Trox Report post Posted December 28, 2012 Osborn mod. 86 eight inch splitter blade new or in good condition wanted. My splitter needs a replacement blade, all of interest. In advance thanks Merry Christmas to you all. Tor Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oltoot Report post Posted December 28, 2012 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leather-Tool-C-S-OSBORNE-86-Bench-Mount-Leather-Splitter-6-Blade-EC-/121044159065?_trksid=p2047675.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D13900%26meid%3D4478072380504191568%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D1095%26rk%3D4%26sd%3D120876553201%26 Campbell part # OS 86 B CS Osborne part # 17054 Westernrawhide.com Mainethread.com I didn't try the #84 but I think that the blades are interchangeable My lesson learned in my earlier quest was not to try to sharpen the blade myself. My splitter is about 125 years old and had been thrown away twice when I retrieved it. I only gave up fighting with it and bought the new blade about 25 years ago. Hope this helps you find what you need. It scared me to see how much they have come up since I bought the one I have. FYI I strop mine carefully with a strop made for it: flesh side of split harness leather mounted on a board with a handle. I press down hard against blade surface so as not to round edge using white rouge. When that stops working I will make another one with green rouge and see if that will perk it up before I break down and have a machinist restore it. But, I am 70 so maybe somebody else will have to worry about that? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mijo Report post Posted December 28, 2012 Trox, I have an 86 splitter but it's blade is only 6" and not 8". Is the 8" blade from an older version of the 86? I'm just curious... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bruce johnson Report post Posted December 28, 2012 Mijo, CS Osborne made that pattern splitter in 5,6,7,8,9,10, and 12 inch sizes but the 6 is the most common. Never fails, we are looking for an 8" blade and I find 10"s. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trox Report post Posted December 28, 2012 http://www.ebay.com/...d=120876553201 Campbell part # OS 86 B CS Osborne part # 17054 Westernrawhide.com Mainethread.com I didn't try the #84 but I think that the blades are interchangeable My lesson learned in my earlier quest was not to try to sharpen the blade myself. My splitter is about 125 years old and had been thrown away twice when I retrieved it. I only gave up fighting with it and bought the new blade about 25 years ago. Hope this helps you find what you need. It scared me to see how much they have come up since I bought the one I have. FYI I strop mine carefully with a strop made for it: flesh side of split harness leather mounted on a board with a handle. I press down hard against blade surface so as not to round edge using white rouge. When that stops working I will make another one with green rouge and see if that will perk it up before I break down and have a machinist restore it. But, I am 70 so maybe somebody else will have to worry about that? I wish I had had tried to sharpen this blade myself instead of sending it to the Norwegian saw blade sharpening company TROMAS AS. One side was perfect when I got it back, but the other was untouched. I sent it back to them and told them the importance of a straight blade for precision splitting, both sides had to be sharpened. They could not use the normal machine because of the blades screw hole tabs, they had to use a band grinder. I use a band grinder myself for sharpening knifes and feel I have pretty good control with it. I was not aafraid to send it back because the work was very good ..SO FAR. See how the blade looked like when I got it back, they sharpened it like a lawn cutter blade. I ccried when got it back, it is a hundred year old splitter. I still have not got them to pay for a new blade, nevertheless I will not give up trying yet. I have to take it to the head of the company, the department who made the mistake will not return my emails. However, first I need to find a new blade. I have contacted Dan Naegle in Campbell Randall, they cannot help me, neither can Osborn. The # 84 has a totally different blade. About the #86 it was also made by other companies. Osborn made the # 86 in 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12 inch versions. Now they only sell the six inch version. I also have a newly aquired 10 inch CS Osborne version. I think eight inches are maximum width for this construction pull true splitter, any wider splits will be hard to pull true. I have a Heritage # 84 copy I am using for lap skives, and I too only strop the blade now and then. I try to use it on different places on the blade to keep it level. Both the eight and the ten inch are recently bought from USA, the blades had to be leveled on the eight inch model. Otherwise I will only strop with a angry type polishing compound. I guess I have to buy the German blade or charge them for a new six inch machine. Thats a pitty, because the my eight inch version (who has no maker stamp on it) is a improved construction over the Osborn model. It has a sturdier frame (you cannot see this from these pictures) and it has better joints. I have posted a ad in the wanted section and I am going to make a call to the Tromas AS head director first thing 2013. I am sure we will come to a agreement, it is a big company and they cannot risk any bad publicity. Thank you for the help so far, I will keep on looking. By the way 70 years is no age now a days, I hope you will have your hands and eyes in good conditions for many more years to come. Keep it up. A still peacful Christmas and a happy Nwe year to you all. Thanks Tor (pic "model 86 is the 8 inch model before sharpening. The other is the 10 inch Osborne splitter, the picture is not any good9) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trox Report post Posted December 28, 2012 Mijo, CS Osborne made that pattern splitter in 5,6,7,8,9,10, and 12 inch sizes but the 6 is the most common. Never fails, we are looking for an 8" blade and I find 10"s. Thank you Bruce and Merry Christmas to you. Bruce was the one who sold me the 10 inch model for a very good price, Thank you. (I guess he felt sorry for me) Nevertheless, I cannot just look at the nice eight inch frame sitting there idle, I have to try fixing it up. Bruce is the man to ask about splitters, he is a walking encyclopedia on the subject. I will not give up complaining to the company who ruinded the blade, I hate to do that kind of stuff... however I have to it is a lot of money to me. I am off walking my dogs, I will return to this topic later to night. Thanks Tor Trox, I have an 86 splitter but it's blade is only 6" and not 8". Is the 8" blade from an older version of the 86? I'm just curious... Hi Mijo, I guess the above posts answered your question. Tor Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirtclod Report post Posted December 28, 2012 Trox take it to a machine shop and have them make a blade for you. I had to have one made years ago. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trox Report post Posted December 29, 2012 Trox take it to a machine shop and have them make a blade for you. I had to have one made years ago. Thanks, If you knew the prices for such custom work here you would not suggest this. About European prices; when I asked the Osborne company for some parts they redirected to their German agent. I have their 2012 price list here; a # 86 (six inch) splitter costs 850 $ and that`s before tax. A # 86 b; replacement blade costs 455 $ (before any tax), thats 5 $ more than a complete machine costs in your country (prices from Osborn and Cobra sewing machines) The shipping from USA cost about 10 to 20 $ more than from Germany. Norway again has much higher prices, about 30 to 40 % more than Germany. However, this German company do not have any eight inch blades, the company who has them is http://www.kappey.de/ http://server3.gs-shop.de/200/cgi-bin/shop.dll?SESSIONID=0760690710274503&AnbieterID=15105 Here the # 86 costs 761 Euro (included tax) 1008 $, I do not remember how much the blade costs. About the same as a new # 84 costs in the USA. For this price you can buy nice powered fixed blade splitter like the Landis 30 or American. It is Insane that they can double the price on US tools like this, today when we all shop on the web anyway. We are not getting rich by doing leather works, we all do it because we love it and we have to save everywhere we can to survive. I prefer buying US tools in the US and rather pay more for shipping than feeding the fat and greedy ones. US companies are struggling to survive, and they wonder why they do not sell anything in Europe. Osborne do not need any European dealers, they should start shipping international instead. If you know of any who makes blades for less than the price of a new machine, please let me know. Thanks Tor Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirtclod Report post Posted December 29, 2012 Trox are their any trade schools around that teach machineing ? Making a blade would be a good project for them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trox Report post Posted December 30, 2012 Trox are their any trade schools around that teach machineing ? Making a blade would be a good project for them. Yes, I thought about the same too, thanks for reminding me of this. When I was a student in the mechanical School (many years ago) we did a lot of projects for customers, I do not know if they still do this. It is only one way to find out, if they do I have a lot of jobs for them. I wonder if the blade is made of one piece of steel or has a inlaid softer edge like a good knife has. I have read something about it here before, I do not remember what it was anymore. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
walter roth Report post Posted August 6, 2013 Hi Trox So here in Switzerland, it is always possible to have prepared such blades. There are knife makers here do that. Moreover, they are always made with hollow ground here, because the blades are perfectly polished, otherwise you can not take the plane. The hollow grind is better than the normal straight flat grind, but he must be made to the grindstone with a machine, and absolutely accurate. The final grinding operation is always the leather strop like the razor with me. So should anyone ever have problems with knives, just ask, I can help. Gate, if you ever have a problem with knives, send it to the company that works perfectly. He has experience with all the knives for saddlery. I know it's Awkward, but then usually done for years. Messerschmiede: Röthlisberger Walter Bäraustr. 26 3552 Bärau BE * 034 402 12 97 Fax *034 402 47 72 E-Mail: *info@messer-knife.ch greeting Walter Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
walter roth Report post Posted August 6, 2013 Hi Tor The old knives were only the front of the cutting hard, because they were made of 2 parts. Back was normal steel and the blade ..... maybe 2 inches wide, was forged in the fire. If one makes the old knife clean, you can see the seam where they were forged together. This was made at that time, because you could not drill through the hard steel blade. So you just did it in two parts. Today, however, one can make the blade from a piece of hard steel, and cut with a laser, the holes ..... or the shape around ........ Even today one can also mill very hard metals, grinding, etc. So, who wants to make a knife today, there has been much easier. greeting Walter Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
