Steve on siping. I've not heard of "shaving" except in the event a tire is 'out of round' due to a heavy seam or something similar.
